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 […]

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 […]

Leaping into a Limón Classic     After her initial panic dissipated, Ryoko Kudo settled down to tackle the character Emilia, the wife of the sinister Iago, for her debut in José Limón’s masterpiece, The Moor’s Pavane.   Kudo danced two performances in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and two in Germany. Carla Maxwell, artistic director of […]

Classic Pilates: Down to the Mat     Dancers tend to be flexible, often to their detriment: looseness can make movement harder to control. Weight training tends to focus on one muscle group, and cardio workouts build stamina, not core strength. But Pilates can strengthen your whole body, starting with your core.   “Many dancers […]

For its all-out gala this year, Youth American Grand Prix has chosen the theme “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow.” Representing tomorrow is Polina Semionova, the newest sensation in ballet to come out of Europe. With a gorgeously limpid line and glowing presence, Semionova was a Dance Magazine “On the Rise” in Oct. […]

Deaths Fayard Nicholas (1914–2006) The elder and taller of the brilliant Nicholas Brothers, Fayard was known as “having the best arms and hands in the business.” His fluid torso and eloquent hands wove poetry in counterpoint to the complex tapping. Watching this perfect tap duo, it was difficult to know where Harold (who died in […]

The classic Italian definition of opera is dramma per musica. What then is the equivalent for dance theater, opera’s wayward theater sister? Play without words perhaps, which was the apt title of one of Matthew Bourne’s highly regarded pieces of self-styled dance theater. Or how about Adventures in Motion Pictures, which was the name of […]

Maurice Hines melds hip hop, jazz, Latin and even a little tap in his Broadway directoral debut, Hot Feet.     The combination seems like a head-scratcher at first: a cherished, classic ballet movie; a genial, old-school tap master; and a hit-machine soul band from the ’70s. But scratch all you want: The biggest dance […]