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DANCE

Lizzo Is Sued By Three Ex-Backup Dancers For Sexual Harassment, Fat-Shaming (!), And A Hostile Work Environment

"The suit … accuses Lizzo and employees of (her touring company) of interrogating dancers about their weight and pressuring them to engage in sexually explicit acts at sex shows. It details an incident in Amsterdam this year where staff was allegedly pushed to engage with nude performers." - The Hollywood Reporter

Louisville Ballet Makes Cuts To Next Season And Is Trying To Raise $3 Million “To Sustain The Company’s Future”

"Tax documents from 2010-2020, which are the most recent available from the IRS, show that's an optimistic number, and in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the ballet garnered annually in gifts in the past decade." - MSN (Louisville Courier-Journal)

When Watching Full-Length Ballets On YouTube Becomes A Survival Strategy

"My ballet may not be 'good.' But I know it’s not bad, either. And even if it was, well, who is to be the judge? I’m an incessant perfectionist who loves the color pink, and who was fortunate enough to find a shrapnel of joy in something beautiful early on." - Vogue

How The Kens’ Dancing Affects The Barbie Movie

"The dance is more than a dance: It’s an emotional release. ... The choreography is a passionate expression of selfhood, a tonic that recalls the vitality and athletic grace of Gene Kelly." - The New York Times

The Analog Dancer: Mark Morris As Teacher

His teaching is the least known aspect of his work — yet it may be the most important. While there have been seasons when his choreographic inspiration has dipped, his performers have almost invariably looked wonderful. This is a tribute to how he and his teaching colleagues prepare them each day. - The New York Times

Bolshoi Ballet Will Return To The West On Tour “One Day,” Says Director

"Speaking in Beijing on the eve of the performance, artistic director Makhar Vaziev insisted the troupe was 'not suffering' from being unable to perform in the West. 'I have no doubt that one day everything will go back to how it should be because culture is a wave that is very hard to suppress.'" - Reuters

Carlos Acosta Is Building A Dance Center In A Multiethnic London Neighborhood

"His arts education charity, the Acosta Dance Foundation, has set up its global headquarters in Woolwich. Housing five dance studios, it aims to teach styles from across the world. … He said he located the centre in this part of south-east London because of the many locals with African heritage." - BBC

A New(ish) Artistic Director At Smuin Contemporary Ballet

"Celia Fushille … is stepping down next year at the conclusion of the company's 30th season to hand her job to nationally acclaimed choreographer Amy Seiwert. … The news comes more than three months after Smuin Ballet hired Seiwert, a former company member and choreographer-in-residence, as associate artistic director." - San Francisco Chronicle

How Dancers And Choreographers Are Using AI

"Dance artists are increasingly inspired by the generative potential of AI, whether as a choreographic tool, a topic to probe onstage, or an entryway into the broader intersection of dance and technology. And it isn't just dance artists who are using AI in their practice." - Dance Magazine

Story Ballets Are Still Popular (But Problematic). So How To Fix Narrative Dance?

“There are no mothers-in-law in ballet”, George Balanchine, who dominated American ballet throughout the twentieth century, liked to say: dance, he believed, is not the right medium to portray psychologically complex relationships or intricate stories. - Times Literary Supplement

Louisville Ballet Artistic Director Robert Curran Resigns

"His resignation was announced via a news release Thursday. Curran has been in the role since 2014 … (and) was at the helm of the Louisville Ballet through the pandemic and its return to in-person shows." - Louisville Public Media

Dayton Ballet Has A New Artistic Director

"The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance named Brandon Ragland as artistic director of the second-oldest regional ballet company in the country. With more than 15 years as a ballet professional, Ragland, 38, comes to Dayton from the Louisville Ballet, where he was a principal dancer ... (and) resident choreographer." - Dayton Daily News

We Have To Save Ballet, But How?

Involve college students. "Unlike music, ballet lacks a script or a widely accepted form of notation. ... Ballet is passed down one performer or choreography to the next. If that chain is severed, ballet’s tradition will be lost forever." - Inside Higher Ed

Reinventing Hubbard Street Dance For The Next Generation

Audience numbers had dropped off well before the pandemic, leaving some in the administration to question if they could continue to support a home season at the 1,500-seat Harris Theater for Music and Dance. - Dance Magazine

Dancers’ Contracts Aren’t Year-Round. So How Do They Survive The Weeks They’re Not Paid?

Generally speaking, dancers are on break during the summer — but also at the end of December after “The Nutcracker” and during the first few weeks in January. Off-season jobs are competitive and usually involve travel. - San Diego Union-Tribune

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