Jazz dance is in Nan Giordano’s blood—and so is leadership. In her four decades at the helm of Giordano Dance Chicago, the company founded by her father, jazz luminary Gus Giordano, she’s worked hard to balance legacy with innovation. “We stand on the foundation my father built, but we don’t live in the past,” she […]
Since its 2020 premiere at the Dance on Camera festival, the feature-length documentary Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance has been taking the dance world by storm. The film, which is directed by Khadifa Wong and produced by Lisa Donmall-Reeve based on an original concept by Zak Nemorin, reveals the historical, social, cultural, and political […]
From pigeon-toed stances and widespread palms to sinewy, meticulous isolations, few choreographers evoke such strong imagery as Bob Fosse (1927–1987). Not only did he revolutionize the look of musical theater in the 1950s–’80s, but his work also continues to influence choreographers and filmmakers today. A Chicago native, Fosse came from a family of vaudeville performers. […]
Even dancers who love their isolations and hip rolls might be totally unaware of where jazz dance comes from. Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance, which premieres at the Dance on Camera Festival on Sunday, July 19, aims to change that. Directed by Khadifa Wong and produced by Lisa Donmall-Reeve, the feature-length documentary is a […]
A few years ago, Mary Ann Lamb got a phone call from Ann Reinking, who was choreographing a production of The Visit starring Chita Rivera. Lamb was thrilled when Reinking offered her the role of Young Claire without even asking for an audition. “And then she said, ‘In the first act, you’re going to play […]
Despite her traditional ballet training in South Africa, Andrea Giselle Schermoly has always had a wide range of music tastes and sensibilities. “There’s always been this other drumbeat in my heart,” says Schermoly, who’s a three-time Outstanding Choreographer winner at the Youth America Grand Prix. That “other drumbeat” has become an integral layer to her […]
In 2011, when former American Ballet Theatre principal Michele Wiles departed the company and formed BalletNext, she found an artistic freedom she’d been longing for. Along with new collaborations with choreographers and musicians, she began working with trumpeter Tom Harrell, who introduced her to the multilayered sounds of jazz. “The dancers are another instrument to […]
Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon and pro partner Jenna Johnson snatched the coveted mirror ball trophy at the “Dancing With the Stars” Season 26 finale. Although it’s not that surprising (everyone was rooting for the skating darling, who basically won the Olympics), it’s still nice to see his hard work pay off. The dynamic duo, […]
Robert Roldan may have stolen our hearts on Season 7 of “So You Think You Can Dance”—but it seems his heart was stolen long before that by none other than Emmy Award–winning choreographer Mandy Moore. As his first jazz teacher at Bobbie’s School of Performing Arts in Thousand Oaks, California, Moore taught him everything he […]
Al Blackstone only recently found his true stride in the dance world. Growing up taking class at his parents’ studio and going to competitions, he loved nothing more than performing. But now, whether he’s teaching a room full of professional-level dancers in New York City, a group of kids at a convention or at the […]