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DANCE

The Debut Of Climate-Protesting Ballet Vandals

At opening night of New York City Ballet’s spring season, as the dancers performed Balanchine, a woman began yelling from a balcony, “We’re in a climate emergency. Our country has become a fascist regime, and we are enjoying this beauty.” - The New York Times

Queensland Ballet: An Unexpected Unraveling

The company that former artistic director Li Cunxin turned into a powerhouse with an international reputation is now “beleaguered”, as one headline put it. - InDaily (Australia)

Two More Ex-Dancers Sue Shen Yun

“Two former dancers … filed a lawsuit on Thursday accusing the group of amassing a financial fortune and worldwide renown by subjecting an ‘army of child laborers’ to brutal working conditions and psychological coercion.” Another former company member filed a similar suit last November. - The New York Times

The Book That Transformed How We See Ballet

Alexey Brodovitch’s Ballet gets an 80th anniversary reprint. He "intended to foreground shape, blur, contrast, gesture and motion — the atmosphere of dance — in the photographs. ‘The photograph is not only a pictorial report,’ Brodovitch said. ‘It is also a psychological report.’” - The New York Times

How Is It That Ireland Hasn’t Had A National Dance Company?

How is it that an island that has managed to produce one of the strongest theatrical traditions in the West could be without a national dance company? - Fjord Review

Chicago Loses A Key Dance Venue, Links Hall

“Since its founding in 1978 …, Links has been a cornerstone of the city’s dance scene, often giving a home to experimental new works that pushed the envelope, both artistically and politically. Executive Director SK Kerastas said Thursday that the venue will continue with performances scheduled through June.” - WBEZ (Chicago)

Watching Auditions For A WNBA Dance Squad

“More than 100 dancers auditioned for just 21 spots on the New York Liberty’s cheerleading team, the Timeless Torches. Founded in 2005, less than a decade after the creation of the WNBA, the Timeless Torches are a co-ed dance group in which every member is at least 40 years old.” - Gothamist

Claim: No One Wants To Watch Overweight Dancers. Really?

As an absolute entry level precondition for excellence in ballet, a dancer cannot be overweight. - The Times (UK)

Bigger-Bodied Ballet Dancers Are The Future, Says Head Of Royal Ballet School

“Iain Mackay, artistic director of the school, said studios were focusing on strength-based training for both sexes as ballet moved away from the ‘slim’ female fixture of the classical ballet repertoire. ‘Audiences want dancers they can relate to,’ Mackay said, when asked whether this included plus-sized ballerinas on main stages.” - The Times (UK)

After Last Year’s Fiasco, Dallas Black Dance Theatre Works To Rebuild “Community Trust”

“(A) task force … will convene monthly to eventually put forth recommendations ... The news comes after the dance company reached a settlement for over $560,000 with the National Labor Relations Board in December to compensate 10 fired dancers and three whose offers of employment were rescinded.” - KERA (Dallas)

The Central African Republic Has A National Ballet, And It’s Doing Important Work

Established in 2021, the company — also called the National Artistic Ensemble — works to collect and preserve the traditional dances of the many ethnic groups in the CAR, a nation wracked for years by civil war, instability and extreme poverty. - France 24

Why Some Dance Companies Are Giving Up On Social Media

“At first, these outlets seemed good for dance. … They could expose dance to larger mainstream audiences. They could help democratize an industry infamous for subjectivity and selectivity. … (Yet these benefits) became less potent over time. ... And social media’s negative effects can hit dancers with particular force.” - The New York Times

Director Robert Garland On His Vision For Dance Theatre Of Harlem

“As a 10-year-old in Philadelphia, I experienced Dance Theatre of Harlem much in the same way that (today’s children) are experiencing it now. ... What I got from that was that Dance Theatre of Harlem met me where I was, and then took me to another place.” - Pointe Magazine

Russian Ballet Company Pretending To Be Ukrainian Toured Scandinavia

During 2023 and 2024, a troupe calling itself “Ballet of Ukraine” played dates in several cities in Sweden and Finland — but an investigation by Swedish television found that the group is registered in Russia and had its fees sent to a Russian-owned company in Switzerland, thus deceiving audiences and violating sanctions. - BroadwayWorld

Madison Ballet Is Riding An Artistic High, But That Doesn’t Fill The Seats

“Dance has always been more fragile as an audience draw; we are so keenly aware of that and are always trying to build bridges to help audience members find ‘their stories’ in our performances.” - Wisconsin State Journal (Internet Archive)

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