The Electric Slide in Harlem and the Cupid Shuffle in Newark; the bomba in Puerto Rico and voguing in Chicago; Ojibwe and Nuhua dances in Minneapolis and haka in New Zealand — those are just a few examples of dancing at recent protests that have been making the rounds on social media. “Some came to the streets with the purpose of dancing. Others were moved to dance more spontaneously, and surprised to find themselves seen by millions online.” Reporter Siobhan Burke talked to several participants “about what it has meant to them to dance in protest.” – The New York Times
Category: dance
Dancers Speak Out About Racism In The Dance World
A handful of dancers have taken to Instagram to directly call out the problems they’ve seen in their own companies. – Dance Magazine
Krumping Right In The Faces Of The LAPD — And Getting Thanked For It
“[Even] as krump has journeyed from the streets to screens and stages, it remains a protest art,” writes Sarah Kaufman. That’s why, at a demonstration on Sunday in Santa Monica, Jo’Artis Ratti, one of the founders of krump (nom de danse Big Mijo), “used it to improvise on a lifetime of rage and despair within a few feet of a police line. The result is one of the most poignant images to come out of the past week of protests over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police — and the story behind Ratti’s dancing, and what followed, is just as poignant.” – The Washington Post
Sending Support To Dancers Speaking Out Against A System That Takes Brutal Advantage Of Them
Eva Yaa Asantewaa, senior director at the Gibney Dance Company, and expert writer about dance, says, “We’ve gone too long doing a lot for very little, and now we’re all completely screwed. I’m in New York where the issue is not so much can a queer arts worker catch a break? It’s can a queer arts worker pay the rent? Can anybody? How can we make this life, in which we give so much of our hearts, truly sustainable? Artists are workers.” – Hyperallergic
Ute Tribes Have To Reimagine Bear Dances Under Lockdown
Normally, for spring’s Bear Dances, “groups of dancers would sway back and forth, shoulder-to-shoulder, with the lines of men and women closely facing each other before they split off into pairs.” The dances have happened since at least the 1500s – but this year, they’re canceled as lockdowns continue on the Ute reservations. – Colorado Sun
These Ballet Dancers Are Calling Out Inequity At Their Companies
“Over the past few years, calls for the ballet world to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive have become a regular rallying cry. Most of the public complaints, however, have been about general, systemic problems throughout the field. But this week, as our entire country is reckoning with the devastating effects of racial injustice on the Black community, a handful of dancers have taken to Instagram to directly call out the problems they’ve seen in their own companies.” – Dance Magazine
Is This The First-Ever Virtual Ballet Competition?
“After weeks of planning, registration is now underway for the UBC Virtual Competition Experience, which will run from June 12–14. The competition is two-fold: Participants will submit videos to be played during the livestream and judged, and they will have the chance to participate in master classes via Zoom, and receive comments and corrections in real time.” – Pointe Magazine
London’s Royal Opera And Royal Ballet Return To Live Performance
It’ll be to an empty house, though; social distancing isn’t over yet. The Live from Covent Garden series, streamed over the Royal Opera House’s YouTube and Facebook pages, begins on June 13 with a program including a brand-new dance by Royal Ballet resident choreographer Wayne McGregor and music by Handel, Britten, Butterworth and Turnage sung by Royal Opera soloists Louise Alder, Toby Spence, and Gerald Finley. – London Evening Standard
A New Online Dance Work For The Age Of Coronavirus And George Floyd
“Short as it is, [Jamar Roberts’s] video, Cooped, released last week, is one of the most powerful artistic responses yet to the Covid-19 crisis. And as that crisis changes shape, as the anxiety over disease and confinement is compounded by violence and protest, the resonance of the work only expands.” – The New York Times
How Pro Dancers Can Make TikTok Work For Them
“It’s paradoxical but true: On TikTok, a platform driven largely by dance, people with little to no dance background are becoming megastars — and highly-trained dancers can seem like fish out of water. … But with canceled performances creating more free time for dancers, TikTok can be a great way to keep performing and stay engaged with an audience. We spoke with four pros who’ve built large followings on the app about how trained dancers can find TikTok success.” – Dance Spirit