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 […]

From sexy to sassy to Shining Sea.     With their powerful thighs and boundless energy, Paul Taylor’s women seem more yang than yin. Then there’s Annmaria Mazzini. Her delicate features and physical abandon send a whiff of something different floating out to the audience. She wandered through the recent revival of From Sea to […]

What makes a great partnership? Onstage couples talk about that X factor.     While legendary couples like Bogie and Bacall, and Tracy and Hepburn have torched the screen for years with that ineffable “X” factor, otherwise known as chemistry, the world of dance also can be counted on to seduce audiences with steamy pairings. […]

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, […]

Training in aerial dance is still relatively new. When Nancy Smith, founder and artistic director of Frequent Flyers Productions and founder of the Aerial Dance Festival in Colorado, wanted to add aerial work to her repertoire, she locked herself in a studio for eight months to experiment. Keith Hennessy, former Contraband founding member and director […]

All steamed up: Kathleen Marshall’s new Pajama Game salutes Fosse’s classic moves.     The way the story goes, it was Jerome Robbins who suggested to his co-director, George Abbott, that they give the job of choreographing their 1954 show Pajama Game to a newcomer named Bob Fosse.   While the show could certainly have […]