Alvin Ailey

1. Pictures at an Exhibition Set Off an Energetic Display of Private Dramas
(New York Times)

2. Ballet artistic director: 5 Reasons Dancers are Better Than Ever
(Atlanta Journal Constitution)

3. China’s first contemporary ballet troupe to stage anniversary shows
(Xinhuanet)

4. Review of the Decade: Judith Mackrell on Dance
(Guardian.UK)

5. Can Modern Dance Be Preserved?
(New York Times)

William Trevitt and Michael Nunn, The Ballet Boyz, just announced a new tour that will give a group of young dancers a chance to dance their butts off. William and Michael were both with The Royal Ballet and decided to break out on their own in 2001. They have created dance documentaries and performed together all over the world, with works commissioned from the likes of William Forsythe and Christopher Wheldon. Now they have a new Project, Ballet Boyz: The Next Generation.

Here is an article in London’s Guardian about their new Project.

Ballet Boyz Announce Tour Featuring Young Dancer

Sunday 11 October 2009 14.18 BST

After two hours the mirrors had misted over, and the studio walls were literally dripping with the sweat of pizza servers, barmen and call centre workers.

The Ballet Boyz, William Trevitt and Michael Nunn, two of the most renowned male dancers in the world – one critic called them “unspeakably good” – are going on tour again, but this time neither will dance a step.

“That’s it,” Trevitt said, “that’s why we wanted young dancers – certainly young compared to us. A dancer hits 30, you know what your body can do, you know what hurts, you know how to cheat and fake it. But these guys will still push themselves as far as they can – and they really don’t know their physical limits yet.” Read more…

Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan did the opening performance for London’s Dance Umbrella Festival this week with its piece Wind Shadow.

Dance Umbrella is a five week festival that promotes contemporary dance in London by bringing established companies, such as Netherlands Dance Theater (Holland), Inbal Pinto (Israel), and experimental dance artists to perform in London and by offering dance talks, classes, and special events. If you’re in London over the next month don’t miss it. Their website is www.danceumbrella.co.uk.

This article, Step-by-step guide to dance: Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, came out after Dance Umbrella’s first performance and gives an good short history and a few interesting facts about Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan. It also mentions the Cloud Gate Sculpture (the bean) in Chicago. Cloud Gate will be performing January 22 and 23 at Columbia College in Chicago. Here are a few other reviews from The Guardian and The Times Online.

Cloud Gate                                                                 and                                                               Cloud Gate (The Bean)

“Fondly Do We Hope”  is the title of Bill T. Jones’ new full evening work about Abraham Lincoln. Read more about it in the this LA Times Article.

Check out Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Review for their season at The Harris Theater premiering Jorma Elo’s new work “Bitter Suite”.

Also, in the NYTimes today, an article about three new pieces choreographed  by Aszure Barton, Benjamin Millepied, and  Alexei Ratmansky for American Ballet Theaters season at Avery Fischer Hall( A Music Hall).

Read a review about Emio Greco’s new work “Purgatorio” that premiered in Washington DC this past weekend.

In case you didn’t catch it, here is a synopsis of some of the main stream dance happenings for the 2009-2010 dance season.These are a few must knows.

The opening of Dixon Place, William Forsythe’s US premier of “Decreation” at BAM, Crystal Pite’s new work “Lost Action”(she just brought her skillfully crafted and touching piece “Second Person” set on NDT to Chicago’s Auditorium Theater) , ABT’s Performances at Avery Fischer Hall, Performa, dance performances at the Chocolate Factory, Trey Mcintyre’s Company in Boise and John Jasperse at the Joyce (but you’ll have to wait till June to see that one).

There are many more good things going on so check it out in Claudia La Rocco’s article

Leaps, Bounds, Birthdays, Despite Belt Tightening.

Twyla Tharp has devised a new  musical ” Come Fly with Me” set to the music of Frank Sinatra previewing at the AllianceTheater in Atlanta, Ga.

She has an all star dance cast from Ashley Tuttle (ABT), Holley Farmer( Merce Cunningham) and John Selya(Eddie in Movin’ Out). I hope she finds her footing on this one after the entertaining but mediocre “Movin’ Out”, set to Billy Joel music, and the embarrassing flop of the awful “The Times They Are a-Changin”, set to Bob Dylan Songs.

Maybe she’ll regain the flair and spirit of genius that we’ve seen in works such as “Duece Coup” and “In the Upper Room” in “Come Fly with Me”, but somehow I get an awful feeling that makes my toes cramp that this is no better than Poor Bob.

I pray that Twyla hasn’t turned into the dance version of Elton John with another cheesy poof musical, but maybe it’s already too late.

Read more about “Come Fly with Me.” in Gia Kourlas nytimes article A Night Club. Sinatra Singing. Couples in Love.

A reader in the Chicago Tribune writes to complain about the rude audience at the Joffery Ballet’s Thursday night performance in Millennium Park.

“A picnic eaten indoors isn’t dinner at Alinea, and a ballet performance held outdoors isn’t a Cubs game. I was distressed by the rude behavior at last night’s Joffrey Ballet performance in Millennium Park.”

Why can’t ballet be more like a Cubs game?  When we go to see dance shows in a theater the audience is expected to act like vegetables, clap politely, and sip on a cocktail.  But does it always have to be this way?  The stadiums in Chicago fill up even when the teams are down and out, because whether they win or lose you get to share in an awesome communal experience.

So, the next time you go to see a dance performance just relax and show your enthusiasm.  Take your favorite beer and dress yourself like a real dance fan with your dance company logo gear (hat, t-shirt, sweat pants), some face paint and maybe even a fog horn.  Yell out for your favorite dancers at the end of pieces, and release the real dance fan within!