Category: dance

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet has had three artistic directors in eight years. And, with the dismissal late last week of Andrew Wilhelm-Boyles, three executive directors in the same period. What’s happening to one of Canada’s great dance companies? – National Post (Canada)

Legal wrangling over the ownership of Martha Graham’s choreography. A few weeks ago it seemed like a settlement had been made to revive the Martha Graham Company, but that may now have fallen through. The dance company’s board is also exploring whether Graham heir Ron Protas actually owns the dance works. – Village Voice

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet has fired its executive director. Andrew Wilhelm-Boyles had been widely credited with turning the company’s financial fortunes around since he arrived in 1997. – CBC

The Australian Ballet postpones a major work and schedules it for the opening of its 2001 season, then discovers its contract to perform the work has run out. “The contract, believed to date from 1986, stipulated that for 10 years the Australian Ballet had the rights to stage the work in-house, that is, without a repetiteur. After that, a new contract would need to be renegotiated and a repetiteur flown out to re-stage the work.” – Sydney Morning Herald

In the 15 years since he founded it, Edward Villella has turned Miami City Ballet into a respectable, successful company. “But Villella, though exhausted by years of overwork and in failing health – he has a bleeding ulcer and underwent his third major hip operation last May – keeps pushing toward new peaks. It’s almost as if the closer he gets to the mountaintop, the harder he drives himself – and the more frustrated he becomes at not reaching it.” – Miami Herald

It’s “Nutcracker” season again. Ballet companies all over stage the classic, and it typically generates at least 40 percent of a ballet company’s income from ticket sales. Dance companies also fill theatres they otherwise have a difficult time attracting audiences to. – San Jose Mercury News

Paul Taylor is 70 and going strong. “The dancers call him ‘Boss’ and Taylor describes his company as ‘family’, although he adds: ‘With all the dysfunctions, too’. It matters to him that dancers average ‘around 10 years’ with the company before they move on. It has hurt him when they have finally gone.” – Philadelphia Inquirer

The celebrated Jose Limón Dance Company comes to San Jose, and “only about 50 bodies filled the nearly 500-seat theater. Such a low turnout brings up the question, once again, about the status of the arts in San Jose. Is the community willing to support the best that the performing arts world has to offer? Are arts marketers willing to roll up their sleeves and promote such work? If not, why would a company like Limón bother to return?” – San Jose Mercury News

“Theaters now hire companies not just to perform but to participate in residencies, outreach and barter programs as well. In the New York area, for example, the College of Staten Island offers residencies in which rehearsal space is exchanged for performances in its five theaters. Theaters are also paying increased attention to audiences. – New York Times

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is the oldest continually performing ballet in North America. But five years ago it had a crushing $1 million debt and its subscriber list had dwindled to 3000. Then it found “Dracula”… – The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)