Balletfocus 2019 Highlights: Dance Theatre of Harlem Celebrates 50 Years Dance Theatre of Harlem, celebrated its 50th anniversary and held its New York season at City Center in April. Arthur Mitchell, the first African-American dancer at New York City Ballet, …
Category: Ballet-General
Baryshnikov Interview on CNN Larry King Live, 2002
I recently ran across an old VHS recording I made of ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov on CNN’s Larry King Live (how many people know what a VHS tape is?). The interview was from May 2002 after publication of Joan Acocella’s …
What is Gender-Fluid Dancing?
Above photo from chittagongit.com The New York Times has a new term to describe a dancer’s style: gender-fluid. As a former dancer, I would take the description as an insult, but the Times uses it approvingly these days. An example …
Balletfocus 2018 Highlights
2018 has been an action packed year in the New York ballet scene. My highlights and lowlights: ABT Young Women Emerge American Ballet Theatre featured many great young women in 2018, particularly Christine Shevchenko, Devon Teuscher, Skylar Brandt, and Cassandra …
Story of the Nutcracker Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Top photo: Sabina Alvarez, Gelsey Kirkland Ballet Nutcracker, December 2015. One of my favorite YouTube channels is Polyphonic, which explores popular music. The videos by a Canadian music journalist are sometimes technical and always interesting. Examples include discussions of Freddie …
City Center Celebrates Balanchine Classics
New York City Center, as part of its 75th anniversary season, is presenting Balanchine: The City Center Years with works from eight leading companies, a sort of all-star production. New York City Ballet’s first performance was in 1948 at City …