Category: dance

Musicians of the Atlanta Ballet orchestra have been on strike for 11 months. This week, six weeks before its season opens, the Atlanta Ballet says it will hire musicians from the Czech Republic for an October premiere and the annual holiday “Nutcracker.” – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Choreographer Jiri Kylian is in Australia to stage his work “Bela Figura” with the Australian Ballet. But he’s surprised that some dancers and the media are fretting over the fact that the female dancers are topless. “I know it is just that they are not used to it. But in Europe it is so natural that dancers don’t think anything of it.” – The Age (Melbourne)

New York’s cabaret law bans dancing in nightclubs that lack a cabaret license. “The law was originally designed to crack down on Prohibition-era speakeasies and Harlem jazz clubs, but had lain dormant for over 70 years. That was until Giuliani’s administration dusted it off about four years ago and began enforcing it against legal nightclubs.” – Village Voice

Used to be that age 40 was considered the outer limit for dancers. Now several companies have begun giving older dancers a chance to continue their careers. – New York Times

Ohio Ballet is on the ropes – artistically and financially. “This is a shocking predicament for a 32-year-old dance troupe that has long maintained a reputation for no-frills productions and fiscal responsibility. Over the years, many subscribers said they preferred the Akron company’s bare-bones style to the extravagance of Cleveland San Jose Ballet, and they also appreciated the skillful management and strong board commitment that kept Ohio Ballet from having to beg for bailouts.” – The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

Protestors will undoubtedly line the streets outside the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles next week. Surprisingly, a sizable number of them will be dancers – many of whom performed thematic “protest dances” in Seattle last December. “They just didn’t know what to think of us. I guess it’s pretty hard to arrest a dance company.” – LA Weekly

“Three of America’s most distinguished choreographers have survived the rigors of a concert dance career and they remain active, putting a shine on their golden years. Katherine Dunham, 91, Merce Cunningham, 81, and Paul Taylor, 70, are all going strong.” – MSNBC

“Alicia Markova, a living legend not only of British ballet, but of 20th-century civilisation. This is the body that Matisse drew black squiggles down for his costume for her in Rouge et Noir. This skin was rubbed down by the immortal Pavlova with her personal eau de cologne. This musical mind was guided as a child by Stravinsky and Balanchine.” – The Telegraph (London)

So why is the mother of a Boston Ballet dancer suing the company over her daughter’s death? “The only numbers in the nine-page document refer to Guenther’s age (22), height (5 feet 3 inches) and weight (less than 100 pounds) at the time of her death. Seeing these numbers in the same file that lists the damages the plaintiff is seeking – loss of society, companionship, comfort, guidance, counsel and advice – is heartbreaking.” – Boston Herald

Is there any such thing as an avant-garde in dance? The Lincoln Center Festival keeps bravely asserting that there is. But this year’s trio of “experimentalists” didn’t do much to provide evidence for same. – New York Magazine