Cindy Sibilsky - Page 2

Winter in New York City is not known for being particularly steamy (though the unseasonably mild weather this year gives one reason to pause), but there is always Complexions Contemporary Ballet's season at the Joyce Theater to turn up the heat to a feverish, sweltering boiling point! For the 26th season, the company revived recent seminal works -- Bach 25 and Woke -- alongside favorites spanning from 1994 to a brand new solo in Essential Parts, which acted as a 'Greatest Hits' compilation for the ever-evolving, always revolutionary dance troupe. This year also marked the World Premiere of their latest exploration of the full canon of a particular musician's oeuvre -- Love Rocks featuring the music of the iconic Grammy-winning rockstar, Lenny Kravitz. For patrons unable to attend all programs, FOMO (fear of missing out) syndrome is understandable, but for those who are highly familiar with the group's work or only getting their first taste, Program C -- which featured the latter two mentioned -- was the most delectable sampling of Complexions offerings old and new. The fascinating thing about such juxtapositions is that, in seeing the latest creations from 2020 side-by-side with choreography premiered in the early 1990s, it is remarkable to note how the level of innovation, depth of emotion and current relevance remains the same. It's a reminder that timeliness and timelessness can coexist, given the right mediums and masters. The genius of legendary Co-Founders, Co-Artistic Directors Desmond Richard and Dwight Rhoden (also the Principal Choreographer) cannot be underestimated. Indeed, it has not. They have both achieved phenomenal success and longevity, been lauded as trailblazers and received numerous accolades from peers, critics and audiences alike since they burst on the dance scene. It's no wonder that they have utilized the music of David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar and Lenny Kravitz to tell their stories through bodies in motion -- they are rockstars themselves!

Mid-January in New York City does not appear to be a particularly romantic or momentous time of year for The Big Apple. The Christmas decorations have come down (most of them at least) and the holiday revelers and hoards of tourists have retreated, getting on with their own lives for the start of a new year -- and in this case, a new decade -- during a very tumultuous time where everything matters and nothing, especially in the arts, feels arbitrary.

Orlando was a deeply engaging, intriguing and thought-provoking exploration whose pondering, messages, striking soundscapes and visuals reverberated and lingered long after the curtain had closed. It is a highly ambitious undertaking but Neuwirth and her colleagues were up for the challenge. What is most exciting is what has now been established for a venue such as The Wiener Straatsoper as we move into a new decade of uncertain times when it is vital that radical expressions of art and activism combined are given such a grand stage with which to proclaim their truths.

Barber Shop Chronicles is a unifying, enriching, thought-provoking and captivating theatrical experience that solidifies Ellams' position as a griot worthy of upholding the rich African ancestry of storytelling traditions, and an exciting new poet and playwright making his mark on the world's stage by sharing slices of life that dive deeply into the culture and concerns of the contemporary black man.

Manifest Pussy is a deeply personal and profound her-story, the story of how Shakina went from a nice Jewish boy growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, dreaming of dressing up in the gossamer gowns that were forbidden to him, to the relentlessly exuberant, terrifically talented, hilarious and kind buxom star of stage and screen.

The show itself was entertaining and contained intriguing concepts and questions that could merit continued conversations on the topics addressed (possibly at a cafe over a cup of coffee or tea?) but wasn't completely flawless in execution or innovation, and was more personally reflective than profound. Through our connection to Terry's world by being plugged into his smartphone and hearing what he hears via headphones, as well as what he thinks and feels via his one-sided dialogue, we become privy to a person's private grief in a public space.

Children of powerful or accomplished parents have a hard enough time as it is stepping into the massive shoes laid out before them or being able to be seen for who they are unobscured by the huge, formidable shadow cast by someone who has been called a 'great man', but what of a child who never got the chance in the first place? These are some of the questions that arose from Hamnet, written and directed by Ben Kidd and Bush Moukarzel of Ireland's Dead Centre as part of BAM's Next Wave 2019.

'On a personal level, to me, the piece represented the lineage: a student hears a teachers' voice and is forever changed by it,' Vangeline described. 'A butoh student must be lost to be found, walk in the dark, dive deeply inside themselves, and, as Tatsumi Hijikata said, 'pluck the darkness from their own flesh.'

It was fitting that Manipuri dance was chosen to commemorate India Independence Day, because during British colonial rule the dances were ridiculed as savage, immoral and outdated. Fortunately, thanks to India's independence, the help of activists, scholars and performers revitalizing ancient yet timeless traditions, and organizations like Battery Dance Festival, Manipuri dance can continue to thrive not only in India but on the world's stage. Lord Krishna must be pleased!

The Color Iz was part dance showcase, part musical theatre and part gender-bending Drag show with a heavy, heady dose of disco, glam and glitter and a focus on celebrating all shades of expression in dance and identity.

Last year, in 2018, the third annual Dancers For Good Benefit supporting the Actors Fund Dancers Resource in East Hampton was so impressive that I challenged the founders to 'high-kick it up a notch even higher next year'. I'm thrilled to announce that not only did they clearly accept that challenge, they superseded all expectations!

Eryc Taylor Dance and guest choreographers from ETD's grant program performed segments from EARTH at BBG. Taylor's impetus to create EARTH was the urge to present a visual, physical and auditory 'wake up call' to the impact of humankind's impact on global warming.

Doug Varone and Dancers in the shelter of the fold / epilogue is a transcendent and transfixing inquiry into public and private relationships to faith through seven vignettes that intermingled fluidly at BAM's Fisher from June 5-8th. The thirteen bodies in nearly continuous motion -- choreographed by Varone -- were so mesmerizing that the captivated viewers were on the edge of their seats during the entire performance. The evening was as sonically spellbinding as it was visually enchanting thanks to the complex, varied and at times otherworldly or ethereal sounds provided a diverse array of multiple compositions played by Bang on a Can All-Stars with PUBLIQuartet and Lesley Flanigan.

The stars were on their feet (toes, taps and standing ovations) on a warm Sunday night, May 19th, for the Chita Rivera Awards a?" an annual ceremony recognizing the very best in dance on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in film that honors icons and trailblazers while also nurturing future generations simultaneously. It could have been dubbed a?oeChita Rivera's Dance Salona?? for the presenters, attendees and honorees read like a Who's Who of Chita's friends, fans and fellow Fosse favorites, including hosts Ben Vereen and Anne Reinking.

While even savvy New York theatregoers aren't able to keep up with everything in the city that never sleeps, hopefully after five opportunities to enter the ring with the wildly innovative and imaginative Japanese Theatre Company Kaimaku Pennant Race (KPR) from May 15-18th at Japan Society, they will become -- in Shakespeare's own words -- 'a household name' with Ashita no Ma-Joe: Rocky Macbeth.

Well before The Met Gala's kitschy theme for 2019 inspired the likes of Lady Gaga, Jordan Roth and countess celebrities to strut their most outrageous stuff down the pink carpet, Mark Morris has been the reigning King of Camp in choreography, celebrating this gleeful genre in company classics such as The Hard Nut. This spring he elevated the playful style integrated with expressive movement in Pepperland, an exuberant homage to the 1960s counterculture and The Beatles' seminal 1967 concept album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

What has not been said or proclaimed about the majesty and mastery of Martha Graham, her company and her legacy? She revolutionized the way that dance was created and experienced by re-shaping how movement was expressed and performed in the 20th century that has, in turn, inspired and laid the foundation for the dancers and choreographers of today. A sculptor of bodies and painter of gestures, Graham contrasted sharp angles with fluid movements and molded her dancers into statuesque and broken shapes, more akin to Pablo Picasso's repositioning of beauty standards and body parts than her dance peers' styles. Never before or after Graham have knees been so enchanting. To encounter the work of Martha Graham is to understand the capacity of the human form in motion and appreciate the splendor of every sinew.

The 2.5D Phenomenon from Japan finally arrived stateside in Washington D.C. and NYC in March. With the remarkable and unprecedented success of 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon' The Super Live launching a new dimension of entertainment in the states, the question is not if, but when and where the next showing of these sensational spectacles will occur.

The Joyce Theater catapults its scintillating 2019 season that encapsulates an entire spectrum of contemporary international movement with a renowned and acclaimed audience-favorite, COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet.