Lisa Shriver gets down home and country in her first outing as a choreographer, Ring of Fire.     The first and only time Lisa Shriver performed in a musical, it was a high-school production of Anything Goes in Colorado Springs. “I wanted Reno Sweeney,” she says. She got a small part instead. But it […]

Deaths Pamala Jones (1966–2006) A memorable performer with the Limón Dance Company from 1988–98, Pamala Jones’ radiant smile and powerful onstage persona endeared her to audiences and colleagues alike. She was a muse to Limón’s guest choreographers including Donald McKayle, Garth Fagan, and Ralph Lemon, all of whom created roles for her. She also knew […]

We seem to be in the middle of a serious debate on whether New York is (or is still) the center of the dance world. Wow! Big stuff! Big argument! But, as first pointed out in these pages by editor Wendy Perron (“Curtain Up,” December 2005), in these days of globalization, one wonders whether such […]

Celebrating its 50th: The Public Theater created a new kind of dance musical.     When you think about the preeminent figures in our musical theater, producers don’t come to mind first. You might cite Florenz Ziegfeld, or George Abbott, or Harold Prince. Maybe David Merrick or Cameron Mackintosh. But the list is pretty thin, […]

Jazz dance teachers share their perspectives.     “My class does not emphasize the new trends,” says Nan Giordano. “It’s not that we don’t like trends or don’t like music that is trendy. But we are technically based and very clean. Our style is pure passion.”   In August, Giordano hosted the Jazz Dance World […]

Since welcoming its first freshman BFA class in 2015, the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance has made a name for itself. The Los Angeles dance program is known for creating versatile artists in a collaborative, innovative training environment, and its alumni are already making bold professional leaps. Dance Magazine caught up […]

Becoming Lola: A Damn Yankees vamp.     When Gwen Verdon debuted as Lola in 1955’s Damn Yankees, a star was born. Her onstage charisma and sassy flair made her—and the role—iconic. Broadway audiences never forgot. Lola has been a challenge for everyone who has attempted the part since. But in the recent Arena Stage […]

Hawaiian festivals, Aix gets axed, Rainer does Stravinsky, Dance Place’s 25th     The Hawaiian Scene: Grass Skirts and Dancing Geckos Hawaii may be a vacation paradise, but the state is rapidly gaining a reputation for its cultural offerings, too. Among a wide range of dance attractions, hula is still the predominant style, with hundreds […]