Mary Callahan

It's probably not possible to say something about Martha Graham's choreography that hasn't already been said. After all, 2014 marks the Martha Graham Dance Company's 88th season. But just because these works have been seen by audiences a hundred times before does not make them any less meaningful or relevant. There will always be a few Graham 'virgins' in the house, experiencing the magic and mystery of the technique and canon for the first time. And on the other hand, there will always be Graham connoisseurs in the audience, ones that have seen each of the company's twenty-eight works. Even for them, however, the experience is new thanks to a different cast of dancers and an ever-changing contemporary lens.

Casebolt and Smith is a duet dance theatre company (made up of Liz Casebolt and my former dance professor, Joel Smith) hailing from sunny Los Angeles. They performed O(h) as part of the 92nd Street Y's Harkness Dance Festival, 'Stripped/Dressed,' curated by fellow choreographer, Doug Varone. A single word (or rather, an exclamation) with befuddling parentheses around the 'h,' O(h) is a work that incites audiences to rethink what they already think they know about dance.

The Martha Graham Dance Company performed an intimate performance this week as part of the Company's “Graham Deconstructed” Series and Performa 13. The evening, entitled “Surreal Graham,” consisted of two pieces that exemplify the aura of surrealism, which sought to resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality through uncensored, unfiltered, and unconscious expression. Graham is perhaps the ultimate surrealist choreographer in that her work was ridden with shocking, sexual, and even violent undertones, themes that were popular amongst surrealist artists such as Salvador Dalí and René Magritte.

On Monday, November 11th the American Dance Machine for the 21st Century performed “Next Look,” an exclusive benefit showing in preparation for the company's full-length New York City debut at the Joyce Theater next year. The benefit performance included reconstructed works from show-stopping musicals such as Contact, A Chorus Line, 42nd Street, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, and Promises Promises.

The American Tap Dance Foundation (ATDF) is an acclaimed non-profit organization “committed to establishing and legitimizing Tap Dance as a vital component of American Dance through creation, presentation, education, and preservation. Charles “Honi” Coles, Brenda Bufalino, and Tony Waag founded ATDF in 1986, and today, just 17 years young, the foundation organizes tap festivals, ensembles, concert performances, national tours, scholarships, awards ceremonies, and archives – in addition to their classes, workshops, and “tap talks” at the American Tap Dance Center.

Savion Glover and company performed their newest full-length tap concert, 'STePZ,' to a sold out house at the Joyce Theater. The fresh and fun show runs through July 6th.

Esperanza's AVES explores the movement and personalities of birds while BARE Dance Company exemplifies the synergy and camaraderie of birds in a flock.

I sat in the theater of Florence Gould Hall in between a young boy and a young girl, each with their families. They both took their crayons to their programs and began coloring in the black and white sketch of Mother Goose.

One week of intense Master Classes taught by Fosse veterans Lloyd Culbreath and Valarie Pettiford.

The Paul Taylor Dance Company performed to a nearly packed house at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater on Sunday, March 10th. The matinee performance included three of Paul Taylor's more recent works: 'Offenbach Overtures,' 'Promethean Fire,' and the world premiere of 'Perpetual Dawn.'

While this pseudo-revival of Cinderella teeters between contemporary dialogue and classic songs ('A Lovely Night,' 'In My Own Little Corner,' 'Ten Minutes Ago,' etc.), the romantic choreography seems to transcend time.

On Sunday, February 24, dance professionals from all over New York City convened at Gibney Dance Center for Dance/NYC's fourth annual symposium. The sold-out 2013 symposium sought to 'explore the role and reach of NYC dance and dig deep into the current circumstances of funding, touring, marketing, and education.'

It is a common stigma that dancers 'can't act.' Acting coach, director, and choreographer, Bronwen Carson, tells BWW why it is so important for dancers to hone their acting skills in order to have meaningful and lasting careers in the performing arts.

Dancers Over 40 is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that celebrates the lives and legacies of dancers and choreographers. 'DO40 was created as a not-for-profit organization to provide a community of support in response to the fiscal - as well as physical - needs of mature dancers, choreographers and related artists. Its goals are to seek educational opportunities, present seminars, showcases, film nights, socials and panel discussions on topics important to mature dancers concerned about their ability to live and work in a creative environment and continue the legacy to those dancers about to begin their journey.' On March 4th DO40 hosted 'TAP! The Tapping Continues' at New York City's St. Luke's Theatre. The evening honored the toe-tapping legacies: the Radio City Rockettes and June Taylor Dancers.

The New York Theatre Ballet (NYTB) focuses on restaging classic works and commissioning up-and-coming choreographers to present performances that are both inspiring and affordable for audiences.

Opening night of the Martha Graham Dance Company at the Joyce featured an interesting pairing: a revival of Graham's 1962 Phaedra with Richard Move's 2002 piece, The Show (Achilles Heels).

Broadway World [BWW] sat down with Broadway veterans, Lloyd Culbreath and Valarie Pettiford, to discuss their efforts to preserve Bob Fosse's legendary choreography for the next generation of dancers. The pair held an exclusive Fosse Workshop in early February and invited fifty professional dancers to learn the signature style and articulation of Fosse choreography.

Over Valentine's Day weekend Joe's Pub hosted Dance Now, which presented an imaginative trio of performances, Dorothy, Annie, Maria Together. Each work gave a new twist to those well-known musicals The Wiz, Annie Get Your Gun and The Sound of Music. New York City's "Best Tiny Stage" exploded with energy, creativity, and humor as these Broadway classics were revived for a contemporary audience.