“Ballet may be the last frontier for black dancers, long prominent in jazz, tap and even modern dance, with its early connections to socially progressive ideals. Is the scarcity of African Americans in ballet due to economic barriers or a bias toward white European ideals? And what should be done about it? The answers depend on the particular dancer’s experience.”
Tag: 01.28.07
What Is “Black” Dance?
“The label buys into the racial divide in America: ‘white dance’ versus ‘black dance.’ But we’re a culture of sound bites and shortcuts. It’s so easy to say ‘black dance’ and think people know what you’re talking about. If black choreographers are doing anything and everything in dance, ‘black dance’ is a misnomer.”
Missing The Mix Tape
“In the days before iTunes, when you wanted to impress a girl you lovingly put together a compilation tape from your LPs. Now – thanks to the wondrous choice of digital music – mix tapes and vinyl are dying out. But is some of the mystery and meaning of music also disappearing?”
Chicago Concertmaster Hanging It Up At 73
The legendary concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony, Samuel Magad, is retiring from his position this month at the unheard-of age of 73. He has played in the CSO for 48 years, 34 of them as concertmaster.
Working For Scale
Chicago is a great theatre town; no one questions that. But to assume that the designation of “great theatre town” also indicates a surplus of well-paid actors would be a mistake. The fact is that, with very few exceptions, stage actors face a brutally tough existence, especially in major cities with a high cost of living.
Money Behind ART’s Dismissal Of Woodruff
Robert Woodruff’s departure as artistic director of Boston’s American Repertory Theatre will mark the end of an era when it occurs this summer. But as recently as last fall, Woodruff was certain he would be returning to ART, and the company’s board had no reason to think otherwise. But in the end, the decision came down to money: there was a strong sense on the board that Woodruff’s uncompromising stance on artistic matters was fiscally untenable, and he was told that his contract would not be renewed.
Serialism’s Last Hurrah?
For most American fans of concert music,serialism is dead, and not particularly missed. The dense tone rows of composers who embraced Arnold Schoenberg’s vision of the future of music never caught on with a public devoted to melody, and in recent years, minimalism and neo-Romanticism have become far more common in the concert hall. But ever since James Levine took over the Boston Symphony, serialism has been having something of a mini-Renaissance in the Northeast.
For Whom The Ears Ring
“In 2005 Till Fellner, an Austrian pianist then rising quickly, canceled an appearance in the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center because of illness. A cold? The flu? A sprained finger? This time the matter was not so simple. Mr. Fellner had developed tinnitus, an ear affliction that rendered him extremely uncomfortable.” His recovery from the career-threatening illness was relatively swift, but his experience points up the continual danger of hearing loss faced by professional musicians.
It’s Gehry’s L.A.; We’re Just Living In It
Frank Gehry’s contribution to the planned revitalization of downtown Los Angeles is going well beyond his much-heralded Disney Concert Hall, as the starchitect unveils plans for a retail and entertainment complex across from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. But “can the bottom-line world of mainstream development produce something of architectural value at enormous scale? Or is Mr. Gehry simply there to provide a veneer of cultural pretension?”
Does Gergiev Have The Time For London?
Valery Gergiev’s tenure as chief conductor of the London Symphony has officially begun, but no one seems to be expecting the maestro to devote a full measure of time to his new band. “Will his reputation for haste and lateness, not to mention workaholic indisposition, see bass player Michael Francis constantly stepping in to lead rehearsals, even concerts, as in Russia last year and at the BBC’s recent Gubaidulina weekend? Will Gergiev really steward the LSO’s continuing evolution, as is surely his job description, or merely drop in from time to time to give us the odd Slavic thrill?”