Category: dance

Ms. Stark Smith, whose signature braid became longer and grayer over time, was also a prolific writer and respected teacher who, beginning in 1990, developed what she called “Underscore,” a structure or framework for practicing long-form dance and improvisation. – The New York Times

There’s DJing with the dance glitterati on Instagram Live, there’s the brewing of kombucha, and, of course, there’s learning how to make pancake tutus. – Dance Magazine

Morris on creating during the pandemic: “The idea that our lives are on hold irks him, he said. Or ‘the idea that you’re waiting to come back to your life, and I’m sorry everybody: This is your life.'” – The New York Times

Here, for instance, are the rules for dance class at the Ballet du Rhin in France: “Dancers are not allowed to use changing rooms. Instead, they must go directly to the studio and stand at a marked spot at the barre, about 11 feet away from others. Their outside clothes must go into a bag to ensure they do not touch anything … [and] that bag must then be put into another one provided by the company that is thrown into the trash once the class has finished. They are also each given a spray to disinfect the barre. And, of course, they have to dance wearing masks.” – The New York Times

“An icon of the stage, Makarova was beloved for her grandeur and spontaneity, the same qualities that led her, in 1970, to become the first Russian ballerina to escape the Soviets. But she had never put together a full-length ballet. The one she chose — an overhaul of the 1877 original by the great Marius Petipa, who gave the world Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty — had never been seen in the West,” writes Sarah Kaufman. Says the 79-year-old legend now, “How I had the guts to do it, I don’t know.” – The Washington Post

Why this wealth of talent has arrived right now isn’t easy to pinpoint, but they definitely spur each other on. There’s healthy competition – ballet boys can’t resist a pirouette-off; Corrales’ record is “at least 15” – but they all talk about how secure they feel because each dancer is very different. – The Guardian

“For the past two months, he has experimented with making dances using Zoom and Final Cut Pro. Four of these short works will premiere on ‘Dance On!,’ to be shown on the Mark Morris Dance Group’s website on Thursday evening. (The program is free, but registration is required.)” Marina Harss reports on how it all came together. – The New York Times

Carmina Burana. Bolero. Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel. Even The Rite of Spring. They’re good pieces, they work for dance, and audiences are familiar with them. “Still, many choreographers have been sabotaged by the formidable nature and Muzak-y overuse of these iconic compositions,” writes Joseph Carman, who talks to several choreographers about how they’ve successfully pulled the feat off. – Dance Magazine

Marina Harss: “A masked dancer in a studio, which is empty but for a pianist, peers into her computer’s camera, calling out a cheerful ‘Hi, everyone! So good to see you!’ In another frame, a toddler ambles by, prompting a dancer to joke,’Hey, guys, I had a baby!’ (The toddler actually belongs to the dancer’s sister, with whom she is staying.) More and more squares appear, revealing living rooms, kitchens where family members prepare sandwiches, a nursery, and something that looks like an airplane hangar. Almost all of the dancers are solo, with just a few lucky couples thrown in. The truly fortunate are outside, somewhere beautiful.” – The New Yorker