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August 17, 2007 at 2:59 am · Filed under dance, dance event, article, dance and technology, theatre, new york city, critics, festival, TAYLOR
Posted by Taylor Gordon
For the past week I have been assigned to review dance performances at the 11th Annual New York International Fringe Festival for this off-Broadway website called OffOffOnline.com. Not only do I get to attend any number of free shows at my will but I get to voice my opinion and get paid for it! This week has given me a glimpse into the arts critic’s life I aspire to have (I even received my first official “press pass”!) See my published reviews here and here.
(my 1st press pass with the many brochures I received with it)
Being a ballet fanatic, the only performances I’ve been to since coming to the city have been strictly ballet. Of course I’ve been to Broadway shows and even a couple of modern performances, but after seeing the avante-garde kind of performances at the Fringe Festival it is clear how limited my, and perhaps that of much of the ballet world, exposure to the broad realm of dance theater really is.
The shows I’ve seen have been extremely out of the ordinary. One major difference between these and traditional dance performances is the use of multi-media and technology. Of the 3 productions I reviewed, all of them made extensive use of video and 2 used computer generated images. I think this epitomizes what’s coming in dance in the 21st century.
Sometimes, unfortunately, the special effects and loud visuals distract from the actual dancing. No matter how talented they are the dancers can get lost in the flashiness, especially if they are positioned against or beside a film screen in a way that forces the audience to decide to watch only one or the other.
In a world where audiences for dance, especially ballet and modern, are already dwindling it makes sense to attract newer, younger crowds to performances with different media. But since our society is constantly drowning in media it seems a shame to overshadow something as precious as dance.
These kinds of audiences are exactly what the Fringe Festival invites, with $15 tickets and downtown location and atmosphere. The venues (including 19 off- and off-off-Broadway theaters) are small, and the number of attendees even smaller. It was interesting, though, to get a glimpse of the community that appreciates these kinds of performances.
After each of the shows I attended I was surprised to hear fellow viewers discussing the work in depth, as if they were close friends rather than complete strangers as they actually were. People were far more open to opinion than conversations I’ve overheard at other ballet performances. I suppose these pieces leave more to the imagination.
All in all my experiences with the Fringe Festival have been really amusing. I’ve really enjoyed my new exposure to various companies and types of dance (Japanese hiphop, anyone?) and what’s even better is that I’ve been given the opportunity to challenge myself and write about them in a critical format. Just another day in the life of an aspiring dance writer!
(FringeCENTRAL - headquarters of the Fringe Festival downtown)
If you’re located here in the city I strongly encourage you to attend one of these shows - any show! - as part of the NY Fringe Festival! You really haven’t seen anything ‘til you’ve been to the Fringe. It runs through August 26 at various theaters, with its home base at FringeCENTRAL, located in the Village on Carmine Street at Varick. See Fringe website for show times and descriptions. Also see NY Times coverage here.
Recent Posts by taylor gordon
February 20, 2007 at 3:01 pm · Filed under SLOAN, dance, article, politics, brooklyn academy of music, choreographer, william forsythe, kate borwell, new york times
Posted by Sloan
photo by Kate Bordwell
This past October, some of you may remember our London (now Glasgow) contributor, Kate, writing about her experience upon viewing William Forsythe’s “Three Atmospheric Studies” at its premier in London.
Building up the US premier of the piece, a recent article in the NY Times (by Diane Solway) explores the role of politics in dance, with quotes from Forsythe, Baryshnikov and others.
“This evening-length work has played to audiences in Europe, but on Thursday will have its American premiere at the University of California, Berkeley, before arriving at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Feb. 28. To those who question whether dance and politics make good partners, the ever provocative Mr. Forsythe is ready with a question of his own: ‘Since when aren’t artists citizens?’
“…’Artistic dissent is a beautiful lake with very thin ice,’ Mikhail Baryshnikov said recently, pointing out that a number of politically minded works have not risen to the level of enduring art. Still, he added, some have succeeded, and ‘if an artist has enough guts and enough talent to put their personal statement on the floor, I welcome all that.’
“…’There are exceptions,’ said Joseph V. Melillo, the longtime executive producer of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a leading showcase for progressive art. ‘But the majority of contemporary choreographers in the U.S. today do not think about their place as citizen-artists in response to the political atmosphere. That’s not to say they don’t talk about the war when they’re having a cup of coffee at Dean & Deluca, but they’re not doing that in their art. There’s a disconnect.’
“…’Three Atmospheric Studies’ opened to admiring reviews at its London premiere last fall, though the critics seemed divided about whether to call it dance or theater. Those distinctions don’t interest Mr. Forsythe, who said art forms are too narrowly defined by audiences, critics and sometimes artists themselves. Calling the dance world ‘a bit hermetic,’ he said it is the possibilities of the human body that intrigue him.
“’If dance only does what we assume it can do, it will expire,’ he said. ‘I keep trying to test the limits of what the word choreography means.’ To him it as much about ‘motion organization’ as it is about moving the viewer’s brain around an idea.”
I’ll definitely try to see this when it comes to BAM. I’m intrigued by everything I’m hearing about the piece, and I’ve also never had the opportunity to see Forsythe’s Company in person. For a peak at some of his choreography, here’s a youtube clip of Sylvie Guillem rehearsing and talking about Forsythe’s “In the Middle Somewhere Elevated”.
Recent Posts by kristin sloan
October 16, 2006 at 7:56 pm · Filed under SLOAN, ballet, choreographers, media, article
Maria Kowroski and Craig Hall in Slice To Sharp.
Image © Paul Kolnik
| | Posted by Sloan
In today’s NY Sun you’ll find a great article on choreographer Jorma Elo by my friend Erica.
If any of you saw Slice To Sharp last season, or any Elo ballet for that matter, you can see how interesting the juxtaposition of his choreographic style and personality is.
“…the 45-year-old Finn’s choreography is distinctly at odds with his personality. Mr. Elo, in fact, is about as serene as a person can be. He speaks quietly and with careful articulation, and often doubles back on a conversation to address a point discussed several minutes earlier. With his heavy-lidded eyes, lightly flushed cheeks, and propensity for form-fitting T-shirts that showcase his slim but sculpted physique, Mr. Elo calls to mind a gentle yogi.”
Seems like the big ballet companies can’t get enough of him lately. He’s been appointed as the Resident Choreographer at Boston Ballet, and in addition to his recent work “Glow-Stop” for ABT which will premiere this Thursday at City Center, “Slice to Sharp” will return for NYCB’s Winter 2007 Season.
Yay Erica for another great article 
Recent Posts by kristin sloan
September 6, 2006 at 9:16 am · Filed under family, studio, dance event, traditions, culture, events, lifestyle, DAVID, article, japan
Today was utter chaos!
As I am warming up for class, I see a group of dancers doing some sort of traditional Japanese dance outside the studio. To my surprise and delight, they go on for the whole morning, with TV cameras and photographers taking shots of them. I finally got an explanation that the Prince and Princess of Japan, who are pictured here, just had a son. Now they havent had a SON for 41 years in the Royal Family, they continued to have girls, so having a boy is a big deal… To pass on the throne I guess. The Royal couple met at the university right across from my hotel, so that was due to the fuss with the dancers in the area.
The festivities lasted ALL day and newspapers were being handed out everywhere (as you see this one I picked up from the subway). So it was quite an experience to be here in Tokyo while the princess had her baby boy. The country was rejoicing.
I guess the Royal couple met at the university right across from my hotel, so that was due to the fuss with the dancers and such.
The english version of the newspaper…
The dancers from the studio windows.
Recent Posts by david hallberg
July 23, 2006 at 10:48 pm · Filed under SLOAN, ballet, dance, friends, culture, brazil, sports, article, guest, soares
| | Posted by Sloan
The Winger is pleased to present to you an article written by Andrea Soares, one of our readers who also happens to be a talented journalist currently based in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
She’s written a clever and witty article about Brazilian football star Ronaldo’s recent blister experience, comparing it to that of a dancer’s.
“For both players and dancers, a blister is an inconvenience, but the latter regard them as marks of their progress as performers. They’re a statement of their hard work and proof that the light grace seen onstage was not conquered without pain and suffering.”
Read Ms. Soares’s full article HERE.
Recent Posts by kristin sloan
