Jessica Abejar - Page 2

For only four performances at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, China Arts and Entertainment Group presented the first US performance of the Hong Kong Dance Company's The Legend of Mulan. Based on a folk poem of a young woman fighting in the Chinese army in place of her ill father, this beloved legend was brought to life through dramatic presentation and incredible, jaw-dropping physical feats.

As a part of its Hear the Dance program for the Winter 2015 season, the New York City Ballet presented two pieces featuring compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. They were choreographed by the Company's most renowned choreographers, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. With minimal set and costume designs, the evening allowed for music and dance to take flight, leaving the audience at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in awe as they watched Bach's music come to life in a pure dance experience.

The sights and sounds of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker are a staple to Christmastime in New York City. The American Ballet Theatre has brought this timeless tradition to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for the past five years. The Company began its final run of Artist in Resident Alexei Ratmansky's The Nutcracker last weekend, delighting audiences at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and leaving a legacy of joy and wonder.

The Bessies, formally known as the New York Dance and Performance Awards, celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Apollo Theater on Monday, October 20th. It was an exciting evening that commemorated the diverse world of dance and those who tirelessly contribute to a field that makes this city come alive.

This fall, L.A. Dance Project, founded in 2012 by newly appointed Paris Opera Ballet director and former New York City Ballet principal Benjamin Millepied, made its New York debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as a part of the 2014 Next Wave Festival. With works by Millepied, Justin Peck, and William Forsythe, this west coast collective came in full force, demonstrating incredible creative genius and outstanding performance.

Dixon Place has been a creative haven for the downtown arts scene for nearly 30 years. Bold in its approach to supporting the creative process, Dixon Place did not disappoint in its choice of commissioned work this October - Creatures of Habit, choreographed by Jonathan Royse Windham, a highly entertaining piece.

The Fall for Dance Festival at New York City Center has been a cultural staple for New York City for eleven years, giving audiences the opportunity to witness excellence found in the worldwide field of dance (and at an affordable price, too!). This year's festival opened up with four distinct works, including two NY premieres, one US premiere, and one world premiere by Mark Morris Dance Group, much to the delight of the audience.

This weekend, BalaSole Dance Company's fall show Pastiche was presented at The Ailey Citigroup Theater, introducing audiences to a variety of new solos from a diverse group of dancers. Billed as a company that addresses the gaps in the dance field by giving opportunities for underrepresented artists to find their voice, this season's show did just that and more. What Pastiche showed was that dancers of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, and experiences had at least one thing in common - passion.

Sixteen New York City public high school students were given the opportunity of a lifetime this summer when Bessie-winner Alice Teirstein took them under her wing and introduced them to the dance community. After a whirlwind tour across New York City, as well as a slew of other dance-related activities from shows to workshops to seminars, The Young Dancemakers Company ended its 19th season with a packed gala performance at the Ailey Citigroup Theater.

There are no limits to what wonders Pilobolus can create. And as evidenced by the opening of their summer season at the Joyce Theater, the company's creativity transcends beyond imagination, revolutionizing dance and the human experience.

American Ballet Theatre's premiere of the Royal Ballet's Cinderella was a beautifully romantic and astonishingly comedic whirlwind of a fairytale. With Frederick Ashton's cutting-edge choreography set to Sergei Prokofiev's vibrant score, American Ballet Theatre delivered a ballet enjoyable for all ages.

American Ballet Theatre sent its audience on a thrill ride of joy, sorrow, and surprises in Manon. With Julie Kent and Roberto Bolle in the lead roles, choreography and direction by Sir Kenneth MacMillian, and music from the opera of the same name by Jules Massenet, the audience was treated to a passion-filled evening underlined by grace, merriment, tragedy, and pure artistry.

Halfway through celebrating its 50th year at the David H. Koch Theatre in Lincoln Center, the New York City Ballet showcased three diverse pieces influenced by the Company's greatest artists - Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, and of course, George Balanchine.

To jumpstart their 50th anniversary at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, the New York City Ballet began their Spring season not looking back but rather looking forward, presenting works from 21st century choreographers and showcasing the Company's ever-evolving mastery of their art.

Shen Wei Dance Arts' New York season at the Judson Memorial Church, running April 29th to May 4th, is a dynamic display of the versatility and ingenuity of a master choreographer. With a reworking of his 2005 piece 'Map' and the world premiere of his solo work 'Variations,' Shen Wei leaves no room to doubt that he is one of the greatest artists of our time.

In the very center where many dance legends have performed, thirteen teenaged choreographers presented pieces as part of Dance Up! The Next Generation at the 92nd Street YMHA Harkness Dance Center on Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 13. The performance was followed by a Q&A session with the choreographers. The event showcased a vast array of talent, creativity, and maturity among the teens but also showed a commonality across all generations.

Fantastic artistry, skillful control, and incredible dynamics were all offered on the last evening of the REVERBdance Festival 2014, leaving the audience in high anticipation as to who would win the most coveted prize.

When describing 4CHAMBERS by Jody Oberfelder Projects, one should not take the phrase 'immersive theater' lightly. From the moment choreographer and mastermind Jody Oberfelder personally introduces her audience of 12 to the piece and then selects them one by one, taking both hands into hers and locking eyes that stare straight into the soul, the audience is propelled into what the show promotes itself as 'a sensorial journey into the human heart.' WARNING: This show is not for the light of heart or for anyone unwilling to open their heart to the journey that is to come.