Stephen Campanella News

A classic Mabou Mines feat is to take a theatrical classic, reimagine it from top to bottom, then turn it inside out; the result is a production so spanking new that the original gleams with fresh and unexpected relevance. The tradition continues in a collaboration with Trick Saddle and the 45-year old company. The two companies combine forces in the world premiere of 'Imagining the Imaginary Invalid,' inspired by 'The Imaginary Invalid,' Moliere's piercing satiric take on the pretension, gullibility and vulnerability of we poor mortals. Presented by La MaMa, a production of Mabou Mines and Trick Saddle, the play runs January 21-February 7 at La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre.

A classic Mabou Mines feat is to take a theatrical classic, reimagine it from top to bottom, then turn it inside out; the result is a production so spanking new that the original gleams with fresh and unexpected relevance. The tradition continues in a collaboration with Trick Saddle and the 45-year old company. The two companies combine forces in the world premiere of 'Imagining the Imaginary Invalid,' inspired by 'The Imaginary Invalid,' Moliere's piercing satiric take on the pretension, gullibility and vulnerability of we poor mortals. Presented by La MaMa, a production of Mabou Mines and Trick Saddle, the play runs January 21-February 7 at La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre.

American Repertory Ballet will be presenting the 'Nutcracker' through December 20th at venues across New Jersey.

New York Theatre Ballet will celebrate their first season in their new home, and honor longtime friends Richard Alston and Valda Setterfield at a Garden Party tonight, June 18, 2015 at 6pm at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery, 131 E. 10th Street, New York City.

New York Theatre Ballet will celebrate their first season in their new home, and honor longtime friends Richard Alston and Valda Setterfield at a Garden Party on Thursday, June 18, 2015 at 6pm at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery, 131 E. 10th Street, New York City.

New York Theatre Ballet will perform Legends & Visionaries 2015 from June 18-20, 2015 at Danspace Project, 131 E. 10th Street, NYC. Performances: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm. Tickets are $20 ($15 for Danspace members), and are available online at www.danspaceproject.org or by calling OvationTix/TheaterMania at 866.811.4111.

New York Theatre Ballet's production of Goose! was one of the offerings of the company's Once Upon a Ballet 2014-2015 series. Goose! is another enchanting jewel in the crown of witty and wonderful ballets by Keith Michael. Goose! brings to life characters from the Mother Goose nursery rhymes. Jack and Jill, Little Bo Peep, Little Boy Blue, Little Miss Muffet, and other favorites kick up their heels in this delightful ballet.

New York Theatre Ballet presented, by arrangement with The Estate of Antony Tudor and The Antony Tudor Trust, an A. Tudor Celebration. The night was a treasure trove of ballets by the great English choreographer Antony Tudor: three of his masterpieces from the 1930s, originally staged in London and an unearthed gem from 1952.

The latest American Repertory Ballet performance at Hamilton Stage in Rahway drew together five short-form ballets, inviting viewers to compare and contrast these vibrant offerings.

It's been a long, drowsy winter--though if you're a dance buff, the American Repertory Ballet has put together the perfect showcase to jolt you out of hibernation. Starting with the magnificent melodrama Firebird, and following up with the warm-season works Afternoon of a Faun and Rite of Spring, the troupe took the stage at Princeton's McCarter Theatre just this past week. The program was a celebration of dance both new and old--the world premiere of Douglas Martin's Firebird choreography, no less--a revisitation of the balletic past that was taut, nimble, and modern in about the right measure.

Performing at the Hamilton Stage, the American Repertory Ballet staged three joyous short ballets: VIVA VIVALDI, CARESS, and FAERIE TYME.

In my first blog, I spoke of the importance of preserving ballets as a part of the heritage of dance. I did not touch on what constitutes preservation, however, and I would like to remedy that by discussing a few of the problems inherent in preserving a ballet, especially in regards to changes made to the choreography. Before continuing, I must make two disclaimers. First, in no way is this an exhaustive discussion of the subject. It is a blog with a discussion of a few of the problems I have encountered. Second, although I will primarily discuss romantic and classical works of the 19th century, what I say holds increasingly true of early and even mid twentieth century work, and will eventually be the case for contemporary works.

In my last blog, I commented on variety in the repertory of a ballet company and placed a special emphasis on the preservation of older ballets and the importance of exposure to a variety of dance. I felt it appropriate to follow up this week with a double theme on the importance of having an open mind when watching dance and on the nature of the avant-garde.

I have often heard the statement that 'a ballet company should not be a museum,' or words to that effect, whenever dancers or directors are discussing the repertory that should be performed, particularly in regional companies. It has always made me vaguely uneasy so I thought I would take this chance to work through some of the implications. I certainly understand and approve the philosophy of creation that underpins it; a museum is generally responsible solely for the display and maintenance of existing work, not for the creation of new work, whereas a ballet company not only performs the existing but is constantly involved in the creation of the new. My concerns about the statement come more from its tone, which generally implies two things: first, that work being produced now is by definition superior to, or at least more interesting than, work that was produced a century ago, and second, that audiences are uninterested in seeing those supposedly dry old dinosaurs.

American Repertory Ballet Artistic Director Douglas Martin is please to announce its 2013-2014 Company Dancers, including the addition of Company Dancer Nanako Yamamoto and the promotion of dancers Andrea D'Annunzio and Mattia Pallozzi from Trainee to full Company Dancer. Yamamoto, D'Annunzio, and Pallozzi will join returning dancers: Cameron Auble-Branigan, Euphrosyne Avery, Stephen Campanella, Alice Cao, Alexander Dutko, Shaye Firer, Monica Giragosian, Samantha Gullace, Joshua Kurtzberg, Karen Leslie Moscato, Marc St-Pierre, Edward Urwin, and Claire van Bever. The 2013-2014 Season will be Auble-Branigan's and Firer's second season with ARB. It will be the third season for Avery, Cao, Giragosian, and van Bever. Campanella, Gullace, Moscato, St-Pierre, and Urwin are entering their fourth season, Dutko his fifth, and Kurtzberg is entering his sixth season with ARB.

American Lyric Theater (ALT) today announced complete casting forInsightALT, the company's upcoming festival dedicated to providing an intimate, up-close look at its process of creating new operas.