Jennifer Fried - Page 2

I watch YouTube videos of the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet before bed, so when I had the opportunity to see the company in the flesh at BAM, I jumped at the opportunity. Needless to say, I had high expectations from the versatile contemporary powerhouse that were mostly upheld.

I haven't been out on a Friday night in the East Village in three years. However, I found myself pleasantly surprised to be in a speakeasy turned theatre on St. Marks enjoying new dance works by Roschman Dance and DoubleTake Dance.

On a warm, sunny Sunday I wasn't exactly thrilled to sit inside an air-conditioned theatre. The dread mounted as elementary school aged children poured into the theatre. However, once the lights dimmed and a dancer, dressed in a black suit with lights on it, bounded through the hall to warn the audience to turn their phones off, I melted and became one of the children myself.

Emergence, presented by Eryc Taylor Dance, showcased four twenty minute works by different New York City based choreographers. The works ranged in style from contemporary modern to contemporary jazz with a concluding surprise preview piece fusing graphic design and movement. The pieces delighted, bored, and even shocked the audience, leaving a mixed result.

After a sunny spring afternoon with beer, wine and nachos three girlfriends and I had the delight of previewing the musical Dragula. The initial read through of the musical was fantastically hilarious, entertaining, and still made a statement about who may be truly different in a heterosexual, Christian dominated world.

The Joyce Theatre in Chelsea is legendary for spectacular modern dance. Garth Fagan has a reputation for spectacular choreography, winning the Tony award for the Lion King. While Fagan has an interesting intellectual concept of fusing modern dance, ballet and African traditions to create unique movement, tonight's show failed to deliver exciting movement. The musicality and precision of the dancers were outstanding, but the choreography was in slow motion and lulled me to sleep rather than imbuing me with excitement.

Lately, all my conversations about dance return to one question: who is making new, exciting, and unique contemporary dances. It's true, we've all been jaded by So You Think You Can Dance, as well as the abundance of contemporary modern companies with beautiful, but nonetheless, gooey movement. Lar Lubovitch's program last Friday night at the Joyce was everything you would expect from contemporary dance-a little bit of floor work, a little bit of partnering, a modern torso with ballet legs and a cast of technical, and athletic dancers. However, Lar Lubovitch did deliver entertaining concepts and wonderful music for the audience.

I often find myself infuriated with my favorite ballet teacher, trained from the Royal Danish Ballet School since age 8, and his obsession with little jumps. I never quite comprehended why we needed to spend twenty minutes doing maddeningly technical and precise jumps, while other teachers would spend maybe seven minutes, until I watched the 1961 BBC productions of Bournonville version of La Sylphide and the 1974 BBC production of Flower Festival in Genzano.

A diverse evening of dance, with pieces ranging from contemporary to classic jazz to hip hop, presented by Peridance Center's faculty, entertained an eager audience on Saturday evening, informing them of New York's vibrant and diverse dance scene.

On a rainy August day I curled up on the couch with BBC's recently released and re-mastered television broadcast of John Cranko's The Lady and the Fool and Pineapple Poll. Accustomed to contemporary ballet sensibilities, I was a bit skeptical of the black and white recording of these two 1959 performances, yet, as the comic ballets unfolded on my television screen, I slowly fell in love with the character dance and theatricality that are highly reminiscent of an old fashioned musical comedy.

Traveling from St. Louis, Modern American Dance Company, or MADCO, performed three works by former company member turned choreographer, Joseph Mills, that blended theatre, dance, and sculpture, creating a diverse and entertaining evening.

La Fille Mal Gardee is one of the oldest works of modern ballet, originally choreographed by Jean Dauberval in 1789 for the Grand Theatre de Bordeaux. Dauberval found inspiration for the piece in Pierre-Antoine Baudouin's painting of an older lady reprimanding a younger girl in a hay barn, while her lover runs off with haste. The resulting ballet was a comic delight.

Contemporary Ballet powerhouse, Nederlands Dans Theatre, captured live the May 8th performance of four ballets. The resulting film is a magical mixture of live performances, complemented with interviews from dancers and choreographers, creating an intimate and intellectual viewing of the ballets.

Manhattan Youth Ballet's spring recital showcased a diverse array of American choreography, performed by students ages eight to eighteen. The evening was a an interesting historical journey, reminding the audience that the art form has, and will, continue to evolve.

Adam Barruch captivated audiences at Joe's Pub this week in his one man show, My Name is Barbra ADAM. From the moment Barruch stepped on stage, he was fully committed to the character of a mental patient, conveyed incisively through contemporary dance numbers. Utilizing a small space, Barruch moved exquisitely, whether it was a small hand gesture or a huge lunge. His movement, at times quick and spastic, at other times fluid and controlled, communicated the agony a mental patient experiences when locked in a room alone with his derailed thoughts. Though he executed no large jumps or dizzying turns, his choreography was breathtaking and certainly the highlight of the show.

The final Friday's at noon performance at the 92Y featured a presentation of works by Douglas Dunn, Jordan Isadore and Christopher Williams. Although each choreographer's work was unique and distinct, a common thread emerged amongst the three in their concept and creation.

Wishing to escape the chaos of the city and the summer heat in a relaxing garden while viewing free art? Look no further than La Salvatore La Russa Dance Theatre, where each Sunday different dance companies perform. This week, ignoring the threat of a thunderstorm, dance lovers congregated to watch Double Take Dance Company. Founded by Ashley Carter and Vanessa Martinez de Baños, the company strives to create and present new fusions of contemporary movement that are accessible to both dancers and non-dancers. Each performer offers his unique artistry and athleticism to interpret the work as an individual within the group

Katy Pyle has broken and rewritten every rule of classical ballet in her recreation of the Ballets Russes staple, The Firebird, performed as part of Danspace Project at St Mark's Church in the Bowery. Pyle's term "ballez," certainly seems fitting. Her choreography utilizes the classical ballet vocabulary, but in novel and audacious ways, leaving her audience entertained and laughing out loud. Her work intellectually explores the gay experience both within society and the world of dance, creating a space in which anyone who has ever felt like an outcast could relate.

After traveling through Europe, Africa and Asia, Battery Dance Company returned home to New York City for its 37th season, performing and offering workshop classes. Members of the company have made it their mission to offer instruction on proper dance technique and choreography to regions where no formal dance education is available. These trips inspired the company to create new and exciting works, which fuse traditions of folkdance with modern and ballet technique.

On Friday, May 17, 2015, choreographers, dancers, and dance enthusiasts-old and young-gathered together at the 92nd Street Y to remember the elegant maverick of modern dance, Pauline Koner. The afternoon featured four reconstructions of Koner's choreography, along with a 1949 video of her dancing To complete the celebration, Koner's students, dancers, music composers, and tour managers spoke briefly about her life and the wisdom she passed down to them.