Bookwormish-ness runs in our family. Over the generations it has seized the soul of my mother, me, my daughter, and my daughter’s elder daughter, to name just the female victims. For example, whenever I take the subway with my young granddaughters–which is often, and often from one end of Manhattan to the other–I read aloud […]
Two’s Company
NOTE: This essay was written some five years ago–intended for posting on The Dance Insider in the “Vignettes” series I was writing there. My editor advised against going public with it, since it made me sound ungrateful toward the companies who issue press seats in pairs and might alienate readers who did not enjoy press-ticket […]
Thierree’s Magic Tricks Charm at BAM; Alvin Ailey
This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on December 7, 2007. Satchie Noro swings from ropes while performing in “Au Revoir Parapluie,” directed by James Thierree, at the BAM Harvey Theater in New York on Dec. 4, 2007. Performances will continue through Dec. 16. Photographer: Julieta Cervantes/BAM via Bloomberg News Dec. […]
Bejart’s Spandex `Firebird’ Gets Demure With Ailey
This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on December 4, 2007. Clifton Brown from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater rehearses for Maurice Bejart’s “Firebird” in New York on Aug. 21, 2007. Performances of the show will continue at the New York City Center through Dec. 31. Photographer: Eduardo Patino/Alvin Ailey […]
Thinking About “The Nutcracker”
New York City Ballet: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker / New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, NYC / November 23 – December 30, 2007. Marie and the tree from New York City Ballet’s The Nutcracker by George Balanchine. Photo by Paul Kolnik. The Nutcracker–in George Balanchine’s version for the New York City Ballet, the most skillful, […]
City Ballet’s Annual `Nutcracker’ Defies Gravity
This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on November 29, 2007. Robert La Fosse, standing second from the right, as Herr Drosselmeier, performs in the New York City Ballet production “The Nutcracker” in New York in this undated photo. Photographer: Paul Kolnik/NYCB via Bloomberg News Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) — A bracing […]
Family & Friends: Personal Indulgences No. 4
When I was growing up, my mother pointed out to me that, among my aunts, uncles, and myriad cousins (along with any spouses and offspring that had accreted to them), the ones that I liked best invariably had the “worst” personalities, moral characters, and behavioral track records. At least according to the standards of our […]
Tel Aviv’s `Gaga’ Dancers Dance to Eno and Bach
This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on November 16, 2007. Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) — Nine casually dressed women move as a unit to Brian Eno’s “Neroli,” which hovers on the edge of silence. Their dance is called “Humus” (Latin for “earth”). They’re introspective and sensuous, hunkering down to sway torso […]
Saarinen’s Shakers Dance, Sing; Garth Fagan’s Peripheral Vision
This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on November 9, 2007. Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) — Swathed in black, not an inch of flesh visible but for their faces, hands and an opening at the spine or chest, eight dancers cover the stage with a heavy, awkward gait. Outstretched arms angled, torsos […]
In `Misuse,’ Jasperse’s Dancers Make Virtue of Found Objects
This article originally appeared in the Culture section of Bloomberg News on November 2, 2007. Julieta Cervantes and John Jasperse perform in “Misuse Liable to Prosecution” in this image released to the media on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007. Photographer: Julieta Cervantes/John Jasperse Company via Bloomberg News Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) — A few dancers you can […]