Wendy Perron News

From today, June 15-15, 2014, Houston Ballet will cap its 2013-14 season with Stanton Welch's vibrantly theatrical staging of Swan Lake, which he created for Houston Ballet in 2006.

ODC Theater's annual fringe-style festival returns for a third year with samplings of dance from around the nation. Over two days, today, May 30 - Saturday, May 31, the Walking Distance Dance Festival-SF will feature three programs of paired artists, a book reading and a site-adaptive performance at Mission Bowling Club. This year's exciting cohort includes artists from the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle, several of whom will perform premieres -- all within easy walking distance of one another.

From June 15-15, 2014, Houston Ballet will cap its 2013-14 season with Stanton Welch's vibrantly theatrical staging of Swan Lake, which he created for Houston Ballet in 2006. Set to the hauntingly beautiful Tchaikovsky score, Swan Lake tells the classic tale of Odette - a beautiful maiden transformed into a swan by an evil knight - and the prince who swears his enduring love for her. It's good and evil in black and white, danced on rich and spectacular sets by the late, great New Zealand designer Kristian Fredrikson. Houston Ballet will give nine performances of Swan Lake at Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston.

On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Youth America Grand Prix, known to all as YAGP, the international competition founded by former Bolshoi principals Larissa and Gennadi Saveliev offered a three-evening celebration at the Koch from April 9th to 11th 2014 that completely converted this former naysayer into a diehard fan. All of my complaints from 2012 and 2013 have been addressed.

ODC Theater's annual fringe-style festival returns for a third year with samplings of dance from around the nation. Over two days, Friday, May 30 - Saturday, May 31, the Walking Distance Dance Festival-SF will feature three programs of paired artists, a book reading and a site-adaptive performance at Mission Bowling Club. This year's exciting cohort includes artists from the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle, several of whom will perform premieres -- all within easy walking distance of one another.

FOCUS DANCE is a part of FOCUS 2014, the National Platform to promote American dance both abroad and nationally. The week-long platform presents performances of U.S. based dance companies during the annual Arts Presenters Conference in New York City, and one of the largest gatherings of artists, dancers and dance professionals in the U.S. In January 2014, two venues partner with Gotham Arts Exchange to present the artistic visions of the curators gathered to shape the 2014 edition of FOCUS.

FOCUS DANCE is a part of FOCUS 2014, the National Platform to promote American dance both abroad and nationally. The week-long platform presents performances of U.S. based dance companies during the annual Arts Presenters Conference in New York City, and one of the largest gatherings of artists, dancers and dance professionals in the U.S. In January 2014, two venues partner with Gotham Arts Exchange to present the artistic visions of the curators gathered to shape the 2014 edition of FOCUS.

Tonight, December 5 from 6:00 - 7:00 pm, Houston Ballet will host the next installment of its FREE Dance Talks discussion series featuring Dance Magazine Editor at Large Wendy Perron at Houston Ballet Center for Dance, 601 Preston Street, Houston 77002 .

On Thursday, December 5 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm, Houston Ballet will host the next installment of its FREE Dance Talks discussion series featuring Dance Magazine Editor at Large Wendy Perron at Houston Ballet Center for Dance, 601 Preston Street, Houston 77002 .

Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and TenduTV announced today that the highly successful theatrical documentary, Ballet's Greatest Hits, is now available for purchase ($14.99 to $19.99) and rental ($3.99 to $4.99) on iTunes in over 20 countries, including The United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa. Ballet's Greatest Hits is also available for purchase and rental on Amazon, Google Play and YouTube. In addition, this is TenduTV's first new release on the African continent.

FOCUS DANCE is a part of FOCUS 2014, the National Platform to promote American dance both abroad and nationally. The week-long platform presents performances of U.S. based dance companies during the annual Arts Presenters Conference in New York City, and one of the largest gatherings of artists, dancers and dance professionals in the U.S. In January 2014, two venues partner with Gotham Arts Exchange to present the artistic visions of the curators gathered to shape the 2014 edition of FOCUS.

New York Live Arts will present Fresh Tracks, the latest installment of the Fresh Tracks Performance and Residency Program, December 19 - 21 at 7:30pm. The 2013-14 Fresh Tracks Artists include Martita Abril, Maximilian Balduzzi, Ben Grinberg and Nick Gillette, Daniel Holt, Leslie Parker and Gabrielle Revlock.

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has announced that author and co-director of the Acquavella Gallery Michael Findlay, composer Elliot Goldenthal, filmmaker Mira Nair and visual artist Fred Wilson were inducted into the NYFA Hall of Fame on Tuesday, April 23rd at Espace (635 West 42nd Street). Check out a photo of the honorees below!

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has announced that author and co-director of the Acquavella Gallery Michael Findlay, composer Elliot Goldenthal, filmmaker Mira Nair and visual artist Fred Wilson will be inducted into the NYFA Hall of Fame on Tuesday, April 23rd at Espace (635 West 42nd Street). The evening begins at 6:30 with a cocktail reception featuring interactive art by past and current NYFA grantees, followed by dinner and remarks from all the honorees. Tickets start at $500 and tables at $5,000; tickets for the Young Patrons After party, which begins at 9:30, are $250. Tickets and tables at all levels can be purchased at www.nyfa.org.

The Boston-based Caitlin Corbett Dance Company consists of a core of dancers many of whom have been working together for over a decade. Read more about them in this week's 'Featured Dance Company'.

The French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF), New York's premiere French cultural center, and the Times Square Alliance, present the U.S. premiere of Pleinvrees/Agoraphobia, from Lotte van den Berg and her company OMSK, as part of FIAF's 2012 Crossing the Line festival.

The French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF), New York's premiere French cultural center, and the Times Square Alliance, present the U.S. premiere of Pleinvrees/Agoraphobia, from Lotte van den Berg and her company OMSK, as part of FIAF's 2012 Crossing the Line festival.

The Flea Theater will bring back its highly-anticipated free dance festival, Dance Conversations, this spring. Dance Conversations 2012 will run through March 25 showcasing a series of films and works-in-progress by 36 emerging and established choreographers, dance companies, and filmmakers. Following each showing or performance will be forums between the artists and audience exploring raw, evolving, and fully developed works. A full schedule is available online at www.theflea.org.

The Flea Theater will bring back its highly-anticipated free dance festival, Dance Conversations, this spring. Dance Conversations 2012 will run March 14 - 25 showcasing a series of films and works-in-progress by 36 emerging and established choreographers, dance companies, and filmmakers. Following each showing or performance will be forums between the artists and audience exploring raw, evolving, and fully developed works. A full schedule is available online at www.theflea.org.

The Flea Theater will bring back its highly-anticipated free dance festival, Dance Conversations, this spring. Dance Conversations 2012 will run March 14 - 25 showcasing a series of films and works-in-progress by 36 emerging and established choreographers, dance companies, and filmmakers. Following each showing or performance will be forums between the artists and audience exploring raw, evolving, and fully developed works. A full schedule is available online at www.theflea.org.