Author Archive

A Choreographer Who Doesn’t Tiptoe Around the Music

Written by Susan Reiter on August 14, 2012. Posted in Arts & Film, Dance, Music

The Mostly Mozart Festival, Tanglewood, the Ojai Music Festival—these would be familiar stops on a solo musician’s or conductor’s itinerary. But they are also settings where Mark Morris is a welcome fixture, thanks to his depth and range of musical knowledge, and abiding commitment to the important, irreplaceable role of music within choreography. His company,
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Arab Spring Dances into the Fringe Fest

Written by Susan Reiter on August 9, 2012. Posted in Arts & Film, Dance

As the child of Turkish parents, growing up in Berlin from an early age, Nejla Yatkin always felt she was living in two cultures. “As an immigrant child, you had to catch up so much, so you wanted to assimilate and be part of your environment. For my parents, women had to be a certain
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Gene Kelly, When He Was Young

Written by Susan Reiter on August 6, 2012. Posted in Arts & Film, Dance

In the middle of the 1943 film musical Thousands Cheer—a clunky wartime rouser, certainly one of the lesser-known of the 23 Gene Kelly films recently shown by the Film Society of Lincoln Center—there is a number in which you can observe the Kelly persona and style taking shape. Playing Eddie Marsh, a cocky, rule-breaking soldier
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Pilobolus Returns With Trademark Whimsy and New Twists

Written by Susan Reiter on July 26, 2012. Posted in Arts & Film, Dance

Many people enjoy Pilobolus, some adore it, some find it exasperating. There are plenty of people in the first two categories, since Pilobolus reliably keeps the Joyce Theater filled for four weeks each summer. Whatever your point of view, you can’t deny that this unique, quirky ensemble—now middle-aged at 41—remains true to its principles. A
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Sixty-Five Minutes of Outlandish Incongruity

Written by Susan Reiter on July 19, 2012. Posted in Arts & Film, Dance

Citing such masters as Charlie Chaplin and Gene Kelly as inspiration certainly sets the bar high in terms of expectations. But those are among the influences on I Love Bob, the latest show from the spirited, inventive troupe Parallel Exit, which is opening at Joyce Soho this week. Their earlier works have merrily defied categorization,
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Oui, Oui, the Paris Ballet is Finally Back in New York

Written by Susan Reiter on July 13, 2012. Posted in Arts & Film, Dance

Sixteen years is far too long to wait between visits by the Paris Opera Ballet, one of the world’s most illustrious classical companies—for one thing, it basically represents a generation of dancers; those who were new members of the corps de ballet in 1996, when the company last graced a New York stage, are now
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Stevie Wonder, Again the Apple of Ronald Brown’s Eye

Written by Susan Reiter on July 3, 2012. Posted in Arts & Film, Dance

When Ronald K. Brown meets the music of Stevie Wonder, you can expect the results to alter and expand your ideas of that beloved veteran pop musician’s songs. This always thoughtful, exploratory choreographer probes deeply in his works, often drawing on spiritual ideas and celebrating the connections between people. Brown, whose company Evidence returns to
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The Pillow & Beyond: Summer Dance Programs Near NYC

Written by Susan Reiter on June 28, 2012. Posted in Arts & Film, Dance

As summer gets underway, there’s no dearth of dance events in the city, indoor and outdoor, expensive and free. But if you’re escaping New York for somewhere greener or closer to the sound of the waves, there are plenty of first-rate dance offerings available. The verdant Berkshires, the culture-rich area in western Massachusetts, offer the
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On the Stage This Time, David Gordon Watches the Dancers

Written by Susan Reiter on June 21, 2012. Posted in Arts & Film, Dance

David Gordon has shifted the audience’s physical perspective at Joyce Soho just as he has been doing creatively for five decades. For his deftly layered, smart and stimulating new work, Beginning of the End of the…, the seating is along the north side of the black-box space, providing a much wider, shallower performing area. With
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Australian Ballet Makes Big Impression in New York City

Written by Susan Reiter on June 12, 2012. Posted in Arts & Film, Dance

Fifty years is a milestone definitely worth celebrating, and the Australian Ballet’s anniversary programming includes its first New York performances since 1999. Now led by former principal dancer David McAllister, the company is bringing two new programs of works to its repertory. The mixed bill, entitled Infinity, includes the latest collaboration with Bangarra Dance Theatre,
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