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A reverent love for the ritual of performance infuses choreographer and director Trajal Harrell’s theatrical style. Who is this man? How does he seamlessly synthesize voguing and runway idioms with butoh, the dances of Greek antiquity, and modern and postmodern dance to create the intriguing works that make him an internationally admired and respected artist? And how has his bold, incisive leadership shaped Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble over the past five years?

Careers are often described as ladders—linear paths ascending to a predetermined goal. But the nonprofit organization Regional Dance America bursts out of the stale metaphor entirely, acting as a springboard for young dancers to reach career heights in a variety of industries. Through RDA’s programs—including its Regional and National festivals, National Choreography Intensive, adjudication, and scholarship offerings—dancers gain invaluable experience. From […]

The Stephen Petronio Company is about to officially enter middle age, and the 40th-anniversary celebrations for the contemporary troupe—including a world premiere at NYU Skirball this month—will come alongside some major organizational changes. Most significant among them: the likely closure of the idyllic Petronio Residency Center, located a few hours north of New York City amongst the Catskill Mountains and designed as an early-stage choreographic development center for dance artists.

His brilliant dancing and magnetic presence wowed Broadway in “Ain’t Too Proud”; landed him the lead (which he eventually relinquished) of “MJ: The Musical”; and will be on display in the title role of Tony Goldwyn and Savion Glover’s reimagined “Pal Joey” at New York City Center this month. But ask Ephraim Sykes for his story and he starts with, “My mother and father fell in love…” 

Puppets can do things that people can’t, such as move their legs preposterously quickly or fill space 15 or 20 feet above the stage. But they require skilled and agile human bodies to do so, making puppetry and dance a natural pairing.

In “Bob Fosse’s DANCIN’,” 27-year-old Kolton Krouse, who is nonbinary, performed a track that included roles in both heels and flats. It was a significant step toward inclusivity that also felt natural. Fosse asked dancers to be themselves onstage; “DANCIN’” simply showed Krouse as Krouse.

Earlier this year, Lumberyard Center for Film and Performing Arts listed its Catskill property for sale. Once finalized, it will mark the end of its dedicated technical residency program, the only one in the U.S.

Dancing across a hotel ballroom in small-town America seems a world away from performing on Broadway, but for some students, competitions and conventions are an important step toward realizing that dream. Skills honed at these events—the ability to quickly learn choreography in a wide range of styles and perform it immediately afterward—are valuable in securing work in musical theater.