JSTOR Articles
…e?’ Dance Research, Vol. 24 (No. 1, Summer 2006), 37-53 ‘Review: Gertrud Bodenwieser in Vienna and Australia’. Dance Chronicle, Vol. 24 (No. 1, Tribute to Ivor Guest 2001), pp. 129-131 ‘Archives of the Dance: Documenting Australian Dance. The Peggy van Praagh Collection in the National Library of Australia’. Dance Research Vol. 18 (No. 2, Winter, 2000), pp. 126-131 ‘Review: Merce Cunningham, a Lifetime in Art’. Dance Chronicle, Vol. 21 (No. 2, 199…
The White Crow. A film from Ralph Fiennes
…his way through the crowd at Le Bourget, not to mention managing the ongoing harassment of the Soviet representatives, Nureyev finally reached the office of the Police Department. ‘Do you have a cognac?’, he asked. And of course, being French, they did. A film well worth seeing! Michelle Potter, 30 July 2019 My most recent writing on Nureyev was for the printed program for the 2018 visit to Brisbane by Teatro all Scala from Milan. Here is a link t…
Alone. Jack Riley and artists
…2018. Photo: © Lorna Sim NOTE: I am sorry not to be able to mention the soundscape that accompanied the show; nor the names of the two other male dancers, who played minor roles in terms of dancing, but whose presence was essential (at least in relation to how I interpreted the work); nor the designer of the very interesting lighting. There was a list of those involved in the show stuck to a wall in the foyer, but the role each played was not ide…
The Sleeping Beauty. The Australian Ballet
…ut she wasn’t a sixteen year old princess. The grand pas de deux, despite being soundly performed, lacked the excitement that this part of Act III should bring. Kevin Jackson and Lana Jones in David McAllister’s The Sleeping Beauty. The Australian Ballet, 2015. Photo: © Jeff Busby Other choreographic features, especially in Act II, seemed to me to be a little too close to parts of Swan Lake and Nutcracker. The woodland nymphs, who inhabit the over…
Balletgoers love Giselle
…e Wire concerns a recent production of Giselle by Pacific Northwest Ballet under the direction of Peter Boal, and is also a comment on the recent meeting in Seattle of the Dance Critics’ Association. Although I will never be convinced that there is not also a place for those ‘wilful’ productions like that of Guillem, the Anderson article is a terrific piece of writing offering many insights into what is a remarkable ballet. Read the article at thi…
Dance for Ukraine
…g Swan danced by Cuban born Javier Torres with choreography from Michel Descombey and Lacrymosa danced by Royal Ballet first soloist Luca Acri with choreography by Edward Stierle. This Dying Swan was a far cry from the Anna Pavlova version with which many are more than familiar. It had a very human element to the choreography as we watched a man, whose life seemed to be crumbling under physical pressures, hover closer and closer to death, although…
Dance diary. October 2011
…o somewhat frilly mice from Nutcracker for example—perhaps not dressed for combat despite the menacing gestures! Or two young dancers dressed in tutus. Texas Ballet Theater, currently directed by Ben Stevenson, was promoting its forthcoming Nutcracker season. The appearance of dancers on this occasion was part of the last day of ‘Art in October’, a celebration of the Dallas arts district with its top class museums and theatres. it’s all good It’s…
Thoughts on Pina Bausch’s Rite of Spring
…on they were breathtaking as they were when displaying their capacity to become totally involved in the unfolding of the drama, almost to the extent of entering into a trance like state. Their classical training was clearly in evidence – they could jump, they were turned out, they could extend their limbs. They danced with the whole body and each part of the body was allowed to be expressive to the utmost degree. Looking beyond technique, their sh…
Jewels. New York City Ballet
…this occasion Abi Stafford and Jared Angle were a gracious couple, transcendent in their pas de deux, while Sara Mearns and Jonathan Stafford showed breathtaking expressiveness and expansiveness of movement. Robert Fairchild was impressive as the male member of the pas de trois of soloists, showing his courteous partnering without losing his own strong presence. ‘Rubies’ showcased a pert and prancey Janie Taylor and a boisterous Benjamin Millepied…
Strong and Brave. QL2 Dance & National Portrait Gallery
…ided, a reflection on the art of Valerie Kirk who expressed, in captions accompanying the exhibition, her interest in ‘textile tradition and culture’. It was a lovely bit of choreography for three women who often worked together but often also separated from each other and became absorbed in the full skirts of the costume they were wearing. It was eminently watchable dancing, and in the end it didn’t matter so much about the reference. (above) Sc…