This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on November 29, 2007. Robert La Fosse, standing second from the right, as Herr Drosselmeier, performs in the New York City Ballet production "The Nutcracker" in New York in this undated photo. Photographer: Paul Kolnik/NYCB via Bloomberg News Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- A bracing tonic for the Scrooges among us is ``The Nutcracker,'' choreographed to Tchaikovsky's captivating score by George Balanchine for the New York City Ballet. In the course of its annual five-week run … [Read more...]
Family & Friends: Personal Indulgences No. 4
November 18, 2007 By 8 Comments
When I was growing up, my mother pointed out to me that, among my aunts, uncles, and myriad cousins (along with any spouses and offspring that had accreted to them), the ones that I liked best invariably had the "worst" personalities, moral characters, and behavioral track records. At least according to the standards of our petit-bourgeois world. This was true, but not entirely true. My absolute all-time favorite family member, my mom's elder sister, Ann, was a saint--all self-effacing and genuine sweetness and tenderness. I adored her and … [Read more...]
Tel Aviv’s `Gaga’ Dancers Dance to Eno and Bach
November 16, 2007 By
This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on November 16, 2007. Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Nine casually dressed women move as a unit to Brian Eno's ``Neroli,'' which hovers on the edge of silence. Their dance is called ``Humus'' (Latin for ``earth''). They're introspective and sensuous, hunkering down to sway torso and pelvis as if they were so many waves in the sea, or recumbent, stretching and folding their legs like languid odalisques. This is the most congenial section of ``Shalosh'' (``Three''), choreographed … [Read more...]
Saarinen’s Shakers Dance, Sing; Garth Fagan’s Peripheral Vision
November 9, 2007 By
This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on November 9, 2007. Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Swathed in black, not an inch of flesh visible but for their faces, hands and an opening at the spine or chest, eight dancers cover the stage with a heavy, awkward gait. Outstretched arms angled, torsos canted forward, they strike the floor with their sturdy shoes, their long inky skirts flapping like the wings of wounded birds. Tero Saarinen dances with member of his company while performing "Borrowed Light" at the Brooklyn … [Read more...]
In `Misuse,’ Jasperse’s Dancers Make Virtue of Found Objects
November 2, 2007 By
This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on November 2, 2007. Julieta Cervantes and John Jasperse perform in "Misuse Liable to Prosecution" in this image released to the media on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007. Photographer: Julieta Cervantes/John Jasperse Company via Bloomberg News Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) -- A few dancers you can barely see wander through a forest made from hundreds of suspended plastic coat hangers, lights boldly flickering among them like errant stars. It's not a dance moment, really, but it is a … [Read more...]
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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...