Rose Marija - Page 6

New York City Ballet continues to include new choreographies in its repertoire, billed this season as the Here and Now Festival. On May 12, 2017 NYCB performed four newer works created in 1994, 1998, 2006, and a world premiere.

BWW Review: Ballet Hispanico Fuses Latin and Contemporary Dance with a Flare

American Ballet Theatre Studio Company Performs at the Kaye Playhouse

Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart

Sydney Dance Company performs at the Joyce Theater, NYC, NY

On February 10th and 11th the ABT Studio Company (formerly ABT ll), under the artistic direction of Kate Lydon, and graduate students of London's RBS met at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts to give three performances of classical and new classical repertory. The shared performances are part of a unique exchange, which began in 2003, between the ABT Studio Company and The Royal Ballet School. On alternate years, they perform in NYC, while on alternate years, they perform in London. I attended the opening night performance, February 10, 2017.

This contemporary dance company from France, currently under the direction of Peter Jacobson, a former principal dancer for Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, embarks on its first ever US tour. On Wednesday, February 10, 2017, I attended the first performance of the Ballet de Lorraine's Program B at the Joyce Theater. This program has one piece only, Unknown Pleasures, an intriguing title. No choreographers, music, lighting, nor costumes were credited.

Complexions Contemporary Ballet, founded in 1994 by Co-Artistic Directors, Dwight Rhoden, choreographer and Desmond Richardson, legendary dancer, is currently in its second week of its season at the Joyce Theater. All works in both programs have been choreographed by Rhoden, resident choreographer. On Wednesday, February 1, 2017, I attended Program B with excited anticipation.

There are two pieces on the program presented by Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca, currently at the West Park Presbyetearian Church, on Amsterdam Avenue and W.86th Street, which I am so glad to have seen on Wednesday, December 28, 2016. The Artistic Director and Producer is Martin Santangelo, who founded the company in 1993. His wife is the brilliant force of Flamenco dance and choreography, Soledad Barrio. The venue lends itself to spirit and emotion, main ingredients of this troupe of dancers and musicians. The lighting is not elaborate, but it is an extremely effective part of the production.

On Wednesday evening, December 21, 2016, I was fortunate to be present as the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater performed three pieces created in the 21st century by three choreographers, two European, Johan Inger and Mauro Bigonzetti, and one home grown, a veteran dancer of the Ailey company, Hope Boykin. Each piece is a world unto itself, different from the other two.

On November 18, 2016, at the Baruch Arts Center's Mason Hall, Gabrielle Lamb presented two of her numerous works, via two dance groups, The Joffrey Ensemble and her own company, Pigeonwing Dance. Lamb is a New York based choreographer who was a long time soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal and in 2009 was invited by Christopher Wheeldon to join his company Morphoses in New York City. Her choreography is contemporary with a flair offered by her own personality and point of view.

The Dance Gallery Festival began ten years ago with the vision of Astrid von Ussar, Founder and Artistic Director. Their stated 'mission is to provide everything that choreographers want, need, and dream of in a professional setting: industry standard lighting, publicity packaging, and ample time for tech rehearsals.' Born of necessity, this collective, following von Ussar's vision, recognizes these lacks to be common to most aspiring and working choreographers (those not working with major, funded dance companies). Funding comes primarily from family and friends. This is an extraordinary find in the dance community; and one that begins to fill a void that has existed for far too long.

This year's Fall for Dance Festival includes twenty different dance companies and groups performing a potpourri of different styles of dance, four groups per performance, each performing on two consecutive nights. On Wednesday, September 28, 2016 I saw the first of two nights of four presentations.

Misty Copland, by Gregg Delman with foreward by Misty Copeland has been released by Rizzoli New York, September 2016. Delman is an award winning photographer whose work has appeared in Time, Interview, Elle, GQ, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Gotham, and Vogue. He has photographed a roster of notable names, actors and rock stars. When he first saw Copeland, in 2011, while she was still striving to rise in the ranks of American Ballet Theatre, he believed he had found a really special subject to capture. Copeland has since become the first female, African-American principal dancer for ABT. She has also become a public speaker, celebrity spokesperson, stage performer, television personality, and author.

Robert Creighton, embodying the spirit of James Cagney in this energetic, fast-paced, biographical musical, Cagney, playing at the Westside Theater/Upstairs, Off-Broadway, brings the Hollywood icon to life. He has the physical plant of Cagney, as well as a dynamic talent for tap dancing, singing, and playing the tough guy, not unlike Cagney. It was exhilarating to be in attendance at this high energy performance on Friday, June 8, 2016. The world premiere was in Florida, 2009. The show has gone through its own evolution on its way to New York.

In her first season as principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland has hit the stage glowing. Dancing both new roles, to her, and those she has performed before, while still a soloist with the company, she brought new life and light to the ballets. At every performance, the excitement throughout the audience was palpable, from the moment they entered the Metropolitan Opera House, N.Y.C., to the explosion of applause, calls of brava, and other vocalizations of appreciation at the end of each performance.

The Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, under the artistic direction of Davis Robertson, is performing at New York Live Arts, where I saw them on Friday, May 27, 2016. Robertson introduced the not-for-profit company as good dancers who are currently unemployed.

Ballet Preljocaj, under the direction of Angelin Preljocaj, opened its New York premiere engagement of Empty Moves (Parts I, II, & III), to Empty Words, by John Cage, on April 20, 2016, when I had the opportunity to attend. Preljocaj has created 45 choreographic works for his company, formed in December 1984, ranging from solo to larger formations. His productions (49, to date) are now part of the repertoire of many companies, many of which also commission original productions, notably La Scala of Milan, New York City Ballet, and the Paris Opera. I was excited to see the work of this acclaimed contemporary choreographer, aware that his dancers are known to be very good.

On March 15, 2016, Hong Kong Ballet opened its debut at the Joyce Theater, NYC. I felt fortunate to be there, from the moment the curtain opened, to see Program A. On the program were three works by three choreographers, from three different countries: China, Spain, and Poland. Artistic Director, Madeleine Onne, one of Sweden's leading ballerinas, leads the Company's artistic team of more than forty dancers of nine different nationalities.

In this time of physical proximity of different cultures, Fadi J. Khoury, Artistic Director and Choreographer of FJK Dance, believes in the unique fusion of culture and dance, with the endless possibilities of experimenting with the fundamentals of various dance forms, including classical ballet, ballroom, Middle Eastern, and jazz, creating their own language to bridge the gap, demonstrating a shared capacity to create. Using atmosphere created by music, lighting, costumes, and movement, Khoury takes us on a journey, via his and his dancers' fusion, in a singular performance at the Kaye Playhouse, February 27, 2016, which I was glad to attend.