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September 15th: WHITE WAVE: SoloDuo Dance Festival, September 28th: New England Dance Fund, October 13th: Community Arts Grant - Zellerbach Family Foundation Deadline 3, October 13th: Asian American Ballet Project: Choreographer Residency Program, October 14th: Shubert Foundation Dance Grant, October 22nd: Perform Europe Open Call, November 1st: Howard Fellowship, December 1st: Culture Forward Grant - The Svane Family Foundation Deadline 3, December 31st: National Dance Project Presentation Grants - New England Foundation for the Arts, December 31st: National Dance Project Travel Fund, December 31st: New England Presenter Travel Fund

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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

Broadway World: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Announces 43rd Season Plans

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By BWW News Desk

14 September 2020

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago today announced its 2020/21 43rd season, to include virtual presentations of new work by five acclaimed choreographers, all with ties to the company: Rena Butler, Jonathan Fredrickson, Penny Saunders, Robyn Mineko Williams and Connie Shiau.

Launching the season will be a world premiere created by Butler, former Hubbard Street dancer and choreographic fellow, on Thursday, Oct. 22. The full-company piece is an examination of Butler’s perception of her home city of Chicago. Filmed in parks throughout the city, the work was inspired by GoodKids MadCity, an organization led by Black and Brown young people in Chicago advocating for the tools and resources needed to put an end to violence in their communities.

Butler’s 25-minute work, currently untitled, was filmed by Talia Koylass. It features music by composer Darryl Hoffman, as well as songs by vocalists Shawnee Dez and Alencia Norris. The work is performed by the full HDSC company. Performing with the company are the choreographer, Jessica Tong, recently named HSDC’s Associate Artistic Director, and Jonathan Emanuell Alsberry, Artistic Liaison. In addition to the presentation of the filmed piece, there will be a live, interactive conversation with Butler and other members of the creative team. The choreography, casting, rehearsals, and shooting amidst the coronavirus required the dancers to perform at a distance from one another, or in groups of dancers who reside together, while wearing personal protective equipment such as masks.

Read the full article here.

The Patriot Ledger: Boston Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ leaps onto TV this holiday season

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By Iris Fanger

14 September 2020

NBC Boston to air Boston’s beloved holiday ballet. The company also plans six virtual programs beginning Nov. 21; in-person events at the Opera House won’t happen until next May.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to add the date of a televised performance of “The Nutcracker.”

On March 11th, the Boston Ballet dancers were on stage at Citizens Bank Opera House in full costume and makeup for the dress rehearsal of Jorma Elo’s “Carmen,” with the musicians of the Boston Ballet orchestra seated in the pit. The following afternoon, just hours before opening night, Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen walked onto the stage to announce that the show — and the two weekend run — were canceled due to the threat of the deadly novel coronavirus.

That same day, Margaret Tracey, director of the Boston Ballet School, sent her young students home because she feared a possible exposure to the virus. Within 24 hours, the school was officially closed. Tracey thought classes would start up again “in a few weeks,” she recalled. Nissinen commented that “everything fell apart in March.” No one knew that the dancers of the Boston Ballet would remain off stage for the rest of the 2019-2020 season and far into the next.

Read the full article here.

Continuing the Conversation: DEFYING TRADITION WITH PRIDE

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By Adriana Pierce

27 June 2019

One sunny morning, several years ago, I was walking down Ocean Drive holding hands with a woman. I was dancing with Miami City Ballet at the time, and it was a much-needed day off. We strolled down the iconic South Beach strip, and a man sitting on the porch of a hotel began yelling obscenities at us. This is not an unusual experience for two young women walking down a city street, so it took me a few moments to realize that he was actually spewing homophobic slurs at us. We are taught to keep our heads down and walk faster in these situations, but this man took our lack of response personally and turned his slurs into hostile threats and insults while we quickened our pace. He advanced towards us as we passed, and his shouts culminated in one last biting put-down: “Oh, I bet your mother is really proud of you.”

Not all of my experiences as a queer woman have been as blatantly hostile, but working as one of the only openly queer women in professional ballet has certainly been far from easy. Ballet has always been entrenched in tradition. While this may serve to uphold a technical standard, rigid conformity makes it difficult for the artform to evolve, especially when it comes to expressing sexual identity and presenting gender equality. Just over a year ago, choreographer Alexei Ratmansky stated, “there is no such thing as equality in ballet… and I am very comfortable with that.” Along with this comment, he included a photoshopped picture of a classical ballerina supporting a male dancer high above her head with one arm, and some remarks about how men should do the lifting and escorting and women should dance on pointe, “not the other way around.”

Understandably, these statements made by such a high-profile choreographer sent ripples throughout the ballet community. It is his prerogative to perpetuate outdated and arguably harmful gender stereotypes in his own work, and he will be responsible for the fallout of those choices. The problem comes when we allow this narrow-minded thinking to shape the conversation that we all need to be having about ballet’s future. When did art become something that should be comfortable? Adhering to tradition is not so important that it is worth alienating the people and stories that might encourage ballet to grow and remain culturally relevant. I believe in ballet’s ability to preserve its integrity while also serving as an essential cultural voice, but in order to do that we must embrace diversity and explore the boundless potential of the art form instead of its limits. Ballet will survive without the sexism, homophobia, and stifling reliance on normative gender presentation – and I can say that with confidence because, as a queer woman who has experienced all of those things, my very existence in this professional space directly challenges established thinking.

Read the full piece here.

DW: Berlin’s state ballet school confronts allegations of abuse

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By Verena Greb

9 September 2020

One of Germany’s most prominent ballet training institutions stands accused of fostering a “culture of fear.” With the investigation report now public, the future remains uncertain as teaching reform is demanded.

Professional ballet schools have a reputation for cut-throat competition and harsh demands, from bloody toes and caloric deprivation to submitting to an iron-clad training regime, often far from home and at a vulnerable preteen age. Germany’s schools are no exception.

Recently, the Berlin State Ballet School and School for Acrobatic Arts (SBB), as well as the Ballet Academy of the Vienna State Opera in Austria, had to confront accusations of structurally endangering children’s well-being. Both institutions were forced to close temporarily as special commissions examined the allegations.

On Monday, the report of the Berlin examination was published . The review was conducted from early this year through mid-August by an independent commission of experts and involved interviews with more than 150 parents, students and teachers at the SBB.

Read the full article here.

New York Times: For New York City Ballet, Another Digital Season

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By Peter Libbey

10 September 2020

New York City Ballet will not be returning to the David H. Koch Theater this fall, but the company’s coming digital season will culminate with performances of new dances by Pam Tanowitz, Jamar Roberts, Justin Peck, Sidra Bell and Andrea Miller. The commissioned ballets will be recorded outdoors in New York City and shared with audiences, one each night, from Oct. 27 to Oct. 31.

“We couldn’t go a whole year without creating new works,” Jonathan Stafford, City Ballet’s artistic director, said in an interview. “It’s simply not in our D.N.A.”

The choreographers chosen for this mini festival, all of whom were set to make new pieces for the company this year before the pandemic struck, face various restrictions as they prepare their new works. The number of dancers in each piece has been capped at four, and dancers who are not in a couple or otherwise in isolation together must maintain social distancing while performing. “The choreographers, I think, are really into the limitations,” said Wendy Whelan, the company’s associate artistic director. “They all seem very keen to play within the rules and create with the new elements.”

Read the full article here.

Broadway World: Pennsylvania Ballet Welcomes New Talent and Announces 2020/2021 Promotions

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BWW Newsdesk

9 September 2020

Pennsylvania Ballet’s Artistic Director Angel Corella announced today the addition of six dancers to the company, including two newcomers and four former Pennsylvania Ballet II (PBII) dancers. The company also welcomed new PBII dancers and announced a batch of promotions in preparation for the upcoming season.

“We are dedicated to preserving and extending the legacy of our celebrated organization by adding incredible talent to the fold and promoting those who have shown great promise over the years,” says Angel Corella. “We’ve been met with several challenges this year, but with the addition of our incredibly rich roster of dancers, we’re eager to get back on stage and deliver an unforgettable performance next season.”

Fernanda Oliveira has been named a member of Pennsylvania Ballet’s corps de ballet for the 2020-2021 season, while Mine Kusano, Paloma Berjano Torrado, Emily Wilson, Isaac Hollis and Jeremy Power are appointed as apprentices with the Company.

Read the full article here.

 

Pointe Magazine: American Ballet Theatre Promotes 6 Dancers to Principal, 1 to Soloist

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By Amy Brandt

10 September 2020

This spring was supposed to be one of highly anticipated debuts at American Ballet Theatre, a chance for many soloists to test their mettle in major leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera House. While the coronavirus pandemic shutdown put those debuts on pause, the company has shown a major leap of faith in its up-and-coming dancers: This morning, in a sweeping move, ABT promoted six of its soloists—Cassandra Trenary, Skylar Brandt, Calvin Royal III, Joo Won Ahn, Thomas Forster and Aran Bell—to principal dancer. Longtime corps standout Gabe Stone Shayer is promoted to soloist.

 

The announcement ushers in an exciting new era of young, home-grown stars, and adds welcome diversity to ABT’s top ranks. It also comes as veteran principals Stella Abrera and David Hallberg make their exits, with Abrera now the artistic director of Kaatsbaan Cultural Park for Dance and Hallberg taking on his new post as artistic director of The Australian Ballet in January. (He recently told the New York Times that he hopes to have a farewell performance at ABT next spring.) Soloists Alexandre Hammoudi and Arron Scott also announced their retirements over the summer.

Read the full announcement here.

Broadway World: AMERICAN MASTERS Announces New Documentary on Twyla Tharp

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8 September 2020

Stick Figure Entertainment, in association with AMERICAN MASTERS Pictures, is proud to announce Twyla Moves (w.t.), a feature documentary on legendary dancer, director and choreographer Twyla Tharp. The film will have its exclusive U.S. broadcast premiere as part of the AMERICAN MASTERS series on PBS, and will feature never-before seen interviews and select performances from Tharp’s vast array of more than 160 choreographed works, including 129 dances, 12 television specials, six major Hollywood movies, four full-length ballets, four Broadway shows and two FIGURE SKATING routines.

Twyla Moves (w.t.) will provide a first-hand glimpse into the legendary choreographer’s storied career and famously rigorous creative process. A pioneer of both modern dance and ballet, Tharp will share intimate details behind her trailblazing dances (“Fugue,” “Push Comes to Shove,” “Baker’s Dozen”), her cinematic partnership with Miloš Forman (Hair, Amadeus, Ragtime) and her wildly successful Broadway career alongside such luminaries as Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra and David Byrne. Tracing her influential career, the film follows Tharp as she builds a high-profile work from the ground up with an international cast of stars (Misty Copeland, Herman Cornejo, Maria Khoreva) who rehearse by video conference during the coronavirus pandemic.

Read the full article here.

Broadway World: Virtual Pathways Dance Festival 2020 to Feature Works by Helen Pickett, Yu Dance Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and More

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8 September 2020

Virtual Pathways Dance Festival 2020 (VPDF) is a virtual dance festival featuring cutting-edge archived dances, including works by Doug Varone & Dancers, Helen Pickett, Yu Dance Theatre, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. VPDF 2020 is produced by Alyssandra Katherine Dance (AKD), Co-Presented by ODC Theater online.

The roster features works spanning genres, highlighting the breadth and diversity of dance styles in a new digital format. AKD’s mission is to bring visibility to dance companies nationally, giving chosen companies an opportunity to showcase work to new audiences and widen their reach at no cost. We seek to use this festival as a platform to provide financial support to contributing artists and support innovative works through ticket sales. There will be 4 evenings, each with a theme: Identity, Healing, Home/Sanctuary, and Time/Scope.

Virtual Pathways Dance Festival is produced by 3 formidable female choreographers Marika Brussel, Carly Lave, and Alyssandra Wu. Brussel is a ballet choreographer who reshapes contemporary narratives, bringing ballet into the 21st Century. Lave is a contemporary choreographer whose work seeks to question the self through visceral immersive performance. Wu is a freelance choreographer whose work explores issues dealing with East Asian identity and mental illness.

Read the full article here.

Pointe: For Queer Women in Ballet, There’s a Profound Gap in Representation. These Dancers Hope to Change That.

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By Lauren Warnecke

9 September 2020

In her teens, Lauren Flower realized she was different. Originally from Fresno, California, Flowers moved to Arizona and trained with Tucson Regional Ballet and the school at Ballet Arts Tucson before accepting a scholarship with Houston Ballet II. It was in Houston that Flower started to think she might be gay, but didn’t feel she had anyone to talk to about it.

“I quickly shot all those feelings down,” says Flower. “I was petrified. I thought no one would get it or understand what I was realizing about myself.” When she returned to her home state to join Ballet Arizona in 2013, Flower remained closeted in her professional life. But she began to meet other queer women outside of ballet who helped her to embrace her identity. At age 22, Flower came out and joined Boston Ballet shortly afterward, committed to being fully out of the closet in her life there.

 

Flower says getting involved in the LGBTQ community made the absence of queer women in ballet more apparent to her. While there are plenty of examples of queer people in the dance world, Flower says ballet in particular is lacking role models for gay women. (Katy Pyle’s company, Ballez, is a notable exception.)

Traditional ballet companies do not typically shy away from celebrating the gay community, but for women there is a profound gap in representation. Earlier this year, a friend pointed out to Flower that Boston Ballet was featuring its gay male dancers in a series of Instagram posts celebrating Pride Month. No one approached Flower, one of two openly gay women in the company, about contributing to the social media campaign. It was only after bringing it up to the PR team that she was included.

Read the full article here.