Canadian dancer/choreographer Crystal Pite and company, Kidd Pivot, wowed audiences at On the Boards in February with her allegorical Dark Matters. Ostensibly, the title of her new work refers to both states of physics and of the human condition. But for me, the piece was more about the gut (human condition) than about the neutrino….
Category: Finding Balance blog
Dance in Seattle — January Dance Magazine
Childrenz Muzeum (photo at On the Boards, Washington Hall, 1986). Pictured: L to R; Lee Carrillo, Eric Brown, Judy Pettet, Eric Nutt, Arturo Peal (also Composer), Rick Krause, Lynn Jacobson. Music: Arturo Peal, Set and Lighting Design: Beliz Brother Photo: Beliz Brother HERE IS THE LINK TO MY JANUARY FEATURE ON THE SEATTLE DANCE SCENE…
Robbie Burns night, also a celebration of dance
Last night, five young Highland dancers and three Irish step dancers performed on a thin wood flooring (on a cement foundation – ouch!). We Scottish Country dancers had an easier time of it. In the small Irish dance group, there were two national champions – and all qualified for the world competition in Dublin this year….
Black Swan (again) or a universal theory of everything: When Food is Toxic
One of the recent film Black Swan’s many poignant moments is “the cake scene,” when ballerina Nina has just learned she’s landed the role of the Swan Queen (Odette/Odile) and Nina’s mother presents her with, well, a huge cake. There’s a lot of fear around (eating) the cake; this could be due to many things…
Critic weighing in: Black Swan
One of the most disturbing movies I’ve seen recently is Black Swan. Reportedly ten years in gestation, the movie is provocative (on many counts) and is a strong statement on perfectionist tendencies that are utterly destructive. If there is any consistent theme in the movie, it has to do with the power we have to…
Several (more) important lessons from jazzercise (no less).
I am struck by how something as simple as focus — during exercise — can actually increase caloric expenditure. It’s easy for eyes-to-glaze-over in technique class, sometimes we are barely present. True, dance can serve as a kind of meditation, but often, at least in classical ballet, the dance practice itself has direction and intent,…
One Sugar Plum too many — or — one Nutcracker too many? Critics, Dancers, and Nutcracker Doldrums
New York Times critic Alastair Macaulay (referred to as “the nation’s most prominent dance critic” in an Associated Press story by Jocelyn Noveck) must have been in some Nutcracker Act II doldrums for him to focus on a ballerina’s weight in what is now known as the quip heard ‘round the world’ [charging the ballerina…
Finding Balance — A Student Perspective
Recently, I received an email from University of Wyoming’s Margaret Wilson about a student’s critical essay on my book, Finding Balance (Wilson has used the text for awhile in the Department of Theatre and Dance, and has students review it with critical essays). Professor Wilson sent one such essay to me, written by Lindsey Carter….
Grand Finale for U & Me Dance
Another positive experience in dance – the Bellingham Stars teens were part of the grand finale in U & Me Dance’s emotion-filled gala at the Majestic Theater in Bellingham (see images) last weekend. A generous and forgiving tuition-payment policy and thus lack-of-ready-cash may have been part of the reason for an eviction notice earlier. Certainly,…
Nutcracker Season
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Nutcracker season, and the time we writers reach far and deep to comment, critique, profile, feature, and elevate the famed Nutcracker. In truth, there’s plenty to write about. It’s one of classical ballet’s anthems of movement, and after 100+ years, still evokes seasonal feelings of nostalgia and appreciation for…