Dance Beat: Tim, Andre, PBT, PPU

March 10, 2012

FAN-TASTIC. He may be ballet’s ultimate fan. Tim Evans looks positively rapturous whenever he’s around it, whether the studio or the concert hall, it’s all the same. Or Paris, San Francisco and who knows where else. Anyhow, Tim contacted me about Tennessee Williams and Streetcar Named Desire and John Neumeier. Evidently Tim is in his own stratosphere of ecstasy at the prospect of the North American premiere of this ballet this weekend. Although he’s been an admirer of Williams since high school, it all began, as many terrific stories do, in Paris. He went to see Paris Opera Ballet’s La Bayadere, but stayed to see Midsummer Night’s Dream, by a young Neumeier. I never heard of him,” Tim says. “But it knocked me out of my seat.” He’ll tell you the date, too — Tuesday, July 10, 2001. Inspired, he returned two years later for Neumeier’s Nijinsky, which he gave a standing ovation at intermission. Time has been so impressed that he is putting his money on Neumeier and Matthew Bourne as the future of ballet. And he was so impressed that he negotiated a lunch with Neumeier, gleaning details on the symbolism within Streetcar. He’ll be heading to the Benedum Center twice this weekend and says “I’m tickled to death that he’s here.”

ANDRE AT THE ALLOY. The Pittsburgh Dance Council had a terrific choreographic interaction in conjunction with Dance Works Rotterdam/Andre Gingras. Apparently the artistic director/choreographer loves to teach young artists and he had a quartet — Alan Obuzor, Staycee Pearl, Gwen Hunter Ritchie and Mita Ghosal, a newcomer to the city who combines modern and Indian dance forms. Each artist showed a short video of his/her work. What followed was nothing short of masterful manipulation by Andre — they each offered observations about each other and got feedback from Paul Organisak, presenter and Laura Colby, arts management. If you missed this one, there will be another, a free class for dance professionals, with improvisationalist extraordinaire Michael Schumacher on Sat. afternoon Apr. 7, in conjunction with the Dance Council’s Last Touch First in collaboration with choreographic icon, Jiri Kylian. Check the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust website.This is great for Pittsburgh dance, folks.

SHALOM. It’s leaking out that Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will be going to Israel in August. Stay tuned.

MORE MARTHA. The Martha Graham company will present an Inner Landscape program at the Joyce Theater in New York City on March 14 at 7:30 p.m. Point Park University students will be the modern dance pioneer’s Heretic from 1929, something that will also be performed at the University’s Byham program Apr. 19-21. Also featured on the Joyce program will be students from Graham II, University of Arizona, Hartt School (CT), Skidmore University (NY), New World School of the Arts (FL) and Interlochen Arts Academy (MI).

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On Stage: Going Dutch

February 20, 2012

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust opened its Decidedly Dutch Festival with a Pittsburgh Dance Council presentation of Dance Works Rotterdam, which offered a European take on pop culture. Shades of Andy Warhol!  Read about it in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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On Stage: Thanks to Contemporary Dance, the Real Deal

February 15, 2012

If any of you tuned into the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, Chris Brown performed Beautiful People/Turn Up the Music on a skyscraper-like set with parts that moved like building blocks. It was also a solid white, which opened the eyes to colorful block lighting, alternating with projected patterns and and street scenes.

The movement was a take on the French-originated street dance known as Parkour, where daredevils jump from ledge to ledge, wall to ground, well, you get the idea. It tries to convey an ease and sophistication.

Parkour spawned Freerunning, first seen in England, which incorporates more gymnastics in spectacular approaches to the urban environment.

Back to the Grammies — credit Rich + Tone Talauega and Flii, the creative directors/choreographers, and Gui Dasilva, Tre Holloway, Hefa Tuita, Timor Steffens, Paul Kirkland, JD Rainey, Nick Bass and Derrell Bullock, a back-up group clad in capes that were a combination of superhero/ninja chic. They performed nimble and effortless flips and feathery jumps along the moving platforms.

But, gee, that’s already being done in contemporary dance. Dance Works Rotterdam, which is coming here next week, has already transformed Freerunning into a stage presence, although, being an arts organization, it doesn’t have the bucks for a sensational moveable set. No folks, artistic director Andre Gingras has to rely on real choreography.

Which brings up Beyonce, whose choreographer created a flap a while back by literally copying a few chunks of choreography from Anna Maria de Keersmaeker’s Rosas Danse Rosas and Achterland, with a tribute to Audrey Hepburn. (By the way, the Belgian choreographer appeared here with the Pittsburgh Dance Council.)

Some might support Beyonce and fall back on the old adage, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” While concert dance might not have a true original genius right now, like George Balanchine and Martha Graham, it does have street dance and its deep African roots, which have energized everything from commercial to ballet.

So where do you draw the line, even with 30-year old contemporary dance that finally finds its way into the mainstream? Evidently the Beyonce/Anna Maria disagreement is now in litigation.

In the meantime, decide for yourself. The bottom line? While the video itself is a whole new entity in itself, some of the parts are too close for comfort.

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Dance Beat: Dutch, Crawl, Emily, Dance Dangereuse

January 25, 2012

Photo by Chris Nash

Going Dutch. There was gouda arancini, smoked mackerel potato salad, red cabbage with smoked sausage and apples and slavinken, all signature dishes of the Netherlands and meticulously prepared by Meat & Potatoes restaurant. Yum Well, if Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s upcoming Distinctly Dutch Festival is as tasty as the food, we’re all in for a treat that will take us through the spring. I have loved the Trust’s previous festivals (Montreal, Australia, International Festival of Firsts), which gave us the opportunity to explore different cultures without leaving home. Of course we already knew that that the Pittsburgh Dance Council will be presenting Dance Works Rotterdam/Andre Gingras, which will open the festival Feb. 18, and Last Touch First, co-choreographed by Michael Schumacher and Jiri Kylian (a national and international choreographic treasure). But there will be plenty more to sample. For theater buffs, there will be Detroit Dealers, which is oddly set against the American car industry, Diespace, an interactive multimedia performance set against the Internet, and Jean Cocteau’s La voix humaine, featuring one of Holland’s foremost actresses. Halina Reijn. Music lovers can catch The News, a video/opera, or Dutch Women of Jazz. Girls ‘N’ Guns and Global Navigators will enhance the Pittsburgh art scene and Dudes and World of Rhythm will be geared to families. Accompanying it all will be workshops, wine tastings, a tulip display (of course) at the Phipps, film and more, including menu offerings at local restaurants. Hungry?  Intrigued? (I am and will attend as many events as possible.) For more information, click on Distinctly Dutch.

Crawl-ing. The Trust also sponsors the Gallery Crawl four times a year, a great (and free) way to explore the Cultural District. This go ‘round on January 27 will feature Maddy Landi’s kNOTdance transferring your own drawing of a dream into a dance. Also interact with a digital installation, Summer Sky Eternal, and see how your personal movement affects it (604 Liberty Ave.). Or interact with a partner at Arthur Murray Dance Studio, with free lessons and demos (salsa at 7:30 p.m., tango at 8 p.m., swing at 8:30 p.m.) Much, much more, from Norwegian artist HC Gilje at Wood Street to a Cell Phone Disco. A real bonus — Chatham Baroque rocks the Trust Arts Education Center with three performances. From 5:30 – 9 p.m. Click on Gallery Crawl.

Emily Kitka. The Pittsburgh dancer, who joined the corps of New York City Ballet last fall, got her first real review in The New York Times. Congrats, Emily!

Risky Business. Top Dating Sites website has posted 10 Dances You Should Only Attempt if You Are a Pro. Really? How do you actually become one? See for yourself when you click on Dangerous Dance.

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