"The show must go on" may be a platitude we use to get through everything from costume malfunctions to stormy moods. But when it came to overcoming a literal hurricane, Houston Ballet was buoyed by this mantra to go from devastated to dancing in a matter of weeks—with the help of Harlequin Floors, Houston Ballet's longstanding partner who sprang into action to build new floors in record time.
Frank William Shawl, dance artist, educator and cofounder, along with the late Victor Anderson, of Shawl-Anderson Dance Center in Berkeley, California, died peacefully at his home on Friday, October 4, 2019 at the age of 87.
Born in New Jersey in 1931, Shawl was a beloved and revered teacher, dancer and choreographer in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than 55 years. The Shawl-Anderson Dance Company was a renowned dance repertory group in the 1960s and '70s and spawned many of today's prominent dance artists.
Directed by Elizabeth Wadium, "Elemental" explores the versatile power of hip hop to illustrate the natural environment. The video features dancer Solomon Roller and a sound score composed by Aaron Granat, which was recorded on location and molded into a composition that sharpens the emotional undertones of Roller's movements.
From an indie rock collaboration to major anniversary celebrations to yet another retelling of the Orpheus myth, the fall performance season has fully hit its stride. Here are the six shows we have on our calendars.
The 2019–20 season is here, and with it more performances than any one person could reasonably catch. But fear not: We polled our writers and editors and selected the 31 most promising tickets, adding up to one endlessly intriguing year of dance.
You nominated your favorite dance moments so far in 2019, and we narrowed them down to this list. Now it's time to cast your vote to help decide who will be deemed our Readers' Choice picks for the year!
Voting is open until September 17th. Only one vote per person will be counted.
What will it take to build more female leaders in ballet?
Dr. Linda Hamilton, the creator of Dance Magazine's longstanding advice column, Advice for Dancers, interviews New York City Ballet star Ashley Bouder about her work on the Ashley Bouder Project and the ways in which she's fighting for more female leadership in the ballet world.
This video is the first in Dr. Hamilton's new video series tackling the most current, newsworthy and controversial topics in dance.
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If you think becoming a trainee or apprentice is the only path to gaining experience in a dance company environment, think again.
The University of Arizona, located in the heart of Tucson, acclimates dancers to the pace and rigor of company life while offering all the academic opportunities of a globally-ranked university. If you're looking to get a head-start on your professional dance career—or to just have a college experience that balances company-level training and repertory with rigorous academics—the University of Arizona's undergraduate and graduate programs have myriad opportunites to offer:
Yes, we realize it's only August. But we can't help but to already be musing about all the incredible dance happenings of 2019.
We're getting ready for our annual Readers' Choice feature, and we want to hear from you about the shows you can't stop thinking about, the dance videos that blew your mind and the artists you discovered this year who everyone should know about.
Just four years ago, the University of Southern California's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance welcomed its first class of BFA students. The program—which boasts world-class faculty and a revolutionary approach to training focused on collaboration and hybridity—immediately established itself as one of the country's most prestigious and most innovative.
Now, the first graduating class is entering the dance field. Here, six of the 33 graduates share what they're doing post-grad, what made their experience at USC Kaufman so meaningful and how it prepared them for their next steps:
American Ballet Theatre mourns the passing of its dear friend and colleague Barbara Bilach. Barbara served as ABT's highly-esteemed company pianist for the past 22 years.
Prior to joining ABT in 1997, she served as company pianist for Cleveland Ballet (under artistic director Dennis Nahat) and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Her playing was joyful, virtuosic and personal. Her performance repertoire with ABT included Allegro Brillante, Baker's Dozen, Ballet Imperial, Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes, Jane Eyre, Kaleidoscope, Piano Concerto No. 1, Remanso, Seven Sonatas and Symphonic Variations.
Barbara was an extraordinary talent whose light and life touched a generation of dancers at ABT. She was a beloved member of the ABT family and will be dearly missed.
Irving Burton, a dancer, choreographer, teacher and actor passed away at 95 years of age in March. Irving studied with Martha Graham and performed with the New Dance Group, Charles Weidman, Pearl Lang, his niece Rosalind Newman, Claire Porter/PORTABLES and Susan Thomasson Works. He taught dance at the New Dance Group studios, Bennington College and The Irving Burton School of Dance. He performed on Broadway, off Broadway and was a featured member of The Paper Bag Players, a nationally and internationally known pioneer of children's theatre for 25 years. He performed with them throughout the United States as well as internationally and was seen on numerous television shows as well as in movies. He was Dance Audition Winner, 92nd St Y 1953 and won various fellowships for his productions. He continued to create and perform into his 90s.
Married for 60 years he leaves behind his wife, Maryan, whom he met as her dance teacher and who performed in his company, four children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Irving Burton was a brilliant, creative mind, a beautiful and gifted dancer, a man who loved his family, his dogs, his friends and the dance community. He will be deeply missed.
"Don't Miss It" features dancer Teddy Tedholm in a video that simulates editing glitches to heighten musicality.
Story ballets that debut during American Ballet Theatre's spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House are always the subject of much curiosity—and, sometimes, much debate. Cathy Marston's Jane Eyre was no different. The ballet follows the eponymous heroine of Charlotte Brönte's novel as she grows from a willful orphan to a self-possessed governess, charting her romance with the haughty Mr. Rochester and the social forces that threaten to tear them apart.
While the ballet was warmly received in the UK when Northern Ballet premiered it in 2016, its reception from New York City–based critics has been far less welcoming. A group of editors from Dance Magazine and two of our sister publications, Dance Spirit and Pointe, sat down to discuss our own reactions.
Directed and choreographed by Tislarm Bouie, "Peggy Sue's Blues" features dancer Tatiana Barber portraying a mother struggling with addiction and the toll it takes on the loved ones around her.
Peggy Sue's Blues youtu.be
What does it take to "make it" in dance? It's no secret that turning this passion into a profession can be a struggle. In such a competitive field, talent alone isn't enough to get you where you want to be.
So what kinds of steps can you take to become successful? Dance Magazine spoke to 33 people from all corners of the industry to get their advice on the lessons that could help us all, no matter where we are in our careers.
"If I Didn't Care" choreographed and directed by Liz Bustle, tells the story of a couple stuck in their own ways and trying to find a common ground. The quirky choreography, danced by Kate Coleman and Luis "L.t." Martinez, parallels the light-hearted nature of Connie Francis' title track.
Submit to our May contest here.
The Tony Award nominations were announced yesterday morning, and, as always, they gave us a lot to talk about.
Could Hadestown sweep the awards? Why didn't John Heginbotham's work on Oklahoma! garner him a Best Choreography nomination? What musical numbers will the nominated shows bring to the ceremony on June 9? To discuss, we gathered a group of musical theater–loving editors from Dance Magazine and Dance Spirit for a roundtable conversation about the nominees.
A Broadway luminary and a postmodern darling bring their talents to ballet, a music video maven turns to the concert stage, and a contemporary choreographer gets soulful with Aretha Franklin. Our editors' must-sees this May are all about the unexpected.
