Dance News

Do Dancers Jump Differently Than Athletes? "There are inherent differences; athletes jump within the context of a game and not in a rehearsed choreographic exercise. Even so, the results of the study may help athletes and coaches understand the importance of jump training."

The New York Times 08/09/09

After Death, What Happens To A Choreographer's Oeuvre? "[I]magine a situation where the paintings of Rauschenberg or Bacon were taken down from galleries as soon as those artists died; where the novels of Saul Bellow were removed from the bookshelves, or the music of Stravinsky was silenced. ... No other art form would accept for a second that death implied the possible death of an artist's oeuvre. But what makes this a genuine issue for modern dance is the umbilically close connection between most choreographers, their companies and their work."

The Guardian (UK) 08/05/09

Merce Cunningham Foundation Names Trustees "The tenders of Merce Cunningham's flame are now known. The dance foundation devoted to the choreographer, who died at 90 on July 26, named on Wednesday the four individuals Mr. Cunningham had selected as trustees of his life's work."

New York Times 08/06/09

Indiana Troupe Sues Just-Departed Artistic Director And Ballet Mistress Evansville Dance Theatre has filed a legal action against its former artistic director and ballet mistress for violating a non-compete clause in a contract. Keith Martin and B.J. Martin resigned from the company on June 8, claiming "artistic interference from the organization's board of directors," and opened a dance studio in the city.

Evansville (Indiana) Courier & Press 08/04/09

Regie-Ballet Comes To Korea: A Seoul Giselle Features Incest And Prostitution In James Jeon's She, Giselle, "The characters are the same, but the story takes a turn when Giselle realizes that her lover, Albrecht, is actually her half-brother … [and then] runs away without telling Albrecht that she's pregnant. The lonely Giselle … ends up in a brothel … and finally dies of AIDS."

Korea Times 08/05/09

Another Dance Company, This Time In Ottawa, Closes Its Doors "Last year's short season has turned out to be the last for Le Groupe Dance Lab. The dance company's board of directors announced on Friday that the company would be shut down. … The final decision to close the company was the result of the loss of one third of its budget (a reduction due to the suspension [of operations in January]) which would make it difficult to attract a new artistic director or mount a performance season."

The Globe and Mail (Canada) 08/03/09

Thinking About Merce, Minus The Philistines Joan Acocella: "Merce Cunningham's signal achievement is that he established modernism--abstraction, decentralization--in dance. In consequence, some people loathed his work, thought it was a prank. Which meant, of course, that others were required to like it. ... Now, perhaps, audiences will be able to think about him more clearly."

The New Yorker 08/10/09

Watching Merce Cunningham's Last Dance "This Event, lasting just over an hour, took place on two separate small stages, with a long corridor of space between them. To concentrate on one stage but occasionally glimpse entirely different choreography occurring in the distance on the other -- a characteristic Cunningham arrangement -- was poignant, frustrating and thrilling. There was a sense of abundance, a reminder that there is always more dance than we can absorb."

The New York Times 08/02/09

The Top Show On TV Thursday Nights? It's Dance! "So You Think You Can Dance" was judged the winner by Thursday primetime viewers ages 18-49, according to Nielsen preliminary nationals, enabling Fox to score a victory in the demo. CBS topped the night in overall viewers.

Variety 07/31/09