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By Tresca Weinstein
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blues.
For the 2013 season at Jacob’s Pillow, Executive Director Ella Baff has put together a marriage of dance and theater, classical and contemporary, with each of the traditional wedding-gown elements in place.
Meh.
I often enjoy 60 Minutes for its hard-hitting and enlightening news segments, and I was especially looking forward this segment on New York City Ballet, which has had its summer home at Saratoga Performing Arts Center since it was founded, but will only be in residence for one week in 2013.
Lesley Stahl provided a good overview of NYCB for a general audience, but the segment lacked specifics. Yes, the dancers are as fit as athletes. Yes, Balanchine is one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Yes, the audience for ballet is graying. Yes, NYCB has financial troubles, though we don’t get any financial details.
What we learn is that ballet master Peter Martins — a former NYCB dancer under Balanchine who didn’t really like to perform — is trying to continue the legacy of Balanchine and to build new audiences by such critically panned shows such as Paul McCartney’s “Ocean Kingdom” and by highlighting the male dancers, such as Robert Fairchild.
Though Stahl does ask the good, hard question of Martins about his reaction to the critically drubbing his choreography has gotten, especially with “Ocean Kingdom,” she let’s Martins get away with saying, basically, that the critics don’t know what they’re talking about and that he had sold-out houses for the McCartney-related shows. What the critically response means, though, is that once the thrill of having a Beatle do ballet fades away, City Ballet is left with a dance that may not last in its repertoire. In other words, that it doesn’t have a future.
That’s something that the piece doesn’t delve into enough: the future. How successful has Martins been in highlighting male dancers? The piece doesn’t say, though perhaps the 60 Minutes segment’s few minutes spent with Fairchild could create some more excitement for NYCB.
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In what ways are we defined by the place we come from—and what happens to us when we leave that place? Dancer/choreographer Emily Johnson grew up in Alaska, of Yup’ik descent, and her work uses stories and movement to examine concepts of belonging, identity and environment.
Her new piece, “Niicugni (Listen),” which has a work-in-progress showing at MASS MoCA on Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, explores the cellular connection between people and the land they live on. Performed by Johnson (who now lives in Minneapolis) and dancer Aretha Aoki, “Niicugni” unfolds within an installation of handmade salmon-skin lanterns that Johnson designed to evoke her home and heritage.
EMILY JOHNSON: “NIICUGNI (LISTEN)”
Where: MASS MoCA, 87 Marshall St., North Adams, Mass.
When: 8 p.m. Friday (11/16)
Tickets: $12
Info: (413) 662-2111 or http://www.massmoca.org
Music, dancing, and foods from around the world are in the spotlight at the 41st annual Festival of Nations.
The event, celebrating culture, art and diversity, will feature food, fun and festivities from 30 countries and Puerto Rico. The Festival kicks off with the Parade of Nations, followed by the crowning of Miss Festival of Nations.
There will be plenty of dancing at the festival, including Ukrainian folk dancing, Greek and Scottish dancing, and arts and crafts from many different countries.
At a glance
Festival of Nations
When: 11:45 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Empire State Plaza Convention Center, Albany
Tickets: $5 adults, $2 children ages 3-12
info: 371-3737; http://www.festivalofnations.net
Artists of the National Ballet of Canada in Giselle (Photo by Bruce Zinger)
By Tresca Weinstein
Longtime supporters of the New York City Ballet may have gotten their feathers ruffled by SPAC Executive Director Marcia White’s recent announcement that, come summer, the company will no longer be the only ballet game in town. But no one should feel threatened — there’s room for lots more tutus in what was formerly NYCB’s territory.
The addition of other ballet companies (Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada) to SPAC’s 2013 offerings should in no way dilute or detract from City Ballet’s time-honored place in the Capital Region’s cultural firmament.
If anything, it will shed light on the company’s strengths and versatility by providing a context in which different perspectives and artistic visions can coexist. Each of these three companies brings something exciting and valuable to the stage; together, they may even expand the region’s dance audience. Continue reading →
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By Dayelin Roman
Justin Peck said his first inspiration was the power of male dancers.
The 24-year-old New York City Ballet dancer and choreographer was 13 when he saw a performance of American Ballet Theatre in San Diego and began practicing plies afterward.
On July 14, he will present his first choreographed ballet for the New York City Ballet — a world premiere at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center set to composer Philip Glass’ “Four Movements for Two Pianos,” the first time a ballet has been set to the music. Continue reading →
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center box office opens for the season at noon today (May 15, 2012). Today only, Live Nation is offering tickets to LiveNation shows at SPAC with no service charges during normal business hours — noon to 6 p.m. The SPAC box office is at the venue on Route 50 in Saratoga Springs.
The no-service fee offer is only for Live Nation booked shows:
Tickets for SPAC events will also be available: New York City Ballet, Bill T Jones, Jazz Festival, Philadelphia Orchestra, Saratoga Chamber Music Orchestra.
Phone sales for SPAC classical tickets will also begin at noon on Tuesday. SPAC’s phone order ticket line is 518-584-9330.
From May – September, SPAC’s Route 50 Box Office and phone sale hours are as follows:
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In his new work, “(glowing),” onstage at EMPAC Friday, Japanese choreographer Kota Yamazaki creates minimalism out of information overload.
His inspirations include, in no particular order: an essay by author Junichiro Tanizaki on the Japanese aesthetics of darkness and shadows; the moody, slo-mo dance form known as butoh; Japanese home design; traditional African dance; and contemporary and classical movement.
In Friday’s premiere, Yamazaki’s ethereal-looking dancers will be joined by dancers from Senegal and Ethiopia. The choreographer studied fashion design in Tokyo before segueing into the dance world, and won a Bessie Award in 2007 for his work with the Senegalese company Jant-Bi.
He’s now based in New York City with his company, Fluid hug-hug.
On Saturday, March 31, Yamazaki and his dancers led a free public dance workshop at EMPAC that featured both traditional African dance and butoh.
At a glance
KOTA YAMAZAKI/FLUID HUG-HUG: “(GLOWING)”
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: EMPAC, 110 Eighth St., Troy
Tickets: $18
Info: 276-3921 or http://empac.rpi.edu
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The New York City ballet’s summer season at SPAC runs from July 10 through July 21. For more information, visit http://www.spac.org
Ballet premieres
Other highlights
Complete season
