Ballet News Archives

Graham Phillips, left, as the Little Prince and Jennifer Tiller as the Fox in New York City Opera's production of "The Little Prince." Cal Performances and San Francisco Opera team up to present the West Coast ... via Pleasant Hill Record

Sallie Wilson, whose work with the American Ballet Theater established her among ballet's elite, has died in her New York home of cancer at age 76. via Political Gateway

“One of the goals of Artown is to get people to understand downtown Reno, understand how easy it is to get around town”

Entertainment Ringo Starr, Wynton Marsalis, Mandy Patinkin and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band are among the headliners announced Monday for Reno's 13th annual Artown arts, music and cultural festival. via KOLO-TV Reno

The New York City Ballet, flexing its legal muscles, sued a British production company on Friday, saying it owed the famed dance troupe some $600,000 in royalties for exercise DVDs. via Reuters

“He always felt like he was second fiddle to Mr Balanchine”

The choreographer Jerome Robbins was as complex as his works, which ranged from West Side Story to a ballet comedy, writes Valerie Lawson. via The Sydney Morning Herald

“Jerry would wear a Slavic shirt - you know, without the collar - and that's where the idea for the costume came. ... Jerry always got into the folk element with all his heart.”

'There was probably no better choreographer in the history of Broadway," says Mikhail Baryshnikov of his friend Jerome Robbins . via AMNY

“Today it is hip-hop, yesterday it was salsa, but the art which is seeing audiences dwindle with regularity is classical dance. Somewhere down the line everyone of us is responsible for trivialising each and every aspect of our life.”

By Prabhat Sharan, Mumbai, April 25: Seven performing artists, among them TV actresses Sudha Chandran and Rajeshwari Sachdev-Badola, will showcase the sheer energy and rhythm of Indian classical dance through a ... via Newkerala.com

“Although it's filmic in many places it's also of incredible quality, some of it”

A Danish choreographer has dug up a forgotten film score by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev and turned it into a ballet danced by Cuban star Carlos Acosta. via The St. Petersburg Times

“To reveal Russia to itself; to reveal Russia to the world; to reveal the world - the new world - to itself.”

Leonid Sarafanov dancing in George Balanchine's 'Rubies.' A colleague of Serge Diaghilev shrewdly wrapped up that great impresario's work into three categories: "To reveal Russia to itself; to reveal Russia to ... via St.Petersburg Times

“It's gentler on the body than playing football, which I also did.”

Natasha Middleton, artistic director of Media City Ballet of Burbank, likens the heightened expressions of Sunday's season-opening program, "Ballet Russe Remembered," to those of a silent film. via Pasadena Star-News

The Dance Education Center will hold its 7th Annual Spring Showcase event Friday through Sunday, April 25-27 at the Sentry Theater, 1800 North Point Drive, Stevens Point. via WisInfo

It may be the end of the 2008 San Francisco Ballet 75th anniversary season, but it felt Tuesday night that the year's festivities have just begun. via Contra Costa Times

“Mr. Forsythe, the American-born choreographer, is regarded by many in the dance world as the most important influence on ballet since Balanchine. (Others consider him as - in dance terms - the devil.)”

The Kirov is a great ballet company because it has so many terrific dancers, but it doesn't always know what to do with them. via Observer.com - All Articles

“I've danced for 30 years, I was a dance teacher at the Boston Ballet.”

There's a new kind of healing movement going on at a bay state hospital. It involves dancing away from a deadly disease. via WHDH

The three young boys who will alternate in the title role of Billy Elliot-The Musical have been found. via Playbill

Russia:Priest blesses strip club Source: Ananova [UK] Posted on 04.21.08 by Mary Lou Seymour "A Russian priest was left cursing after he was tricked into giving a sacred blessing to a strip bar.Father Nickolai ... via Rational Review

“These are weekly classes for all ages and abilities. They are enjoyed both socially, for the benefits the physical exercise brings and for the satisfaction of performing a skill in the art of dance.”

Dancers pass exams STUDENTS of the Margaret Hancock Stage School in Falmouth have been awarded for their perfect pirouettes and their terrific tap this week. via Falmouth Packet

“She's nice and she knows what to do and what she wants us to do”

Inside Franklin Elementary School's small gym, local girls performed their last plie, practiced pirouettes and presented their parents with proper port de bras. via Oshkosh Northwestern

“This is my opportunity to shine on a level that's beyond Wausau”

Wausau Daily Herald kuhlig@wdhprint.com Alice, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Cheshire Cat and the rest of the denizens of Wonderland will take their show on the road in the coming weeks. via Wausau Daily Herald

“Volunteering is good for the soul. It gives your life purpose.”

ANDY SAWYER/Yakima Herald-Republic Children's Wishes and Dreams Executive Director Heidi Anderson, left, and volunteer Monte Doyle pack flight bags for children in the organization's office in Yakima on ... via Yakima Herald-Republic

THIS spring, Birmingham Hippodrome and DanceXchange proudly present the first International Dance Festival Birmingham featuring everything from contemporary to classical dance, and from Bollywood to Salsa. via Bromsgrove Advertiser

“These dancers will be working in exact synchronization for the 8 minutes on stage”

Torrington _ Dancers from the Nutmeg Ballet of Torrington will be performing for Pope Benedict XVI Sunday at Yankee Stadium. via WTNH

“The Western counterpart of this company would be ballet.”

The Divine Performing Arts of New York, a traveling ensemble of 60, will make its Hawai'i debut Monday in 'Chinese Spectacular,' an eye-filling explosion of colorful costumes and cultural dance forms rarely ... via The Honolulu Advertiser

“It's very hard work for everybody but the result has been very good, because until now everybody has given us a standing ovation at each show across Canada, and it's very difficult to receive these kinds of emotions from people in Canada.”

Under perfectionist teacher and choreographer Lizt Alfonso, Danza Cuba's troupe of 18 female dancers must master everything from ballet to flamenco. via Cuba Journal

“It only makes sense that the two art forms would come together at some point.”

Big Boi of Outkast. Photograph: Jim Cooper/AP Antwan "Big Boi" Patton, one half of hip-hop duo OutKast, is collaborating with America's oldest ballet company, Atlanta Ballet, on a hip-hop-inspired ballet. via MediaGuardian.co.uk

“I'm very proud of the girls and it was lovely see the students performing at such a high standard.”

Ballerinas: Sophie Ellis, Jessica Gilson and Caitlin Jelley. The Middle section competitors were Tabitha Collins, Rowan Jeffrey, Hannah Mogford and Hannah Porter. via Mid Devon Star

Register to win a TSW Storm Shelter worth $6,200 when you download Action News 5: LIVE ONLINE Fill out the online form, then download Action News 5: LIVE ONLINE. via WMC-TV Memphis

“It's not only important to expose our children to various art forms, it's crucial to their development”

Upcoming Ballet Memphis Production Offering 50% Discount for Children Under 12 From the amazing scenery that takes the audience to a new place under the shimmering, fluid sea, to the amazing dancers that take ... via WMC-TV Memphis

“Mary, in India and her parents' deaths.”

The Oakland Ballet as the Comeback Kid drew a big crowd full of tulle-bedecked children, jeans-wearing teens and casually festive families Saturday to see director Ronn Guidi's 1996 production of "The Secret ... via Inside Bay Area

“The opera house rises as a ... monumental landmark”

They say it isn't over until the fat lady sings. And after more than a century of waiting for Oslo, she finally has. via Irish Independent

SALISBURY -- The Brothers Grimm classic tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs takes the Wicomico High Auditorium stage for two days this weekend for the annual spring production of the Eastern Shore Ballet ... via The Daily Times

“She brought so much love to these kids ... She was a great teacher”

A former Royal Winnipeg Ballet dancer murdered in Ohio is remembered as a "living angel" by a colleague. via Edmonton Sun

At 8 p.m. Tuesday, Binghamton University's Anderson Center for the Performing Arts will host the St. via PressConnects.com

Continuing with his originality and trend-setting achievements, OutKast's Big Boi spoke with American Public Media on his latest project, 'BIG', being the first ever hip-hop ballet. via HipHopDx

“After a year, you couldn't get me out of tights”

By BETSY TAYLOR / Associated Press Writer ST. LOUIS -- Antonio Douthit used to be a skinny north St. via KSDK NewsChannel 5

“It was a natural thing [for me]”

Outkast rapper says collaboration with the Atlanta Ballet 'was a natural thing' for him, if not for the dancers. via VH1 News

“I'm really excited to be able to offer different types of dancing styles to adults in the community. A couple of years ago we offered Salsa dancing and we just finished a 6-week ballroom course.”

PORT CLINTON --Want to learn to belly dance but have no coin bra to wear? No face veil? No beaded hip belt over the Sultan's favorite skirt? No worries about learning regardless -- belly dancing's benefits are ... via News-Messenger

A group of Royal New Zealand Ballet dancers are packing up their tutus and are preparing to perform pirouettes for Stewart Island residents this weekend. via Scoop

Director Darren Aronofsky is developing a psychological thriller with AMC. The series project, "Riverview Towers," revolves around a family that moves into an apartment building with paranormal activity, says ... via ComingSoon.net

“I am excited by this pioneering new direction for the Royal Opera House at the start of the 21st century”

Digital cinema outfit Arts Alliance Media is partnering with rights holder DigiScreen Corporation, consultancy the Pillar Group and Opus Arte, the Royal Opera House's TV and DVD production company, to bring ... via Variety

An Advocate.com exclusive posted April 7, 2008 Masculine, Navajo, Puerto Rican, and gay, Jock Soto was one of the most influential male ballet dancers of our time. via Advocate

Michael Barnes is Entertainment Editor for the Austin American-Statesman. He lives in South Austin with his partner, Kip, two dogs and two cats. via The Austin American-Statesman

“It is certainly not an environmental 'silver bullet,' ”

After three months, two weeks and four days of not having made a retail purchase, something in me snapped. via Calgary Sun

“I think we can lie pretty effectively”

The body doesn't lie, said Martha Graham, famously. Baloney, says Victoria Marks, quietly but no less firmly. via Journal Gazette

“Risky Business": Seems hard to believe now, but there was a time when Tom Cruise was considered not only normal, but cool. And when Cruise sliding across the floor in his socks and briefs to the strains of Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll”

We are not much for pop-culture anniversaries around here, because frankly, the older we get, the more they make us feel ... old. via PittsburghLIVE.com

'Dreams - Celebrating Coming Up Taller,' the fifth WINGS performing arts extravaganza from Lynn Meadows Discovery Center and the Beau Rivage Resort, will take the stage at the Beau Rivage Theater in Biloxi at 7 p.m. April 23.

The production showcases diverse young talent from across the Coast in music, theater, dance and visual arts.

This year, WINGS Performers are joined by the Gulf Coast Symphony Youth Orchestra, St. James Singers, The Next Level Dancers, Ballet Theatre School, Biloxi High School Drama Program, The Unexpected band, Gulf Coast Fiddlers and the Long Beach High School Choir. Read more

“Big Boi Presents ... Got Purp? Vol. 2.”

For the past few months, dancers in the Atlanta Ballet have been pimping out the pirouette, breaking down the battement and remixing the ronde de jambe.

On Thursday, the classically trained dancers will put on their toe shoes and debut 'big,' a new work that fuses the hip-hop stylings of Outkast's Big Boi and the graceful traditions of ballet.

'I just thought it would be ... cool ... to make something that's so dainty and elegant and sophisticated to some of this hard core, bumping type funk that we do,' says Big Boi, who was born Antwan Patton. Read more

A dancer at the top of ballet's establishment meshed almost seamlessly with the Washington Ballet ensemble in the company's opening performance at the Harman Center on Thursday, a treat for the audience and a tribute to the company's ascending quality. George Balanchine's 'The Four Temperaments' gained a deeply sensitive dimension from its guest star, American Ballet Theatre principal David Hallberg, but he was surrounded by dancers who delivered the work with a noticeable sophistication of their own. Read more

“Mr. Gergiev said another area of disagreement was Mr. Gergiev's strong desire to enlist seasoned company principals like Igor Zelensky, Uliana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva and Yulia Makhalina to work with the youngest generation of [Mariinsky] dancers”

Makharbek Vaziev is credited with bringing the work of modern choreographers such as William Forsythe to the Mariinsky Theater. via St.Petersburg Times

“Tre, Jean-Marc, Blake, Luther, and Rex - the calibre of the Canadians on So You Think You Can Dance Canada judging panel is indicative of the diverse magnitude of dance talent in this country”

CTV Announced 'So You Think You Can Dance' Host and Judges CTV announced today the list of permanent, alternating and special guest judges for So you Think you Can Dance. via Channel Canada

“There are some favorites, and there are some new things.”

May 5, 2009: "Footloose The Musical" Additional shows Nov. 22: The Chinese Acrobats. via Statesman Journal

For centuries China has been fabled for its performers: ballet dancers who double as acrobats; male opera singers who impersonate women; artists who make theatrical ink scrolls. This national phenomenon is extended in ''Look at Me!'' a cheeky, spiky Lafayette College exhibition of recent Chinese photographs that somehow involve performance, sometimes by the artists themselves.

Guest curator Dan Mills is a Bucknell University gallery director who has exhibited his own works in China. He's particularly intrigued by rituals among the ruins of old buildings and ways of life. In a starkly beautiful, tinted gelatin-silver print, a man videotapes the bamboo-roofed, demolished former home of the photographers, the husband-and-wife team of RongRong & Inri. Read more

“I have been frantically searching the Yellow Pages for a new venue but I've run out of options”

A troupe of Malvern dancers have been left homeless by the closure of the popular Malvern and Worceter Civil Service Social Club and it could spell disaster for the group's highly anticipated dance show. via Malvern Gazette

“I ordered a huge cookie cake from Mrs. Fields and I wrote 'I got it' on it”

MuchMusic VJ Leah Miller's time in the dance studio has paid off. The bubbly "MuchOnDemand" personality, who took "baby ballet" when she was three and later learned tap, hip-hop, lyrical and jazz movements, was ... via CBC News

“It never rains out here, and the day of the audition it was pouring rain”

James Alsop was well on his way to a dancing career before his family moved to the Charlotte area at age 14.

'My brother and I were always putting on a show for somebody,' says Alsop, one of 12 contestants on the Bravo dance competition 'Step It Up & Dance' debuting Thursday, April 3, after the finale of 'Make Me A Supermodel.'

His twin brother lost interest in dancing, but Alsop kept at it, taking classes in ballet, tap, hip-hop and jazz funk.

Alsop, 24, and friends founded the hip-hop dance group 'Misconception' while attending UNC Chapel Hill after graduating from Central Cabarrus High School. Read more

Danceworks and Alternate Theater student organizations and the theater program unveil their "A Concert of Dance" in three shows this weekend. via Green Bay Press-Gazette