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"The Devil Ties My Tongue" by Amy Seiwert performed for the SKETCH Series, 2013. Photo by David DeSilva. Courtesy of Amy Seiwert's Imagery

New York Times: Commuting While Pregnant: A Long Ride Could Be a Risky One

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By Maya Salam

19 April 2019

It’s no secret that the United States lags the rest of the developed world when it comes to policies that support mothers and families. As former President Barack Obama put it in 2014: “Family leave. Child care. Flexibility. These aren’t frills. They’re basic needs. They shouldn’t be bonuses. They should be the bottom line.”

Five years and little progress later, we’re learning more and more about the toll inflexible work cultures have on new and expectant mothers.

Last fall, a New York Times investigation exposed the devastating cost of pregnancy discrimination on women in physically demanding jobs. Now, a new study has explored the dangers of a long commute on pregnant women and their unborn babies. The longer the commute, the study found, the worse the impact.

The study, recently published by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Lehigh University, suggests that women who travel 50 or more miles each way to work by car may be at a “much greater risk” of having low-birth-weight babies (under 5.5 pounds) as well as fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction — a condition, in which the fetus doesn’t grow as fast as expected, that’s generally associated with mothers who have diabetes, high blood pressure, malnutrition or infections including syphilis.

Read the full article in The New York Times.

Charlotte Ballet/Chris Record

When Will Women Get to Tell Women’s Stories?

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In 2018, Les Ballets Canadiens de Montréal were heavily criticized after artistic director Ivan Cavallari announced Femmes, a program with women as the theme. The triple-bill, which DDP also called out, had a roster of three male choreographers to explore women, their lives, thoughts, roles, etc. The program was rebranded, later entitled Parlami d’Amore, which means “talk to me about love,” after men and women all over the dance world expressed their distaste for a male-led company telling women’s stories based on the male choreographer’s imagination.

This was not the first – nor has it been the last- time the female experience has been portrayed by a male. Every classical ballet centers on a female character. In Giselle, women are wronged and take nasty revenge. In Don Quixote, they are the subject of whimsical dreams. Recently, there has been a trending storyline of rape and violence against women. Odessa, set on New York City Ballet by Alexei Ratmansky, was criticized in a 2017 New York Times article for displaying aggression against women, or as Siobhan Burke called it, gang rape. Joffrey Ballet presented The Miraculous Mandarin in 2016, in which, Timothy Robson writes for Backtrack, “The Young Woman (Victoria Jaiani) lures men to her room so that the three thugs (Raúl Casasola, Paulo Rodrigues and Joan Sebastián Zamora) can rob them.” The Royal Ballet, too, has faced backlash for The Wind, Arthur Pita’s piece that includes yet another scene of female abuse (read about that here). For The Guardian, Luke Jennings heavily critiqued the company’s repertoire beyond The Wind, writing:

There is an increasingly acute issue surrounding women’s roles in ballet. In the last few seasons the Royal Ballet stage has seen record numbers of female characters brutalised and killed. Emily, Mary-Jane, and Annie eviscerated in Sweet Violets, Justine hanged and Elizabeth murdered in Frankenstein, Stephanie raped and Mary shot in Mayerling, the girl raped in The Invitation, the youngest sister hanged in Las Hermanas, and the woman raped and murdered in The Judas Tree. Consider this body-count alongside the number of recent abstract works in which women are split, splayed and otherwise manhandled, and certain embedded attitudes reveal themselves.

In 2019, the controversy is not over. Ballets with sometimes questionable storylines and female experiences staged by men are still commissioned or restaged.

This spring, on its tour to Sadler’s Wells in London, San Francisco Ballet’s Programme D will present yet another male triple-bill. The work includes David Dawson’s Anima Animus, which “draws on the theme of gender and the roles of male and female, and how they view each other,” according to Rhinegold Publishing. A piece explores gender roles and how they view each other…without headlining female input.

San Francisco Ballet tour is publicized as tackling “modern-day issues,” and artistic director Helgi Tomasson told Rhinegold, “‘Dance has the power to reflect social issues in our world today.'” Sadly, once again, we see women’s perspectives and imaginations excluded from the essential dialogue of social issues.

Read Rhinegold Publishing’s article about the San Francisco Ballet tour here.

We Need to Stop Rehabilitating Abusers – Whether in Ballet or Hollywood – Page Six: Disgraced ballet master Peter Martins lands gig in Russia

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By Ian Mohr

Choreographer Peter Martins — who resigned from the New York City Ballet, which he was also director of, amid allegations of sexual harassment and physical abuse — has been spotted working in Russia.

Sources said that Martins was recently at the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg, where he is overseeing the famed theater’s various productions of Balanchine.NPR reported early last year when Martins stepped down from the NYCB: “The #MeToo moment has come to the world of ballet.” Martins denied the allegations against him, and an internal investigation could not corroborate the claims.

Either way, the Denmark-born Martins, 72, became toxic in New York’s ballet world.

A source said of his gig in Russia, “They take a different approach to social issues. He’s not in the Ecuadorean Embassy, but he is at the Mariinsky.” Another source said Martins was only there for a couple weeks to rehearse and does not have a full-time appointment at the theater. In February, the New York Times reported that the Balanchine Trust had approved a request by the Mariinsky for Martins to oversee the legend’s work.

Read the full story on Page Six.

New John Wick Film Features Tiler Peck’s Choreography

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According to Dance Magazine, Keanu Reeves’ latest installment of John Wick, entitled John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum will feature Unity Phelan dancing to choreography by Tiler Peck; both women are New York City Ballet Principals. This is one of the first major motion pictures featuring ballet to use a woman’s choreography. Most recently, we recall Justin Peck working on Red Sparrow and Benjamin Millepied on Black Swan. It is about time work by non-dancer female artists is on the big screen, and with Tiler Peck, Keanu Reeves is making a good start.

The film opens in theaters May 17.

Modern Day Male Issues Only – Rhinegold Publishing: San Francisco Ballet takes on modern day issues at Sadler’s Wells

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By Melissa Bradshaw

16 April 2019

Dance choreographers are meeting some of the world’s most prevalent social issues head-on in works created for San Francisco Ballet, which makes its long-awaited return to Sadler’s Wells, London, from 29 May – 8 June 2019.

In works commissioned for the company last year that will see their UK premieres in London, British choreographers Christopher Wheeldon and David Dawson, and American Trey McIntyre, explore ways in which smart phone obsession shields us from real life; how male and female personas are defined; and how dementia can be seen as a completion of life’s cycle.

Bound To is Christopher Wheeldon’s ninth work for SF Ballet – a quirky and pertinent piece with a warning to millennials that technological connectivity is no replacement for social interaction and relationships. Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem, the second work for SF Ballet by Trey McIntyre, is a lyrical tribute to a grandfather he never knew, underpinned by themes of loss, death, dementia and rememberance. In the same programme (Programme D on 6 & 7 June), David Dawson’s Anima Animus draws on the theme of gender and the roles of male and female, and how they view each other.

‘Dance has the power to reflect social issues in our world today,’ comments SF Ballet artistic director Helgi Tomasson. ‘Choreographers can choose to explore aspects of our emotional, psychological and physical being – a meaningful way to explore topics, experiences and connect with our audiences.’

Read the full article in Rhinegold Publishing.

How is Ballet Like Hollywood? – New York Times: As Hollywood Embraces Diversity, Jobs for Female Directors Remain Sparse

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By Brooke Barnes and Cara Buckley

14 April 2019

Two weeks ago, the big movie studios showcased their 2019 lineups for multiplex executives in a series of elaborate marketing presentations in Las Vegas. It’s an annual ritual: Here are the potential hits we will deliver.

For the first time, the importance of onscreen diversity came across as more than lip service. Paramount presented a family adventure (“Dora the Lost City of Gold”) with a predominantly Latino cast, while Warner Bros. promoted a “Shaft” sequel starring Samuel L. Jackson and Regina Hall. Universal touted a comedy starring black women (“Little”), an animated movie about a Chinese girl’s quest (“Abominable”) and a summer musical (“Yesterday”) with an actor of Indian descent playing the lead.

But look a little closer at the movies on studio rosters — and who is directing them — and Hollywood’s inclusion narrative falls apart by one crucial measure. Even after years of being called to task for sidelining female filmmakers, studios as a whole continue to rely overwhelmingly on men to lead productions.

Why the disconnect?

Studios have multiple explanations (some would say excuses), but one big reason involves a lack of economic pressure. Moviegoers have been responding favorably to diverse casting and stories (“Us,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Black Panther”), prompting studios to serve up more. Fewer ticket-buying decisions are made based on the gender of the filmmaker, however.

“Does a consumer care about how something is made versus what they see onscreen?” Cathy Schulman, an Oscar-winning producer (“Crash”), said in an interview. “I think that is becoming increasingly more important, but I would say the business is slower to see the connectivity.”

Of 15 movies from Universal with release dates, four were directed by women.


Read the full article in The New York Times.

Is Anyone Really Surprised? – New York Times: Abuse Allegations Rock Vienna Ballet School

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By Alex Marshall

12 April 2019

The Vienna State Opera’s ballet academy vowed to reform its practices after former students and staff said dancers as young as 11 were kicked, scratched and handled roughly in classes.

Others said they were regularly pressured to lose weight. Another said they had been sexually abused.

“Many children have lost their dream to dance,” said Luisa Solowjowa, 20, a former student, in a telephone interview. She said a teacher once kicked her “like a football.”

The academy acknowledged that students had been subject to physical and emotional abuse after allegations were reported on Tuesday by Falter, an Austrian newsmagazine.

Investigations by the magazine “uncovered very unpleasant incidents, which are completely intolerable and which we regret greatly: Some individuals have behaved very badly,” the academy said in a statement. “The students who were subject to physical or emotional abuse have our deepest sympathy,” it added.

Students said that Bella Ratchinskaia, a teacher at the school, at times went beyond the limits of normal practice during ballet classes, roughly forcing their limbs into position or scratching them as she adjusted their bodies, sometimes drawing blood. André Comploi, a spokesman for the State Opera, said that Ms. Ratchinskaia, who previously worked at La Scala in Milan, was dismissed in February.

Ms. Ratchinskaia did not reply to a request for comment but said in a statement provided by the academy: “Contact is a part of the training in this profession — it is necessary to touch to make corrections in ballet classes, and this is done all over the world. To the students who I have hurt, I apologize sincerely. I never injured anyone deliberately, and it was never done maliciously.”

Read the full article in The New York Times.

New York Times: Ballet’s Biggest Matchmakers (Student, Meet Scholarship)

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An April 16 article by Brian Seibert for The New York Times discusses the founder of the Youth America Grand Prix, the world’s largest ballet competition and one so prestigious that companies from around the world follow it to find their next stars.

The competition features a gala of successful alumni performing new and old work. This year, American Ballet Theatre dancer Melanie Hamrick will choreograph for dancers in the gala. The piece is set to Rolling Stones songs arranged by Mick Jagger, according to The Times. Women’s choreography does not seem to be the norm in this competition’s (or any competition’s) gala. Hamrick’s invitation is a step in the right direction, but DDP hopes to see more women choreography in upcoming galas, which tend to show the same variations and pas de deux the young competitors performed themselves.

Who better than to start this trend than the female founder herself, Larissa Saveliev, who began the competition with the help of her husband and has continued to expand it and start the career of hundreds, if not thousands, of young dancers and choreographers.

Read The New York Times article here.

Pittsburgh Current: Point Park Conservatory Dance Company Set To Close Out 2018-19 Season

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By Steve Sucato

16 April 2019

Point Park’s student Conservatory Dance Company closes out its dynamic 2018-19 celebrating the opening of the University’s new 60 million dollar Pittsburgh Playhouse at Fourth and Forbes Avenues with its Spring Dance Concert, April 18-21 at the Playhouse’s PNC Theatre.  

Following in the footsteps of prior programs on the season, the Spring Dance Concert is a mixed repertory program featuring works by high profile choreographic names and Point Park alumni.

One of the biggest names in dance, Christopher Wheeldon, the 2015 Tony Award-winning choreographer for An American in Parisand artistic associate of The Royal Ballet, puts CDC’s dancers to the test in his ballet “The American.”  

Premiered by Carolina Ballet in 2001, the 26-minute ballet derives its title from and is set to Antonin Dvorak’s “String Quartet in F Major Op. 96 (American Quartet)”.  Says former New York City Ballet dancer Michele Gifford who staged the ballet on a dozen (six male/female couples) of CDC’s dancers, it gets its inspiration from “America’s topography and skylines”.

One of two works on program by former Point Park students, visiting teaching artist in Jazz and 1999 graduate Kiki Lucas’ “The Vessel” has had several iterations since its premiere by Houston Metropolitan Dance Company in 2013 that featured male soloist and fellow Point Park faculty member Jason McDole. For this latest incarnation, Lucas has set three sections of the original 35-minute work on CDC’s dancers that she felt were the most dynamic.  

Danced to original music by Ben Doyle and the United Kingdom’s Matthew Barnes (a.k.a. Forest Swords), the 11-minute excerpt for nine women and six men takes its inspiration from research Lucas did on “the learning patterns and trials and tribulations of kids with cochlear implants,” she says.

Read the full article in the Pittsburgh Current.

The New Yorker: Akram Khan Remakes “Giselle”

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By Jennifer Homans

15 April 2019

Begin at the wall. A large concrete wall, a Berlin Wall, a U.S.-Mexico wall,an Israeli wall. As the curtain opens on Akram Khan’s “Giselle,” we see a crowd of people pushing against it. Their backs are to us; we feel their weight, see their hands and anonymous bodies cast in shadow and silhouette. One of them is searching for someone. He finds her, and they stand facing each other, without touching, palms open. A moment later, they are separated by a man who roughly claims her, and an intensely physical rhythmic group dance—undulating torsos, fanned hands—engulfs them all. Now herds of people are galloping across the stage, arms thrusting, in a chaos of passage and flight, their seemingly hoofed feet hitting the ground like beating drums as they cross and recross, their bodies strangely bent, half human, half beast.

We are far from the nineteenth-century “Giselle” that is still performed by ballet companies around the world. The Spanish ballerina Tamara Rojo, formerly of London’s Royal Ballet, became the director and the lead principal dancer of the English National Ballet, in 2012. Three years later, she commissioned Khan to make this new “Giselle.” It was a bold choice. Khan, a British dancer of Bangladeshi descent, is not a ballet choreographer. Trained in kathak, the northern Indian dance form, he is known for his powerful performances and innovative work with his own troupe, Akram Khan Company, on the contemporary scene. His “Giselle” was first performed, to acclaim, in 2016, in Manchester. I saw it in March, at the Harris Theatre, in Chicago, with Rojo in the title role at its sold-out American première.

Rojo wants to bring ballet out of its too often élite precincts, and she aims to do this in part by reimagining the classical repertoire. She does not share the impulse of many ballet directors to “reconstruct” or cleave as closely as possible to the original music and steps of old dances in the ballet canon. Khan’s “Giselle” is also not a modern-dress staging, like the 1982 version by the Swedish choreographer Mats Ek, in which the second act was set in a mental hospital. Instead, Rojo and Khan have scrapped just about everything of the old ballet, keeping only the barest outlines of the plot. Khan’s “Giselle” has a new score, new décor and costumes, a contemporary setting—migrant laborers in ghostly abandoned factories—and above all a new kind of dancing, which draws on kathak and ballet, on contemporary dance and everyday gesture, on animals and machines. It is a brand-new show haunted by an already haunted dance.

Read the full article in The New Yorker.