Category: dance

Bryant’s injury prevention routine was particularly unique—and involved taking tap classes to strengthen his ankles. (You’ve probably heard of football players taking ballet, but this one was new to us.) – Dance Magazine

It’s the first classical troupe in the world to make that choice. “‘Why not? There’s been all-men years for the past 150 years where only men choreograph,’ says Patricia Barker, the company’s artistic director, who has scheduled works by the legendary American choreographer Twyla Tharp and established New Zealand names, along with shows by up-and-coming creators.” – The Guardian (UK)

Sounds like the Tanztheater Wuppertal might not be the easiest place to run: Adolphe Binder, who was dismissed in 2018 after only a year in the job, was the fourth person to run the troupe since Bausch died in 2009. “During her brief tenure, she commissioned works from the choreographers Dimitris Papaioannou and Alan Lucien Oyen — the first full-length pieces to be created for the company since Bausch’s death. They were well received and have toured widely. But in a statement issued at the time of her dismissal, the board suggested that Ms. Binder’s managerial and organizational abilities were harmful to the functioning of the troupe.” – The New York Times

Alexa Maxwell is the girlfriend of Amar Ramasar, the dancer who was fired, and then rehired, by City Ballet for his role in sharing nude photos and videos of dancers – including Maxwell. “‘I am not a victim in this,’ the dancer, Alexa Maxwell, said in a news release. She explained that Mr. Ramasar had expressed his regret over the situation and that she had forgiven him.” (She was not, however, the only one whose images were shared without permission.) – The New York Times

Sure, there’s been a lot of buzz around this Ivan van Hove production, with new choreography by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. But: “There’s another buzz gathering around the show—and not because two dancers’ injuries forced the postponement of opening night from Feb. 6 to Feb. 20. It is instead the controversy over the production’s choice to cast dancer/actor Amar Ramasar as Bernardo. Ramasar was fired from New York City Ballet in 2018 for sharing aggressively lewd text messages and nude photos and videos of female company members without their consent with some of his fellow male dancers at NYCB.” – American Theatre

“I am discovering the possibility of the choreography coexisting with sound, maybe not being as dependent as I usually am. That opens a field I haven’t really explored. But I don’t have the courage to fully go there; it’s just testing how it feels. In some places the choreography is parallel, not connected, to the music.” – The New York Times

“Independent investigators are examining claims that he behaved inappropriately with Royal Ballet School students and encouraged them to send him naked photographs. … The inquiry has not concluded and it is understood that no findings have been made against Scarlett.” – The Times (UK)

It’s not just that the piece is in the final scene of Billy Elliot. A corps de ballet of muscular men as feral swans, in place of the usual ethereal women in white tutus, shows boys different, powerful images of both strong masculinity and ballet as a genre. That the production has been a success all over the world for 20-odd years helps, too. Roslyn Sulcas talks with four members of Bourne’s current company about the effect his Swan Lake had on them when they were young. – The New York Times

“Just because students are in an advanced technique level doesn’t mean they’ll feel confident moving without set steps.” To get students to explore outside their comfort zones, Alisia Pobega and Louis-Martin Charest use the lightness of open-ended games and exercises as a kind of permission for students to begin to create something independently, without the goal of technical perfection or aesthetics. – Fjord Review

“While high extensions can be very exciting, it is thought that this trend has led to an increase in injuries in the lower back, hips and ankles. Adam Sklute, artistic director of Ballet West, has noticed that dancers who are incredibly supple often have a greater lack of control. … The fact is, the more flexible you are, the more you have to work on gaining the strength to manage it.” – Dance Magazine