Dance

Ballets Russes Centennial

by L.J. Sunshine

Dance

One hundred years ago, Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes burned the stage of Paris’s Théâtre du Châtelet with its debut season. Dancers of unprecedented virtuosity performed ballets with exotic, Orientalist themes that expressed seething passions and defied the stiff formalism of the danse d’école.

City Parks Foundation's Central Park Summerstage: NATHANTRICE/RITUALS DANCE THEATER AND DAYTON CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY (DCDC)

by Dalia Ratnikas

Dance

A mission statement is hardly the genesis of an organization’s intention, but these crystallized comments are often surprisingly revelatory—in their construction as much as their meaning. Take, for example, the mission statement of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, founded over 40 years ago by Jeraldyne Blunden in Dayton, Ohio, as compared with that of nathantrice/RITUALS dance theater, with one quarter of DCDC’s history, yet infinitely more artistic wealth.

LIGHTLY NOW: Gabrielle Lansner Dances Summer at Sitelines

by April Greene

Dance

One of the joys of summer in the city is the traditionally indoors getting a shot at existing outdoors. Films, parties, meals—for three months each year, New Yorkers get to take them outside.

Dana Salisbury's UNSEEN DANCES

by Michelle Vellucci

Dance

Ladies and gentlemen, the dance performance is about to begin. Please put on your blindfolds.

MERCE CUNNINGHAM (1919–2009)

Dance

I remember an article about Merce I saved from a magazine back in the 60s, long before I moved to NYC, called “The Quality of Merce is Not Strained.” I just loved that play with Willy Shakes. Even after he no longer could demonstrate movement to us, Merce had this ability to make movement phrases that were, though difficult and out of the ordinary, absolutely danceable.

REMEMBERING MERCE

Dance

Once, after watching the Merce Cunningham Dance Company (MCDC) perform, I stumbled badly out on the street, clumsy in the light after leaving the darkened interior of the theater.