Sometimes I dread sitting through all the extra pageantry in Sleeping Beauty, but last Friday at ABT, I saw something else in the ballet: the idea of fate being equivalent to the unconscious. In the scene where Prince Désiré’s friends blindfold him, he “sees” the castle and intuitively understands it’s his fate. But what is […]
David H. Koch Theater New York, NY June 14–19, 2011 Susanne Grinder and Ulrik Birkkjaer in Napoli. Photo by Costin Radu, courtesy RDB. The Royal Danish Ballet’s recent performances in New York provided a rare, intriguing glimpse at the world’s third oldest ballet company. The repertoire presented a snapshot of the current artistic […]
In May and June, the Royal Danish Ballet comes to Orange County, Berkeley, Washington, and New York—its first trip to the U.S. since 2004. The company, naturally, is dancing major Bournonville ballets such as La Sylphide, Napoli, and A Folk Tale. Under artistic director Nikolaj Hübbe, however, a 21st-century RDB performs updated, sometimes controversial, […]
To Toronto, tout de suite! While dedicated to presenting Canadian contemporary dance, Toronto Dance Theatre reaches beyond borders for its Paris/Toronto Project. Welcoming choreographers Alban Richard and Emmanuelle Vo-Dinh from the City of Light, director Christopher House uses the new points of view to stretch his dancers and raise the company’s […]
What distinguishes Bolshoi Ballet Academy graduates from other dancers? It has been said that there is a bravado that possesses dancers trained in the Bolshoi style, a sense of abandon that comes with the territory. Audiences can see it for themselves when 10 top Academy graduates perform “Reflections,” which premieres at the Orange County Performing […]
People love to discover new talent, but mature talent is exciting too. However, it’s often said that just when a dancer reaches her peak of artistry, her body starts to give way. Here we profile three great ballerinas who have been around the block and are still in top form, physically and artistically: Leanne Benjamin […]
Why cry about the economy? It won’t help, and a succession of dirges makes for wretched choreography, anyway. America’s dance companies and presenters aren’t mourning. They’re making the best of it. They’ll trim and adjust a bit this season. But they know that, for every cutback or compromise, the dance world can still put warm […]
The Royal Ballet Wayne McGregor’s Infra Royal Opera House, London November 13, 2008 Reviewed by Rachel Straus Photo by Bill Cooper. Eric Underwood and Melissa Hamilton in Infra. Wayne McGregor, choreographer-in-residence for The Royal Ballet, believes that 21st-century audiences see faster, perhaps because life with LED screens is supercharging our retinas. His penchant […]
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