October 22, 2007 at 12:23 am · Filed under dance, dance event, DAVID, dance and technology, butoh, apple, brooklyn academy of music, david hallberg, dance theater workshop, dance culture, dance companies, ohad naharin, jeroma bel
After reading Kristin’s questions about performances and the aspect of relevance in dance to today’s Apple audience, I thought I would take a moment to tell you all what has been inspiring me lately…
And hope this sheds some light on curious readers to get out and see some performances.
Jerome Bel
Bel’s “Show Must Go On”
This choreographer is coming to Dance Theatre Workshop on Nov 7-11.
I caught his “Show Must Go On” two years ago here in NYC and LOVED it. He does such a great job of showing the audience a real part of performance, not just lights and tutu’s.
Japan Society’s Butoh Festival
October 9-27
Butoh is another form of dance that transcends classical ballet and brings you into another form of understanding of movement. It takes some patience but rewards the viewer with a new understanding of movement.
Ohad Naharin
Brooklyn Academy of Music November 13-17
This choreographer from Israel, whom I’ve written about before, is action packed and always takes such advantage of the aspect of theater. Never shy of the physical side of dance, I have always left the theater from his shows completely inspired and in pain from what I saw!
What have you seen that you loved lately?
Shows, Movies, Etc.?
Recent Posts by david hallberg
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
February 8, 2007 at 11:58 pm · Filed under SLOAN, dance, brooklyn, opera house, brooklyn academy of music, hamburg ballet, john neumeier, lloyd riggins, set design
Posted by Sloan
City/Train.
Last night I crossed the river and headed to the Brooklyn Academy of Music to see the Hamburg Ballet in John Neumeier’s Death in Venice.
I’m not even sure where to start in trying to describe this production. I think I was already excited by the beautiful design that brought me here in the first place. I love BAM’s website, and the photo they are using to promote this piece is stunning. On top of that, Hamburg Ballet’s website is also unusually beautiful and well organized. Arriving to the theater, we were confronted by all the chic New Yorkers, Isabella Rossellini among them, who know how good BAM’s programming is and are willing to brave the frigid temperatures to see some great art.
Our seats were in the third row of the mezzanine (fantastic) and as we sat down we got to take in the slick looking drop, which I guess is a diagram of a gondola. Also, the stage had been built out over the orchestra pit, adding a great amount of depth to the stage, and also exposing the white marley (i.e. fancy dance floor material) which was lit so that it appeared to glow. In plain view on the extended stage area were a black chair, a camera, and a grand piano.
The lighting throughout the piece was beautiful, and it is interesting to note that it was also designed by the choreographer. When the drop/curtain first rose, the light spilled onto the extended stage in an exact line, as if a door of light were opening across the width of floor. So cool.
I’m not going to get into the story, even though I probably should. There’s a lot goin on there. It’s an adaptation of the novella by the same name, written by Thomas Mann. It worked very well, the timeless theme of a struggling artist, and a rather depressing ending.
I usually try not to post photos from other websites, but this piece was just so beautiful, there’s no way I can do it justice by trying to describe it. Images © Holger Badekow
The piece began with Lloyd Riggins (the lead character, Aschenbach, a revered but frustrated choreographer with an appropriate black turtleneck) on stage with Laura Cazzaniga who portrayed multiple roles within the piece. The first few minutes were silent, except for a big sigh by Riggins. I had the feeling that I was at a play rather than a dance performance, which is a good thing.
The set design was incredible as well. For the first portion of the piece there were two large panels on either side of the stage with space between and space behind from which dancers appeared. At one point the background between the two panels became a mirror (Aschenbach is a choreographer and this seemed to be when he was working). The effect was really amazing from our seats, as we could see the back of the dancer, the glowing white floor, and the rows of audience members before him. At another point, it was actually raining in the background area, with a bit of fog and the wonderful sound of the rain.
Later the side panels disappeared, and for this scene, tall skinny panels floated across the space. The scale and simplicity of the design made the perfect environment in which to display the beautiful dancing.
This was one of my favorite scenes, with drops that look like trees reflected in water.
Edvin Revazov portrayed Aschebach’s infatuation/inspiration, Tadzio, wonderfully. The interaction between the two of them was intense.
In the section entitled Metamorphosis, Aschenbach sits in a hairdresser’s chair… “We are only so old as we feel in our hearts and minds. A man in your position has a right to his natural hair color.”
When watching Lloyd Riggins, I felt as if I were seeing the performance of a great actor, as well as dancer. No detail was missed or thrown away in order to get to a snazzy step. It was all important and intentional. Edvin Revazov was right there with him, and reminded me a bit of a blonde Clark Kent.
The music was also effective, with a recurring theme of the same Bach piece, played by different instruments in different places throughout the work. This was interspersed mostly with Wagner, and a little Yngwie Malmsteen thrown in.
Something extra which I thought was interesting, was that when I got my “BAMbill” I recognized the cover art as a piece of art I had just scene in the lobby. In the program it says that the proceeds from the sale of this art goes towards supporting BAM. So does BAM commission a new piece every season which is then sold, or is it donated? Either way, a neat idea. The piece is by Melora Kuhn.
Also, this chandelier was crazy. Good crazy. Microphones out of some mystery material that looked like it might glow in the dark. It’s in the upstairs space if you want to visit it.
Oh, and of course we can’t forget the requisite ceiling shot. This is a pretty good one.
Recent Posts by kristin sloan
