Desmond Richardson News

Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage hosted an intimate conversation with the legendary Joan Myers Brown (Founder of PHILADANCO and The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts) as part of their Soundcheck: Curator Conversation with SummerStage Dance Curator Danni Gee.

Jacob's Pillow, home to the longest-running dance festival in the United States, launches a Virtual Festival with eight weeks of free programming, July 7-August 29.

The Pittsburgh Dance Council announced on Thursday that it will resume in-person programming in January 2021. 

Universal Ballet Competition, the nation's premiere ballet competition that bridges emerging talent from all racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds, will host a virtual competition experience, June 12-14 for dancers age 8-27.

National Dance Institute will host its 44th Annual Gala: From the Heart remotely this year on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 7:30 PM EST.

As a response to the high demand for online training for ballet dancers because of today's current environment, Universal Ballet Competition responded quickly and gathered acclaimed Master Teachers in the industry.

Today would have been Willy Burmann's 81st birthday. In celebrating his life, I felt that it was essential to speak with Miro Magloire, the artistic director of New Chamber Ballet. Miro was Willy's friend, confidante, and preferred pianist for class.

Ballet's sage, Wilhem “Willy” Burmann died yesterday at 80 from complications linked to the current pandemic. After a lengthy performance career, he devoted himself to teaching ballet, serving as coach to numerous stars including Julio Bocca, Alessandra Ferri, Wendy Whelan, and Herman Cornejo.

State Theatre New Jersey presents Complexions Contemporary Ballet in Bach to Bowie on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 8pm. The works featured in this program include Bach 25 and StarDust. Tickets range from $19-$49.

Amy's Victory Dance, a documentary film by Emmy-nominee Brian Thomas, will premiere on April 2 and 5, 2020 as part of the 2020 ReelAbilities Film Festival in New York City. The uplifting and inspiring documentary follows the story of choreographer and dancer Amy Jordan, who, on a beautiful spring day in May 2009, was run over by a 15-ton New York City bus. As she regained awareness, she had no feeling on the right side of her body. Her first thought was, “Am I ever going to dance again?” Her second thought was 'If I survive the night, there will be a Victory Dance.'

Founding Artistic and Executive Directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet in 1994. Richardson enjoyed a stellar performing career, having danced with numerous prestigious dance companies, including American Ballet Theatre where he was the first African American principal dancer, as well as Broadway shows. Rhoden, who is the principal choreographer of Complexions, has danced with contemporary and jazz companies and has become a sought-after choreographer.

National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) today announced the nominees for the 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, one of the nation's highest honors for high school students who exemplify academic and artistic excellence. YoungArts is the sole nominating agency for this high honor and the 60 candidates, representing 16 states and nine artistic disciplines, are all YoungArts Winners. The students have been nominated to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program for their artistic achievement on the heels of the organization's annual signature program, National YoungArts Week, which concluded in Miami on January 12.

Following a theatrical release to the USA's top markets, GVN Releasing has announced the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital release of Michael Damian's High Strung Free Dance. The sequel to Damian's dance hit High Strung, High Strung Free Dance tells the story of choreographer Zander Raines (Thomas Doherty, The Descendants franchise, 'The Lodge'), contemporary dancer Barlow (Juliet Doherty) and innovative pianist Charlie (Harry Jarvis, 'Proven Innocent', 'Dixi') amid the backdrop of New York's most-anticipated new Broadway show: Free Dance.

On Tuesday, December 17th Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater reveals the company premiere of Camille A. Brown's City of Rain. This quietly lyrical piece honors the struggles and grace of a deceased friend, showing a different facet of the choreographer than Ailey audiences have seen in her previous works for the Company. Dedicated to Greg 'Blyes' Boomer, the work for 10 dancers is set to an original composition by Jonathan Melville Pratt entitled Two Way Dream. A recipient of numerous honors, including a 2014 Bessie Award for Outstanding Production for the work Mr. TOL. E. RAncE (Camille A. Brown & Dancers), Ms. Brown choreographed Broadway's Choir Boy (TONY nominee for Best Choreography), the TONY Award-winning revival of Once On This Island, and the Emmy Award-winning television special, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. [There are five more chances to see City of Rain this season: Dec. 20 eve, 21 eve, 27 eve, Jan. 1 eve, 5 mat.]

Produced by Break the Floor Productions and presented by Capezio in New York in partnership with The Montalbán in Hollywood, MOVES at The Montalbán offers audiences the chance to see the most exciting emerging talent in the world of choreography and dance. The festival's four days will highlight exciting live dance performances that audiences can't see anywhere else.

ULISES OTERO of MIAMI, FL from NEW WORLD SCHOOL OF THE ARTS and UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, has been named a 2020 National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) Finalist in Theatre, the organization's highest honor. Otero has been recognized for his artistic achievement and joins 686 of the nation's most accomplished artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts.

Catarina de Luca Figueiredo of Miami, Florida from New World School of the Arts has been named a 2020 National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) Finalist in Theater, the organization's highest honor. De Luca Figueiredo has been recognized for her artistic achievement and was selected by an esteemed discipline-specific panel of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. YoungArts award winners gain access to one of the most prestigious programs for emerging artists in the United States in which they will have opportunities for creative and professional development throughout their entire careers. A complete list of the 2020 winners, all 15-18 years old or in grades 10-12, is available online at youngarts.org/winners.

National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) has announced the 2020 YoungArts award winners-686 of the nation's most accomplished young artists from 40 States in the visual, literary and performing arts. Selected for their caliber of artistic achievement, award winners are chosen by esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process.

There's a new Dance Movie, which opened nationwide Friday, October 11th, that's sure to advance the genre in popularity.  In the last few decades “Dirty Dancing,” “Footloose,” “Flashdance,” “Saturday Night Fever,” “Staying Alive” and more recently “La La Land” all caused quite a stir when they hit theatres, and many of them are still quite popular today.   “High Strung Free Dance” and it's predecessor “High Strung' (2016) has everything you could want to see and hear in a film about dance, music and dancers. Written and produced by professional dancer Janine Best Damian “Solid Gold” and numerous film and television appearances, and her talented actor/singer/director/composer/husband Michael Damian (Joseph in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”/Broadway; 18 years appearing on “The Young and the Restless,” among many other credits for directing, as a vocalist and creating soundtracks for films he's also directed). This latest film is one out of 13 films he has written and produced with Janeen, as well as directed; ”Marley and Me: The Puppy Years,' the “Flicka” franchise, and more.

The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts is offering a wide variety of entertainment as it opens its 36th arts season a?" including a bevy of shows at the historic Brown Theatre and the newly opened standing room venue, Old Forester's Paristown Hall.