Yuri Grigorovich, one of the most significant choreographers of the 20th century, who as the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet from 1964 to 1995 reshaped Russian ballet in the late Soviet era, died on Monday. He was 98. His death was announced by the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. The announcement did not say where … Read more
Like most of the contemporary ballet on the show, Tobias’s creation is anything but inventive. (Much of it is by Marguerite Derricks, but there are also contributions by Christopher Wheeldon.) After the new version is finally performed — complete with portable ballet barres in a derivative William Forsythe touch — Tobias dashes onto the stage … Read more
There is Oberon, the King of the Fairies, and his beautiful Queen, Titania. Puck, a sprite, works his magic with the occasional unforced error, as mortals and immortals find themselves in a similar predicament: wanting to love. And wanting to be loved. But for all the sparkle of the mythological adults in George Balanchine’s “A … Read more
Ayodele Casel knows how to pull viewers toward her when she’s onstage. She’s a magnet. “There she is,” someone behind me whispered in excited awe as Casel casually stepped onto the stage of the Joyce Theater, dropping a backpack on the floor. Applause, the kind that often greets musicians, followed, which was correct: Casel makes … Read more
Manuel Legris, lithe in a tracksuit, held up a hand. “Stop! Stop!” he called out as Francesco Mura, a Paris Opera Ballet principal dancer, smoothly executed a tricky passage. “It’s lovely, but I’ve lost the character,” Legris told Mura. “I’m just seeing technique.” Legris, 60, knows about technique. A former étoile, or star, of the … Read more
Herbert Migdoll, the official photographer and designer of the Joffrey Ballet for about a half-century, who was admired for capturing the flight of its dancers with his lens, died on April 19 in the Bronx. He was 90. His death, in a hospital, was announced by the Joffrey Ballet on its Facebook page and confirmed … Read more
Looks can be deceiving, even in ballet. On paper, the spring season of New York City Ballet looked safe and dutiful, with no premieres, except the stage performance of a pandemic-era dance film and more recent contemporary works, some welcome (by Alexei Ratmansky), others not so much (everything else). But the season had a surprising … Read more
“I will never be that person again. I’ll never be that body again. I will never move like I did at 13, at 24, at whatever, at 32. And so it’s just kind of finding comfort in that.” “This is The Interview. I’m David Marchese. This week’s guest is the dancer Misty Copeland, who has … Read more
The Hamburg Ballet’s last director, John Neumeier, led the company for 51 years, transforming it from a provincial troupe into an internationally respected house. His successor, Demis Volpi, lasted just 10 months. On Tuesday, Hamburg State Opera said in a news release that its board and Volpi had agreed to terminate his contract at the … Read more
In the film, the dance draws a crowd, as all good street performances do. Janice (Annalise Basso), a young woman who happens upon the scene, is swept into the choreography as Chuck’s partner, and together, they fly. But during much of the duet’s creation, they weren’t even in the same room together. Hiddleston was in … Read more