May 2008 in this issue focus on José Limón Mariinsky International Festival Kirov Ballet reviews editors' choice

Yannick Boquin by Toba Singer "Firstly, as a guest teacher and because you are spending just a few weeks at a time with a company, dancers will be eager to learn as much as they can from you in that short time frame and are therefore more likely to bring their best to your class, utilizing it to the maximum. To keep them in shape and happy is another thing, and I always try to remember what my needs were as a dancer and do my best to meet those needs." read more... Lucien Postlewaite by Dean Speer and Francis Timlin "I’m from Santa Cruz, California and used to dance all around the house. My parents enrolled me at Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre – and my younger sister followed me there as well." read more...

Focus on José Limón Click for this month's focus

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Shen Wei Dance Arts

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre

Merce Cunningham Dance Company

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reviews

Nederlands Dans Theater - 'Wings of Wax', 'Signing Off', 'Tar and Feathers'
by David Mead -- April 2, 2008, Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
Since its founding almost fifty years ago, Nederlands Dans Theater has quite rightly established itself as one of Europe’s leading contemporary dance companies. For its latest visit to London, Artistic Director Anders Hellström programmed three works –two contrasting works by Jiri Kylian and a poignant piece by Paul Lightfoot and Sol Léon, that between them ranged from the very beautiful to something rather more surreal and on the edge.
read more...

Sylvie Guillem and Russell Maliphant - 'PUSH'
by David Mead -- April 4, 2008, London Coliseum
“PUSH” has been honoured with four major dance awards and nominated for several others, and it’s easy to see why. The combination of Russell Maliphant and Sylvie Guillem is dance at its very best. Maliphant’s fluid and physical choreography alone is enough to grab you by itself, but when he performs it himself he seems to add an extra dimension. And then of course there is Guillem.
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Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company - 'Chapel/Chapter'
by Carmel Morgan -- March 22, 2008, George Mason University Center for the Arts, Fairfax, Virginia
On March 22, 2008, at the George Mason Center for the Arts in the DC suburb of Fairfax, Virginia, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company presented “Chapel/Chapter,” an innocence-shattering work that premiered in December 2006. “Chapel/Chapter” was specifically created for the Harlem Stage at The Gatehouse in New York City, but a year later the work was adapted for the proscenium stage. If dances were rated by the Motion Picture Association of America, this piece would be rated “R” for intense violence. It’s a dark work, definitely not suitable for children. In fact, children figure prominently as victims.
read more...

New York City Ballet in London - 'Thou Swell', 'Tarantella', 'Western Symphony', 'West Side Story Suite'
by David Mead -- March 19, 2008, London Coliseum

The Washington Ballet - 'High Lonesome' - 'The Four Temperaments,' 'High Lonesome,' 'Fives'
by Carmel Morgan -- April 3, 2008, Harman Center for the Arts, Sidney Harman Hall, Washington, DC

'Not About Iraq' - Choreography/Direction by Victoria Marks
by Carmel Morgan -- April 5, 2008, Dance Place, Washington, DC

Tulsa Ballet - 'In Black'
by Gretchen Collins -- March 30, 2008, Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Festival Ballet Theatre - 20th Anniversary Gala
by Kathy Lee Scott -- March 30, 2008, Irvine Barclay Theatre, Irvine, California

Susan Marshall & Company - 'Sawdust Palace'
by Carmel Morgan -- April 9, 2008, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, The University of Maryland

Lydia Johnson Dance
by Elizabeth McPherson -- April 4, 2008, The Ailey Citigroup Theatre, New York

Oregon Ballet Theatre - A Grand Tour 2007-08: French Program
by Dean Speer -- March 1, 2008, Keller Auditorium Portland, Oregon

Pacific Northwest Ballet - Director's Choice Program
by Dean Speer -- March 15, 2008, Seattle, Washington

editors' choice · San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival 30th Anniversary June 1-29, 2008 The San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival celebrates and fosters appreciation for the diverse ethnic communities in the Bay Area through an annual performance season of dance styles that have included traditional classical dance, sacred dance genres, vernacular dance forms, social dance and folk dance presentations. · 2008 Vail International Dance Festival July 27 - August 10, 2008 The Festival presents a fantastic array of dance: from Paul Taylor Dance Company to Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, from Pacific Northwest Ballet to Noche Flamenca, from Keigwin + Company to Buckets and Tap Shoes, and from the brilliant stars of the International Evenings to the thrilling champions of Ballroom’s Best.

 

For ballet-dance magazine
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Executive Editor
Kate Snedeker

Focus Editor
Elizabeth McPherson

Executive Editor 2003-2005
Mary Ellen Hunt

Senior and Supervising Editors
Holly Messitt, Catherine Pawlick, Azlan Ezaddin

Associate Editors
Katie Rosenfeld, Cecly Placenti, Dean Speer, Francis Timlin, Toba Singer, Lori Ibay, Lisa Claybaugh, Elizabeth McPherson