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 […]

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 […]

Aszure All Over Canadian-born Aszure Barton, 30, has been a practicing choreographer for almost her entire life. Yet for many people she seems to have burst onto the American scene out of the blue. And soon there’ll be no ignoring her.   This month and next, Barton and her flexibly populated group of dance virtuosi, […]

Great reads for the beach, the mountains, or the studio     Dance Anecdotes: Stories from the Worlds of Ballet, Broadway, the Ballroom, and Modern Dance Edited by Mindy Aloft. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. 288 pp. Hardcover, $26. Dance usually speaks for itself, but a few well-chosen words are always welcome. This quirky […]

From Swan to Swan Queen, this NYCB dancer is living the dream.     New York City Ballet’s Sara Mearns has blasted from earth straight to the stars. After spending six weeks of Nutcracker dancing roles typical for a second-year corps dancer—party scene Parent, Snowflake, and Flower—she was suddenly called to rehearse the leading role […]

SEEDing Self Esteem Teenage girls study belly dance in Santa Fe When best friends Heather McDonald and Marissa Mathy-Zvaifler were 16, they signed up for a belly dancing workshop. It was an introduction to SEEEDS—Self-Esteem, Expression, Empowerment, and Education through Dance—for teenage girls at Myra Krien’s Pomegranate Studios in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The girls […]

The Joffrey Ballet celebrates its 50th anniversary with festivities galore, including a gala, a reunion, and a free performance series for the city of Chicago, June 13–18. Established in New York City, the company relocated to Chicago in 1995. Gerald Arpino (above right, with Robert Joffrey, ca 1956) co-founder and artistic director, has created nearly […]

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 […]