98 stories by "Robert Johnson"
"Surface Tensions" is a dance about having to live inside one's own skin, and about the attempts that people make to escape their isolation by rubbing against each other.
"We don't have a resident choreographer. We have five of them, or eight," says artistic director Tom Mossbrucker.
In an intimate, gallery space, volunteers may contribute words, music and/or movement ideas for the performers to react to.
Chen describes her new work as a "mindscape" haunted by shadows, in which some dancers sit isolated while others nearby illustrate their thoughts.
"The power of Dance Theatre of Harlem is that it affords a different perspective on the art form," says artistic director Virginia Johnson
The company's new contemporary repertory isn't necessarily high-minded, and it certainly isn't dreary.
The choreographer paints a tumultuous world, flashing with mysterious energy yet oh so tender.
While the number of competitors increases and schools try to award more scholarships, jobs for dancers aren't keeping pace. In the United States, anemic arts funding is strangling the ballet…
"I've been surrounded by geniuses," Rushing says. "So I have a very high standard."
"I took off my heels. I took off my fancy little dress, and I had about 20 minutes to learn this piece," says Shay Bland.
The most important thing the Graham company can teach other contemporary dance troupes built around the work of a single choreographer is never, ever give up the fight.
The current repertory gives a sense of this choreographers' breathtakingly varied achievement. Yet part of the pleasure for longtime fans comes from noticing connections among works, and the…
"You have to bring these ballets back, not only to preserve what was, but also to discover your own path," says choreographer Douglas Martin
The ballet company has dedicated three performances to presenting new works that celebrate local artists in honor of the state's 350th anniversary.
"This is a celebration of young artists, and the future of New Jersey " that's how we see it," says the company's assistant artistic director, Paul H. McRae.
The company is twisting itself out of shape to produce novelties, when its directors should have realized long ago that since Balanchine's death their most important task is preservation.
"I dream about animals all the time," says this choreographer of "The Rite of Spring." "That's another crazy thing. They speak to me in languages, in Chinese or Engl…
Dancer Christopher Williams has a pugnacious physicality. Yet the landscapes through which he passes feature natural wonders and larger-than-life figures, which dwarf him with their grandeur.
This year's ambitious program promises to expand the celebration into a "total experience" for the audience, the choreographer says.
Even when the troupe bows to a master choreographer, its focus remains on youth.
In many ways, "Gloria" continues the work begun by DTH founder Arthur Mitchell, a former New York City Ballet star who created the company with ballet master Karel Shook in respons…
Whether in synch with absent companions or possibly pursued by them, Kravas' characters are never allowed their freedom.
According to festival curator Laurie Uprichard, American choreographers can't be pigeon-holed.
Ailey has imported works by European artists before, but Wayne McGregor's "Chroma" is all about making a stunning impression " not just with frenzied movement, but also with handso…
"You have to move, when you hear this music," says choreographer Robert Garland.
