Recently, I asked fellow dancers on Facebook for a one-word self-assessment of the first class they ever taught. “Chaotic,” “humbling” and “copycat” were just some of their responses. I was not surprised. For my first-ever class, intermediate ballet for my fellow college students in 2011, I was armed with little more than my own experiences […]
For the past four decades, few names in dance have stirred up as much reaction as American choreographer Mark Morris. Unique for his outsize persona, superb musicality and taking on themes related to gender and sexuality, Morris is one of the most prolific and lauded choreographers of his generation. At his Brooklyn-based dance center, the […]
Catch the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company performing Analogy/Dora: Tramontane (2015) in St. Louis; Akron, OH; Fairfax, VA; Pittsburgh; and New York City. Newyorklivearts.org Dance Theatre of Harlem brings mixed repertory this month to Elmira, NY; Charleston, SC; Washington, DC; Atlanta; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Dancetheatreofharlem.org See one of three different programs, including the […]
Loux in Mark Morris’ Pacific Mark Morris Dance Group’s Aaron Loux didn’t take ballet until he was 17, while studying at the Cornish Preparatory Dance Program. His teacher Marie Chong helped shatter his preconceived notions about the classic dance form. “I spent so many years resisting ballet and thinking it was stiff and boring compared […]
Program director David Leventhal (right) dances with a Dance for PD participant. It’s official—research confirms that dance is highly beneficial for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Twelve participants completed two 75-minute dance classes a week for eight weeks. None had tried dance before. By the study’s end, they showed improvement in overall movement, walking ability […]