"Agon", "Coming Together", "In the Mirror of Her Mind", "Return"
Dance Theatre of Harlem
City Center
New York, NY
April 10, 2015
The Dance Theatre of Harlem returned to City Center with a smaller company (18 dancers) than the one led by Arthur Mitchell (who, of course, graced the City Center stage with New York City Ballet for years). The new company, rapturously received by the audience, looked strong, happy and stylish, adjectives which unfortunately could not be applied to
“The Sixth Beauty,” “Presto,” “Games,” “The Lottery”
Ballet West
The Joyce Theater
New York, NY
March 26, 2015
With the amount of style, elegance and stature it brought to its first opening night in New York City in over 30 years, Ballet West fit right in. The three New York premieres and the world premiere of Helen Pickett’s “Games” may have been imperfect, but the presentation of each conveyed the unique identity of the Utah company, and did
“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