[Nikolaj] Hübbe managed to instill in his protégés a command of the [Bournonville] choreography's unique charms: the calm upper body riding the fleet action of the feet; the space-grabbing leaps with their invisible preparations and pillow-soft landings; the maverick timing; and, no less important, the pervading sense of unquenchable joy. Village Voice 06/25/03 … [Read more...]
Chamber Dance Project; Zig Zag Ballet
June 18, 2003 By
Classical ballet, with its appetite for space and grandeur, calls for opera-house scale. Does that make the concept of chamber ballet a contradiction in terms? Two mini-troupes at the Kaye Playhouse in May argued persuasively that intimacy has its own charms. Village Voice 06/18/03 … [Read more...]
Flesh: “Talk to Her”– Almodovar’s Anatomy of Women
June 16, 2003 By
The gaudy, bizarre twists and turns of the film's plot, influenced perhaps by the magic realism of the Latin American novelists Borges and Garcia Marquez, are extravagant even for this film maker, who thrives on flamboyant, unlikely extremes. But there's a sober, well reasoned, and calmly paced subtext operating here too, and it has a special appeal for the dance observer. Using this trio of female figures representing three different generations, Almodovar examines an anatomical spectrum that runs from the peak of natural physical blossoming … [Read more...]
Johannes Wieland
June 11, 2003 By
Since he relocated to New York three years ago, the German-born Johannes Wieland . . . has developed a singular, striking body of work. Concise and abstract, though hinting at mood, situation, and relationships, his dances are visually handsome in a stern Bauhaus style. Their movement is tightly controlled, with ferocious outbursts that read as frustration and rage at the human condition. Village Voice 06/11/03 … [Read more...]
Ben Munisteri Dance Projects; Compañia de la Danza Narciso Medina
June 4, 2003 By
Facing the viewer straight-on with a clear-eyed gaze, handsome athletic bodies made large, clear, energetic moves that looked like metaphors for optimism. (Munisteri) The evening's most unselfconscious and engaging number, Música del Cuerpo (Music of the Body), [had] the dancers providing the audible as well as the visible rhythms. (Medina) Village Voice 06/04/03 … [Read more...]
Recent Comments
jeannette andersen on Promises, promises
I love the imagery you evoke in this piece.Lisa Copeland on A Charmed Life?
I don't think you can say Christopher Wheeldon deserted Morphoses. Every time I heard him speak about it, he emphasized...Martha Ullman West on A Charmed Life?
"A choreographer goes through different periods,much like a painter," is an interesting comment from Catherine Turocy, though this longtime observer...Steve on A Charmed Life?
In response to Catherine Turocy: Perhaps. But sometimes inspiration dries up -- see Antony Tudor. My own feeling...Rob Daniels on A Charmed Life?
Rob Daniels, New York City Ballet's Managing Director of Communications and Special Projects, writes: ''Just read your ArtsJournal post on Saturday...