A reader who goes by the alibi sharkskingirl responded to the post below, about "covers," with this question: In a conference about Marina Abramovic's "Seven Easy Pieces" from last fall, Peggy Phelan referred to Abramovic's performances as "covers"-- a somewhat synesthetic approach. I wonder about how we engage with pieces we've known in some non-live form before we experience them live. I wonder … [Read more...]

Reader and dance videographer Amy Reusch sent me this comment last night in response to my call out to choreographers for a night of Dylan dance "covers." Regarding "covers," I think that's pretty much all we see in the ballet world when we watch the work of a dead choreographer. I mean, aren't we seeing a cover when we watch "Swan Lake"? Is the Paris Opera's "Jewels" close enough to the original … [Read more...]

[ed. note: Choreographer Luciana Achugar, based in New York, sent this comment this morning. I thought it was worth featuring.] I am a choreographer, and I find dance critics extremely important for dance and its survival. I have been reading this blog, and it makes me so much more satisfied than reading reviews in newspapers. The problem of having no space for writing about dance has always made … [Read more...]

Part of the freelance life is to get knocked around from publication to publication. The budgets wax and wane, new editors arrive with their own ideas of what and who they want, and off we go on our next scavenge. I've had this happen a few times--as a matter of fact, I'm having it happen right now at Newsday, where the freelance fine arts budget has recently drastically shrunk. But there's an … [Read more...]

Who gives a damn? No, really. That's a legitimate question. My question. And I'd like an answer. Let me explain. Next month marks the first anniversary of the last review I wrote for The Village Voice after nearly thirty years of professional association with that newspaper as a freelancer writing on dance and--occasionally, joyfully--getting to write items somewhat related to my more metaphysical … [Read more...]

The reviews are in for Twyla Tharp's song medley with chipmunks on trampolines, "The Times They are A-Changin,'" and they're not negative enough. It's not that critics think the Broadway show is any good, but too often they're so baffled by how bad it is that they refuse to believe their eyes and ears: they think they must have missed something (for example, Newsweek or the Star-Ledger). C'mon. … [Read more...]

In the post below, Eva writes, I am willing, however, to see violence in dance if there's some significant point to be made, larger context to be drawn, and maybe something about what inner or outer forces give rise to our violence or what arises as a result of our violent natures and violent acts. An example for me of justified violence is the scene in Jerome Robbins' "Fancy Free" (ABT is … [Read more...]

[ed. note: this is one of several letters that Eva's first post has received. Click here for all the readers' comments so far.] Gray Miller to Eva Yaa Asantewaa: Nice to hear Sarah Michelson's DOGS was that enveloping--I could almost smell the turkey reading your column here in WI. It seems to me that there must be an element of the sadist in some modern dance choreographers. I had the privilege … [Read more...]

... to the right. Now there are four new comments there. And comments on the comments, too! … [Read more...]