He grew up on a dairy farm, but took tap and ballet. He “was in middle school when a recruiter from Richmond’s Virginia School of the Arts visited the Wolfmeyer School and invited him to spend his high school years there,” launching the dance portion of his career. - Oregon ArtsWatch
New director Lauren Post, currently dancing Romeo and Juliet with ABT’s corps de ballet at the Met, has some ideas: Focus on education first, and eventually, “Minneapolis could be a destination for classical ballet training, and potentially even for a strong local company.” - Pioneer Press
The Biennale's board of directors said Thursday that the British choreographer will remain at the helm of its Dance Department in 2025 and 2026. He has held the position since 2021. - ANSA (Italy)
Choreographer Wayne McGregor, artistic director of the Biennale's dance division, made a point of selecting work that he describes as "innovative, edgy, and perhaps more difficult to like." - Dance Magazine
"The settlement, which includes back pay and an apology, … came after the National Labor Relations Board ruled recently that the Syracuse City Ballet was wrong to fire the dancers, who went on strike in part to protest what they described as unsafe working conditions." - The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY) (MSN)
"Neumeier is 85, which might seem like a decent age to retire. But choosing to go was difficult for him. 'It was a rational decision, not an emotional one. … When I started approaching 50 years here, I thought, I don’t want a downward slide.” - The New York Times
A big donation means dancers will get paid for the entire year. The board chair: "We are extremely proud to be able to set this precedent in the hopes that it will galvanize other companies and philanthropists to provide greater support for dancers.” - Stir (Canada)
Thirty-two dancers total—16 b-boys and 16 b-girls—will compete battle-style in Paris’ Place de la Concorde to sold-out crowds on August 9 and 10. Qualifying competitions have been going on since 2022. - Dance Magazine
"Until now, Grégory Milan wryly considered his life to be 'a series of failures of sorts.' When he turned to gymnastics choreography full-time, in 2017, he was in debt, having started a dance company that never took off, and still reeling from a tumultuous career in ballet." - The New York Times
"This spring, art lovers in Paris had the rare chance to participate in an early morning workout at the Louvre, enjoying yoga and dance moves while running through the galleries. … Monica Bill Barnes and Company has accused the Louvre of copying the Museum Workout, its popular program at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art." - Artnet
"While scientific studies have confirmed that older men do indeed dance differently to their younger counterparts – and this may have evolved as a way of signalling their declining biological fitness – experts argue that dad dancing should be celebrated, not slated, for the numerous benefits it can bring." - The Guardian
“Tap City has been an important gathering each summer, a hub on a circuit of festivals that combine performances with classes. These festivals have been pivotal to the passing on of a tradition, largely left behind in popular and commercial culture.” And now Tap City might die. - The New York Times
“I remember feeling a sense of comfort and security after seeing some very friendly faces in the getaway car. But I also felt fear that it might turn out another way — that at any second, it could fall apart and become like a bad police movie.” - The New York Times
"It’s not merely that she’s now 61 — albeit dancing exquisitely — and sharing a stage with dancers one-third her age. It’s also that she’s about to embark on an exciting new chapter as artistic director of the Vienna State Ballet, and plans to devote herself '200%' to the task." - AP
"On June 25, his production company, Studio Simkin, unveiled one, a seven-minute dance film produced by (and starring) Simkin and choreographed by David Dawson. Shot during the pandemic in April 2021, one represents both a labor of love and where Simkin would like to see his career go eventually." - Pointe Magazine
