This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on July 27, 2006. July 27 (Bloomberg) -- If there's such a thing as a postmodern pastoral, Mark Morris has created it. His three-act ballet ``Sylvia,'' choreographed for the San Francisco Ballet in 2004, received its New York premiere last night as the centerpiece of the California troupe's week-long slot in the Lincoln Center Festival. The work's many beauties and self-contradictions threaten to baffle and promise to enchant its audience. Set to Delibes' deliquescent … [Read more...]

This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on July 21, 2006. July 21 (Bloomberg) -- Saburo Teshigawara, who performs his ``Bones in Pages'' at the Rose Theater through Saturday as part of the Lincoln Center Festival, is billed as choreographer, dancer, designer and collaborating composer. You might also call the visitor from Japan a standup philosopher. This 55-minute solo means something, though the something remains enigmatic. The installation invites decoding. It includes a wide, high wall of books with … [Read more...]

This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on July 13, 2006. July 13 (Bloomberg) -- Auburn-haired, with a porcelain complexion, a willowy grace and a wistful air, Julie Kent has magically retained the appeal of a young romantic heroine. The dancer, who turns 37 this week, will celebrate her 20th anniversary with American Ballet Theatre tomorrow, starring in Kenneth MacMillan's ``Romeo and Juliet.'' It's safe to say that among ABT's roster of amazing women -- formidable technicians, high-voltage dramatic dancers, … [Read more...]

This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on July 13, 2006. July 13 (Bloomberg) -- Last time I saw Elizabeth Streb, years ago, she had her dancers throwing themselves at walls. One of them was slightly injured at that performance, and I never went back. It seemed to me that, unlike high-caliber circus aerialists, acrobats or virtuoso classical dancers, Streb's crew was deliberately courting a bad outcome. Now that Streb is big time -- winning high-end awards, part of the prestigious Lincoln Center Festival -- … [Read more...]

This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on July 14, 2006. July 14 (Bloomberg) --The Israeli dancer-choreographer Emanuel Gat brings his small troupe to the Lincoln Center Festival in a pair of works set to dangerously challenging scores. ``Winter Voyage'' uses three songs from Schubert's bleak, poignant ``Die Winterreise.'' Two big guys wearing long tunics engage in close encounters of a hostile-bonding kind. Look- alikes, they might be dual aspects of the same soul. Their movement is fierce, fluid and maybe a … [Read more...]

The Royal Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty / Kennedy Center Opera House, Washington DC / June 24, 2006 Life being a busy affair, the only performance of the Royal Ballet's new/old Sleeping Beauty at Kennedy Center that I could get to was the Saturday matinee, June 24. Daytime performances don't turn up the best known stars, but this occasion proved to be serendipitous. The 25-year-old Sarah Lamb, made a principal dancer less than a month ago, played Aurora, and her performance consoled me for my disappointment in the production.   Like … [Read more...]