Rose Marija - Page 4

On November 18, 2016, at the Baruch Arts Center's Mason Hall, Gabrielle Lamb presented two of her numerous works, via two dance groups, The Joffrey Ensemble and her own company, Pigeonwing Dance. Lamb is a New York based choreographer who was a long time soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal and in 2009 was invited by Christopher Wheeldon to join his company Morphoses in New York City. Her choreography is contemporary with a flair offered by her own personality and point of view.

The Dance Gallery Festival began ten years ago with the vision of Astrid von Ussar, Founder and Artistic Director. Their stated 'mission is to provide everything that choreographers want, need, and dream of in a professional setting: industry standard lighting, publicity packaging, and ample time for tech rehearsals.' Born of necessity, this collective, following von Ussar's vision, recognizes these lacks to be common to most aspiring and working choreographers (those not working with major, funded dance companies). Funding comes primarily from family and friends. This is an extraordinary find in the dance community; and one that begins to fill a void that has existed for far too long.

This year's Fall for Dance Festival includes twenty different dance companies and groups performing a potpourri of different styles of dance, four groups per performance, each performing on two consecutive nights. On Wednesday, September 28, 2016 I saw the first of two nights of four presentations.

Misty Copland, by Gregg Delman with foreward by Misty Copeland has been released by Rizzoli New York, September 2016. Delman is an award winning photographer whose work has appeared in Time, Interview, Elle, GQ, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Gotham, and Vogue. He has photographed a roster of notable names, actors and rock stars. When he first saw Copeland, in 2011, while she was still striving to rise in the ranks of American Ballet Theatre, he believed he had found a really special subject to capture. Copeland has since become the first female, African-American principal dancer for ABT. She has also become a public speaker, celebrity spokesperson, stage performer, television personality, and author.

Robert Creighton, embodying the spirit of James Cagney in this energetic, fast-paced, biographical musical, Cagney, playing at the Westside Theater/Upstairs, Off-Broadway, brings the Hollywood icon to life. He has the physical plant of Cagney, as well as a dynamic talent for tap dancing, singing, and playing the tough guy, not unlike Cagney. It was exhilarating to be in attendance at this high energy performance on Friday, June 8, 2016. The world premiere was in Florida, 2009. The show has gone through its own evolution on its way to New York.

In her first season as principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland has hit the stage glowing. Dancing both new roles, to her, and those she has performed before, while still a soloist with the company, she brought new life and light to the ballets. At every performance, the excitement throughout the audience was palpable, from the moment they entered the Metropolitan Opera House, N.Y.C., to the explosion of applause, calls of brava, and other vocalizations of appreciation at the end of each performance.

The Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, under the artistic direction of Davis Robertson, is performing at New York Live Arts, where I saw them on Friday, May 27, 2016. Robertson introduced the not-for-profit company as good dancers who are currently unemployed.

Ballet Preljocaj, under the direction of Angelin Preljocaj, opened its New York premiere engagement of Empty Moves (Parts I, II, & III), to Empty Words, by John Cage, on April 20, 2016, when I had the opportunity to attend. Preljocaj has created 45 choreographic works for his company, formed in December 1984, ranging from solo to larger formations. His productions (49, to date) are now part of the repertoire of many companies, many of which also commission original productions, notably La Scala of Milan, New York City Ballet, and the Paris Opera. I was excited to see the work of this acclaimed contemporary choreographer, aware that his dancers are known to be very good.

On March 15, 2016, Hong Kong Ballet opened its debut at the Joyce Theater, NYC. I felt fortunate to be there, from the moment the curtain opened, to see Program A. On the program were three works by three choreographers, from three different countries: China, Spain, and Poland. Artistic Director, Madeleine Onne, one of Sweden's leading ballerinas, leads the Company's artistic team of more than forty dancers of nine different nationalities.

In this time of physical proximity of different cultures, Fadi J. Khoury, Artistic Director and Choreographer of FJK Dance, believes in the unique fusion of culture and dance, with the endless possibilities of experimenting with the fundamentals of various dance forms, including classical ballet, ballroom, Middle Eastern, and jazz, creating their own language to bridge the gap, demonstrating a shared capacity to create. Using atmosphere created by music, lighting, costumes, and movement, Khoury takes us on a journey, via his and his dancers' fusion, in a singular performance at the Kaye Playhouse, February 27, 2016, which I was glad to attend.

Jean-Christophe Maillot has put his own choreographic stamp on Sergei Prokofiev's Cinderella. The music is faster than that used in the classical version. For this reason, the up-tempo pace keeps the viewers from getting bored. The story is basically the same Cinderella story we have come to know since childhood. What is unusual is in the telling.

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo Celebrates it's 30th Anniversary with Jean-Christophe Maillot's CINDERELLA, February 18th to 20th, 2016, at New York City Center. Here he talks about his training, his performing career, and his choreography.

Martin Santangelo. Artistic Director and Producer, presents Antigona, featuring Soledad Barrio, who is not only principal dancer but choreographer and costume designer, at the West Park Presbetarian Church, at west 86th St. and Amsterdam. This church has opened its house to some theater pieces, proclaiming, 'Noche's Antigona is a perfect example of how we like our house to be a place where dreams can come true.' The high church ceiling lent itself to creating an enormous sound, with the participation of both musicians and Flamenco dancers.

There was an explosion of talented dancers on stage at City Center on December 22, 2015. The energy was high. The dancers lit up the audience so that at the end of each piece, the outburst of applause and yells came from them. It was thrilling for everyone in the theater.

'Twas 17 nights before Christmas and there I was at the David H. Koch Theater, viewing Balanchine's 62 year old The Nutcracker, performed by the New York City Ballet, which had premiered it on February 2, 1954. Magic was in the air. Although it was a school night, there were a number of excited children in the audience dressed up in their finest party attire, a modern version of the children's party clothes in the first act. This ballet is, of course, geared towards the children, both in the audience and on the stage.

Misty Copeland gave her first performance as principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre on November 24, 2015. I felt fortunate to be in attendance, as she began to weave her ballerina magic on yet another mesmerized full house.

On Thursday evening, October 15, 2015, the curtain rose at the David Koch Theater to reveal a colorful stage in the style of commedia dell'arte, vibrant scenery and costumes by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, and lighting by Mark Stanley. The occasion was George Balanchine's Harlequinade, created for the New York City Ballet for the 65th anniversary of Marius Petipa's Les Millions de Harlequin. While this Balanchine ballet premiered on February 4, 1965, its original roots, particularly from commedia dell'arte, were popular in Italy and France from the 16th to the 18th centuries. These comedies were filled with humor, slapstick, and mimicry. Actors wore masks, as did some of the dancers, which became so familiar that they evolved into stock characters, most notably Pierrot and his wife Pierrette; Columbine and Harlequin, who are in love and marry in the second act of the ballet; and the Good Fairy.

On opening night, September 29, 2015, we experienced a great burst of energy by this focused, well-rehearsed, professional company, Batsheva - The Young Ensemble: Ohad Naharin, Artistic Director; Adi Salent, Associate Artistic Director; and Matan David, Ensemble Director. For this debut, September 29th - October 4th at the Joyce, this company of 16 dancers, aged 18-24, is presenting an all new version of the parent company's 2000 work of repertory highlights, Decadance.

On Saturday, August 8, 2015, The Ashley Bouder Project presented their first of two performances participating in the Joyce Theater's Ballet Festival. Joining Bouder, a principal of New York City Ballet, were 7 other New York City Ballet dancers. It is good to see accomplished ballet dancers given the opportunity to perform more contemporary styles. The performance, consisting of three pieces, was one hour, with no intermission.

On Tuesday, August 4, 2015, the Joyce Theater opened its Ballet Festival with MOVE: the company. Joshua Beamish , Choreographer and Artistic Director, has been touring extensively with his company since its founding in 2005; and has been collaborating with notable companies, schools, and principal dancers ever since. This performance was especially inviting, as many of his dancers perform with American Ballet Theatre and other top companies. It was fun to see soloists and corps de ballet members having the opportunity to shine, dancing contemporary ballet works using their technical prowess and, in some cases, expressiveness.