In Seattle and otherwise…
1) “Esplanade” at the UW Meany Hall World Dance series. The dance that I saw as a young child that hooked me forever. It looked a little off-balance with a full-size woman in the jumping-over-bodies role (Lila York, for whom it was created, told me once that it indicated Paul Taylor’s belief that the meek shall inherit).
(photo by Lois Greenfield of Paul Taylor Dance Company, taken from Ballet.co)
2) Hannah Wiley and the UW Chamber Dance Company put on another fantastic program — this one themed around social protest. I got to see most of it in rehearsal and was struck hardest by the loving strength the group brought to Bill T. Jones’ “D-Man in the Waters.” Here’s a pic of dance major David Schleiffers, left, with Matthew Henley.
BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
3) I was glad Russell Ferguson won “So You Think You Can Dance.” It never felt like he was doing tricks to please the judges.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtLRQtUeeIE]
4) Down at the Redcat in Los Angeles, now run by Mark Murphy and George Lugg, I got a chance to see the lusty shenanigans of c-r-a-z-y Joey Arias with puppeteer Basil Twist. The most beautiful chorus I’ve ever seen!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB4p4HcuMQc&feature=player_embedded#]
5) I dragged myself to “This is It.” I expected Michael Jackson to be half-dead already and the film full of padding. He wasn’t and it wasn’t.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJwrb7kO3o0]