It’s official, according to Playbill, that Danny Tidwell will be in the cast of Memphis when it hits Broadway in late September. Memphis, set in the 50s, is the story of a young white DJ who introduces his radio audiences to “black music” and falls in love with a black diva. Previews begin September 23 and it officially opens October 19th.
Via Rickey.
Yes!!! I was trying not to get my hopes up but I am really so happy. This will make the finals for me next week. And with his “Lady is a Tramp” solo last night, whoa I take back everything I said about his Wednesday night solo. He really nailed it last night. I think he might have thrown in a couple of back flips at the top that he didn’t do the prior night — just to show America he doesn’t just dance with character and loads of pizzazz but can actually deliver athletically as well. He just danced with everything he had. So happy we have one more week to see him … before he goes on to have a huge Broadway career 🙂
Anyway, funny, I was all set for Kayla (my favorite female since Janette got axed) and Brandon to go last night since they were in the bottom two last week. But instead it was Melissa (who’s hardly been in the bottom two at all), and, sadly, Ade. This show is completely unpredictable this season. I was sad to see Ade go. He was a real original and he really stood out to me Wednesday night. If I had my way, the top four would have been him, Brandon, Evan, and Kayla. But of course they need two girls.
Anyway, nice show last night. Loved that America’s Best Dance Crew’s JabbawockeeZ were on and that they’re showing the Emmy-nominated routines from seasons past. So proud of Dmitry Chaplin for his nomination for that astounding Argentine Tango he did for Chelsie and Joshua last season! Took my breath away all over again. There aren’t a lot of ballroom peeps who get nominated, so big hooray for him. And I loved re-watching Tabitha and Napoleon’s hip hop for Mark and Chelsie and Mia’s contemporary door-slammer for Katie and Twitch.
Okay, onto the finals the outcome of which I have NO predictions…
Here are a couple more breathtaking pics of Danny Tidwell dancing at the Fire Island Dance Festival last weekend, taken by photographer Fred Hecker who graciously sent me a link to them. Visit his full flickr album of the Festival for some gorgeous photos of the other dancers as well. Apparently Keigwin + Company performed “Water” (I love that piece!), and Karole Armitage performed, as did Miami City Ballet (Alex Wong’s company), and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Danny danced “The Eternal Vow” by Lauren Adams, to music by Tan Dun and Yo-Yo Ma. Thank you so much, Mr. Hecker!
Speaking of Cedar Lake (of which fellow SYTYCD alum Sabra Johnson is, or at least was, a new member – she’s not currently on their dancer roster…), here’s an enticing video of excerpts from their recent performance of Orbo Nova at Jacob’s Pillow, which they’ll repeat in New York at the Joyce Theater in October.
And, speaking of the Joyce Theater, Haglund is excited about the Tulsa Ballet coming there August 10th. I plan to see them too, especially since they’re performing a MacMillan work I haven’t seen! Read up on that company and their upcoming Joyce program on Haglund’s blog.
Is it really the semis already?!
At the top of the program Mary Murphy expresses shock about Janette getting kicked off last week since she “didn’t miss a single step throughout the show,” then urges the audience to vote based on the whole season, not just their favorite performer or performance of the week. Don’t remember hearing a judge say something like that before. Wow, they all really liked Janette (as did I, as everyone knows!).
Then Nigel says he thinks no one is really standing out as a star this season, unlike in seasons past; that’s why people are voting for the choreography and not the dancers. I agree with him to an extent. Generally, there haven’t been any standouts, which is actually making this season kind of boring to me. I do think Evan has stood out a bit, but mainly with his solos, where he kind of takes on a character like Charlie Chaplin, Gene Kelly, etc. But he hasn’t delivered with the duets.
The group routine for the men is choreographed by Sonya Tayeh. I thought, from seeing the three guys in distinction to each other — Ade, Brandon, and Evan, that Ade’s lines and form were much better than the other two. His jumps were higher, his extensions longer, and overall his movement more powerful and precise.
And all of what I just said above: ditto for Kayla on the women’s routine, also choreographed by Sonya.
My favorite solos of the night were by Brandon, Ade and Melissa.
Continue reading “SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, SEASON FIVE SEMI-FINAL”
A few things to do this week and next if you’re suffering post-ballet season boredom:
This Thursday evening, TAKE Dance Company, a small modern company I like, founded by former Paul Taylor dancer Takehiro Ueyama, opens at Dance Theater Workshop in Chelsea. I’ve seen some of the works on the program before (and saw parts of Footsteps, which they’re premiering, in rehearsal). I’ve always found his work mesmerizing and I’m excited to see Footsteps in full. They show through August 2. Go here for details and to see a video; also visit Oberon who has been covering the company’s rehearsals.
This Friday night, Rioult, Pascal Rioult’s wonderful little modern dance company, is performing at Central Park’s Summerstage along with Germaul Barnes’s Viewsic Expressions. Two of my favorite dances of Rioult’s, his sexy version of Les Noces and his gorgeous Views of the Fleeting World, are on the program.
This weekend, Saturday and Sunday evenings and Sunday afternoon, Merce Cunningham Dance Company are to perform a collection of Cunningham’s work, past and present, in Rockefeller Park as part of the River to River Festival. Those performances will of course be all the more momentous (and heartbreaking) in light of the choreographer’s recent death.
Finally, Burn the Floor, the ballroom show by Jason Gilkison (of So You Think You Can Dance fame, and a former Australian ballroom champion) officially opens on Broadway next Tuesday. It’s in previews right now. I saw it last night and loved it (review coming soon). It’s great fun; makes you want to dance home 🙂 I’m tempted to say it’s worth it just to see Peta Murgatroyd — WHOA. She’s a ballerina-turned Latin dancer and she just combines the best of everything… Try to go to a performance prior to August 16th so you can see Maks Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff in the cast as well. Maks is an absolute hoot to watch live!
My friend Deborah just alerted me to this horrible news. One of the world’s great pioneer choreographers has just died (last night; the news was released this morning). We all knew this was coming at some point; he was 90 (and still choreographing, often from his bed). But I think many thought he was one of those who’d make it to 100 or past. This on the heels of news of Pina Bausch is devastating to the dance world. So, his recent program at BAM is his last…
Cunningham’s work was groundbreaking in its use of technology, its questioning whether dance needs music (he collaborated with music pioneer John Cage and his works were often danced to silence or to sound that the dancers heard for the first time during the first performance), its questioning of what “performance” is (he would often use chance encounters), and in creating an original (and sometimes controversial) movement language.
But others, like NY Times chief critic Alastair Macaulay, knew his work much better than I (Macaulay was a great admirer of Cunningham, as was Mikhail Baryshnikov), so I’ll await his full Times obituary.
How awful.
Longtime Winger readers will remember David Hallberg blogging on and on about his enchanting experience dancing in Vail a couple years ago. Well, he is scheduled to dance again this year, with Gillian Murphy. Other performers include tap dancer Savion Glover and members of Morphoses. The festival begins today and runs through August 11th. You can follow updates and view photos and videos on the festival’s blog.
If you haven’t already seen, there’s an excellent slide show of photos of dancers and choreographers that have appeared in Vanity Fair over the past decade or so on the magazine’s website. Of course you know I would have to post this one (by Bruce Weber by the way), but there are also some really beautiful ones of Darci Kistler and Peter Martins, Bill T. Jones, Alvin Ailey dancers, and some oldies from New York City Ballet, just to name a few. Check it out here.
Here’s an interesting article on the BBC’s website about audience applause during classical music performances that I found to be at least somewhat apropos of our earlier discussion about applause during ballet. They’re a bit different since applause at the wrong time interferes more directly with music than with dance-watching, but, still, many of the same issues came up. Apparently, the BBC Proms festival of classical music is currently underway, which draws many newcomers.
I have to say, I greatly appreciate the word “numpties” used by one commenter 🙂
The Guggenheim Museum has just released its Works & Process events schedule for the fall and there’s some good stuff coming up.
On October 11 and 12 ABT will give a program, entitled, The Art of Adaptation, in which dancers will perform portions of the company’s upcoming contemporary season, held this year at Avery Fisher Hall, and panelists will discuss how they’re adapting work for a non-dance venue. (The company is performing at Avery Fisher this year because City Center, where they usually have their fall season, is going to be temporarily closed for remodelling). It hasn’t yet been revealled who the dancers or moderators will be, but I’ll let you know when I do!
On September 23 and 25 there will be a new dance / music commission inspired by artist Vasily Kandinsky’s Blue Rider Almanac of 1912, performed at the Miller Theater at Columbia University. Music is by the Brentano String Quartet, soprano Susan Naruki, and pianist Sarah Rothenberg; the dancing will be by Armitage Gone! Dance. This, along with a couple of art installations in the museum and another music piece, is commissioned in conjuction with a Kandinsky retrospective to show in the main museum.
On September 11 and 12, young choreographers Larry Keigwin and Peter Quanz are each showing a piece they’ve made to Steve Reich’s Pulitzer-winning Double Sextet. Dancers will be from Keigwin + Company and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Reich will participate in the panel discussion on the 12th.
And, finally, on October 24 and 25, Shen Wei Dance Arts will perform in celebration of the company’s 10th anniversary and Shen Wei will discuss his creative process.
There are other, non-dance events as well, including a talk on “Sex Stress and Music,” a world premiere by composer Charles Wuorinen, and a spoken word performance inspired by Kandinsky’s Yellow Sound (1912) in which actress Isabella Rossellini will read and Mexican artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer will generate an array of colors from the sound of her voice. Very cool-sounding!
The schedule’s not yet on line but it’ll be here when it is.
March 17-20, 2010 at NY’s City Center. The program will feature four ballets, one of which is a U.S. premiere by the company’s founder, our own Angel Corella, called String Sextet and set to Tchaikovsky — his first work of choreography! Dancers include Angel Corella himself, Herman Cornejo(!), Carmen Corella(!), and other principal dancers and first soloists from around the world including Iain Mackay, Adiarys Almeida, Natalia Tapia, Kazuko Omori, and Joseph Gatti.
I’m so excited — I’ve been waiting for this! Tickets go on sale September 8, 2009, at which point you can call Citytix at 212-581-1212 or visit the website.
