“Rite of Spring,” “The Word,” “Promethean Fire”
Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
March 17, 2015

A key facet to Paul Taylor’s new vision for his renamed and retooled company was presenting works by other important American choreographers. But the program, featuring two Taylor classics, “The Word” and “Promethean Fire,” and Shen Wei’s 2003 illustration of Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring,” instead of merely showing dance by different American greats also

"Sunset", "Eventide", "Piazzolla Caldera"
Paul Taylor's American Modern Dance
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
March 24, 2015

The newly named Paul Taylor's American Modern Dance looked, for tonight, very like the old Paul Taylor Dance Company, as the ensemble performed three of Taylor's haunting examinations human emotions, each anchored in a specific time; the first two, "Sunset" and "Eventide" make that clear in their titles, and the third, "Piazzolla Caldera" with its dark, dank atmosphere,

“Beloved Renegade,” “Death and the Damsel,” “Esplanade”
Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
March 13, 2015

Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance, née Paul Taylor Dance Company, in its opening season under the new name at Lincoln Center managed to preserve its gloried vintage amidst the fresh coloring of its reincarnation and the added texture of live music.

The evening’s main event was the evocative world premiere of “Death and the Damsel,

"Diversion of Angels", "Three Dubious Memories", "Spindrift"
Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance
New York, New York
March 23, 2016

Paul Taylor's recent decision to sprinkle other choreo- graphers' works into his company has rewarded the audience with Martha Graham's 1948 "Diversion of Angels". Graham's exploration of love looked fine on the Taylor dancers –they do share a heritage. Laura Halzack and Michael Trusnovec were the more mature, serene couple. Halzack, tall and beautiful in white, projected

"Arden Court", "Sea Lark", "Esplanade"
Paul Taylor's American Modern Dance
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
March 11, 2015

Last year, Paul Taylor announced a new approach to his company, adding other modern choreographers' works to his repertoire. The current New York season includes Doris Humphrey and Shen Wei, though most of the schedule is full of Taylor, with the traditional two new works by the indefatigable choreographer.  It also includes, after a long, financially determined

"Voces, Suite Flamenca"
Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras
New York City Center
New York, NY
March 4, 2015

With a mix of traditional and modern styles, the U.S. premiere of Saras Baras’s new “Voces, Suite Flamenca” paid homage to and quite literally presented the  “voces” – “voices” – of flamenco greats who have inspired Baras and transformed flamenco music, songs and dance. In doing so, “Voces” eluded any narrative or interpretation, but instead showed several distinct vignettes introduced by recordings

"m¡longa"
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and dancers
New York City Center
New York, NY
February 26, 2015

Tango is said to be a dance of seduction and despair, but Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s tango-inspired “m¡longa” delves deeper. Focusing on the myriad of underpinning tensions and connections formed between two (or more, as the case may be) people in the dance, Cherkaoui explores the emotions that are shared, and the function of the intertwining attraction embedded in the dance’

"Square Dance", "Harlequinade"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
February 25, 2015

by Mary Cargill 
copyright © 2015 by Mary Cargill

"Square Dance", Balanchine's witty salute to American folk dancing by way of European courts, is a dance of crisp and gracious symmetry gilding a warm center.  Erica Pereira, who danced the lead in the 2006 SAB performance, made her debut with the grownups. Her SAB version was meticulous, precise and uninflected,

“Havana Rakatan” 
Ballet Rakatan 
New York City Center
New York, NY
February 18, 2015 

Coming on the heels of the recent thaw in the U.S.- Cuban diplomatic relations (though not as its result), Cuba’s “Havana Rakatan” turned up the heat on the cold February night in New York with its dazzling United States debut. Composed of the Ballet Rakatan dance company and a son cubano music band Turquino which performed live onstage with the dancers,

“Satyric Festival Song,” “Embattled Garden,” “Lamentation Variations,” “Rust,” “Chronicle”
Martha Graham Dance Company
The Joyce Theater
New York, NY
February 12, 2015

Though the theme of Martha Graham Dance Company’s winter season was “Shape & Design,” Program A appeared to be more about history and the endurance of Martha Graham’s innovation and use of modern dance to convey a message. Following a short silent film by Peter Arnell which organized over 2,000 still photographs into what appeared

"Pictures at an Exhibition", " 'Rōdē,ō: Four Dance Episodes", "Mercurial Manoeuvres"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
February 11, 2015

New York City Ballet's "New Combina- tions" program showed works by three modern choreo- graphers, Alexei Ratmansky, Justin Peck and Christopher Wheeldon. Each piece was an abstract take on symphonic music and had a rambunctious corps surrounding a mysterious couple with a casual atmosphere--there were no tutus in sight and

“Hallelujah Junction,” “A Place for Us,” “The Goldberg Variations”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
February 6, 2015

Amidst portrayals of stories and emotions, it is sometimes easy to forget what dance is inherently about: expression of music. In a mixed bill to mostly piano accompaniment, New York City Ballet presented three works that served as an excellent reminder of that, and the dancers did a fine job dancing the scores.

Peter Martins’s “Hallelujah