"Diop’s progress through the strict hierarchy at the Paris Opera – he joined the corps de ballet in 2018 – has been stunningly swift. … In March 2023, he was made danseur étoile, the highest of the five ranks, bypassing the premier danseur stage that precedes it." - Financial Times
When you peel away layers of cliché and coarseness accrued over the course of the twentieth century, you often find works that are full of variety, contrasting dance styles, storytelling, humor, and relatable, appealing characters. You can distinguish the good from the bad. These ballets were meant to keep people engaged, entertained, and moved. - Marina Harss
"I spoke to many UK venues that London City Ballet once toured to, and it seemed these days few British ballet companies are passing through them. … Large-scale companies cannot necessarily fit into the mid-scale venues I was looking at … (and) a flexible company of 14 dancers with a mouldable repertoire felt (workable)." - Gramilano
Company founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar has handed the reins to co-artistic directors Chanon Judson and Mame Diarra Speis. "In the spirit of sankofa — the Akan word for holding our history while imagining our future — here are some lessons these leaders have uncovered in their stewardship of this organization." - Dance Magazine
Company soloist Ellen Hummel filed suit earlier this month against SF Ballet and a volunteer physician, alleging medical negligence and "reckless disregard" for her condition, resulting in career-ending injury. Former principal Mathilde Froustey filed a similar lawsuit, still in discovery, last year. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
These scores, which had never been publicly shown together, offered an uncommon perspective on the Ballets Russes productions that defined and transformed a generation of artists. The scores, by Stravinsky, Debussy, Ravel and others, many heavily annotated, “give a visceral sense of the working process.” - The New York Times
St. James Joy is now one of a handful of dance parties around New York City where house music fanatics and babies alike find a dose of social life together in broad, pre-bedtime, daylight. It’s a city tradition that has grown in recent years. - The New York Times
But some ballet dancers, or more likely companies, refuse to use them. Says one consultant, “The classical ballet world has a resistance to change that can be a huge obstacle.” - Wall Street Journal (MSN)
“Touring gives the dancers a chance for exposure for our creativity and artistry.” And a chance for audiences around the world to get a taste of what’s happening. - Seattle Times
Here's what was and wasn't in the video that DBDT bosses claim is the reason they fired all the company's dancers, how the sackings actually happened, whether the dancers' allegations that DBDT is union-busting are credible, and the conditions that made company members want to unionize in the first place. - Dallas Observer
"The lawsuits, which seek a total of $23 million in damages, claim the institution’s environment led the former dancers to develop eating disorders and other health issues, including one who alleged they lost their menstrual cycle." - WRIC (Richmond)
The show is now officially known as a Living Historic Landmark by the state of Utah, the studio announced Monday. This designation is the first of its kind and was made possible by Utah Sen. Luz Escamilla's bill in the recent legislative session. - KSL
"The rally, led by the national labor union American Guild of Musical Artists, was in protest of auditions taking place at the dance company to replace main company dancers who were fired last week. … AGMA, which represents the fired dancers, says it’s a response to (their) union efforts." - The Dallas Morning News (MSN)
"In pursuit of ever larger audiences, Shen Yun has treated many of its performers as an expendable commodity. … It has routinely discouraged them from seeking medical care when their bodies have broken down, and commanded their obedience to grueling rehearsal and tour schedules through relentless emotional abuse and manipulation." - The New York Times
