“OK, it’s time. I’m going to get undressed and stand here naked.” So spoke the thin man, wearing street clothes, who walked onstage and stood at rest before the audience. And with that he began to describe his actions and feelings, as if he actually were taking off his clothes. But he wasn’t. Curiously, this […]

Tapestry Dance Company The Souls of Our Feet Kaplan Theater, Houston, TX February 3, 2007 By Nancy Wozny Tapestry Dance Company in The Souls of Our Feet Photo by Amitava Sarkar, Courtesy Tapestry Dance Company The Souls of Our Feet: A Celebration of American Tap Dance proved a feast for the ears and eyes. Under […]

It was the summer of 1972 in New York City. I was young, and boy was I in love! I was in love with dance. I wanted so much to be good, and to be able to harness all those unearthly structures and graces. It was gripping my soul and my heart. I was also […]

Photo: Rosalie O’Connor Ballet class is indispensable to me. Ideally it is my first destination of the day, as essential as waking up and drinking a cup of coffee (Balzac’s favorite elixir). At dawn, I don’t want to fight a duel, read the newspaper, or linger over breakfast. I need to dance. The anticipation of […]

Your eyes lock in a laser-hot gaze. Sparks fly across the room. You give a slight, inviting smile, and nonchalantly turn away to talk to a friend. But you’re not out partying at a club or bar. You’re in a dance studio, gearing up for rehearsal, and the person you’re lusting after is a fellow […]

She commands the stage and captivates her audience with her finesse. It’s impossible to simply watch her performance. One cannot help but become involved with the story she creates. Stacey Casterline Mount Vernon, WA   Savion Glover’s Ashley DeForest… She’s the sole female tap dancer in Savion’s Chapter IV company. She’s beautiful, and the embodiment […]

The 20th century could—at least in the Western world—be called the Century of the Woman. It was a century of emancipation and universal suffrage, women’s rights, feminism, and, at least on paper, equal opportunity, if not equal wages. But despite any glass ceiling, it was a century of enormous progress for women. This progress was […]

A rigorous season of performances or a grueling touring schedule can trigger burnout no matter how prepared the dancer. “It was a shock to my body,” remembers New York City Ballet soloist Dana Hanson, who was barely 19 when she first joined the company and leapt into a winter season that stretched 14 weeks. She […]