The title of the performance — Viva Momix: The Greatest Hits Tour — did sound a bit like a Latin band’s last hurrah but Momix’s return to the Duncan Theatre on March 2 was nothing like that. As always, it was a complete delight — an inventive and fun evening filled with excellent dancing and a wonderful sampling of highlights from Momix’s outstanding evening-length works, … [Read more...]
Hubbard Street dancers shine even as Duncan program stumbles
We were lucky that the members of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago decided not to take chances with the minus-40 degree temperatures and the polar vortex in their hometown but arrive early in South Florida for their performances Feb. 2 at the Duncan Theatre in Lake Worth. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this marvelous group of young dancers who make up Chicago’s premier … [Read more...]
Plenty of energy, middling payoff at MCB’s Program Two
Though there were some kernels of wonderfulness in the Jan. 19 presentation of Miami City Ballet’s Program Two at the Kravis Center, the overall takeaway was that this program was not up to par with past shows. Presenting two works instead of the usual three or four, the program had some clear flaws. Dances at a Gathering, which opened the performance, was a pastel mosaic … [Read more...]
At Duncan, Jessica Lang Dance impressive in one of its final shows
Having the talented choreographer Jessica Lang on hand Saturday night as her outstanding young company gave a stellar performance at the Duncan Theatre turned out to be a bittersweet affair. The audience, freshly in love with both Lang’s choreography and the ensemble, learned in the post-performance talk-back that the 8-year-old company would disband in April. That … [Read more...]
MCB’s season opener promises much, and delivers
To put it succinctly, Miami City Ballet’s Nov. 17 show at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts was a terrific launch for the upcoming dance season, not just for MCB but for all the excellent dance that comes to Palm Beach County and South Florida. Even though it is still early in the season, Dreyfoos Hall was filled with a larger-than-usual audience that was … [Read more...]
‘Concerto DSCH’ a spectacular MCB season sendoff
Alexei Ratmansky is undoubtedly the leading choreographer in the ballet world today, clearly poised to become the next Balanchine. So what better place was there to see one of his most acclaimed creations than on the quicksilver and ebullient dancers of Miami City Ballet? The centerpiece of the closing program of Miami City Ballet’s season was the third work that Ratmansky … [Read more...]
Buck and Boogz’s ‘woke’ dance at Rinker inspires, astonishes
The impact of the March for Our Lives was felt across this divided country and around the world. People of all ages took time March 22 to show their support, and I couldn’t have had a better introduction to the events than going to see Love Heals All Wounds, by Lil Buck and Jon Boogz at the Rinker Playhouse in West Palm Beach. In times of change, artists have often taken on … [Read more...]
Parsons Dance delights Duncan audience in season finale
A staunch modern dance aficionado might say that Parsons Dance was light fare, but they would also have to say that it was gourmet quality. Closing the Duncan Theatre’s 2018 dance series with winning style, Parsons Dance left the loyal modern dance audience more than satiated – they were swooning. Parsons Dance has been around a long time, performing around the world, and … [Read more...]
‘One Line Drawn’ marks exciting departure for MCB
When the curtain opened for Miami City Ballet’s world premiere of One Line Drawn at the Kravis Center on March 2, we immediately knew we were in for a complete change-up. There would be no tutus here. With what seemed to resemble five sets of blaring headlights (stacked on top of each other) shining directly in our eyes, the dancers entered – first one, then another and … [Read more...]
Amid the camp, Trocks present some startlingly good dancing
There is a whimsical banner on Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo’s website that almost looks like it could be for a vaudeville show. It says: “The World’s Foremost All-Male Comic Ballet Company. Though initially it might be hard to envision classical ballets performed en travesti, it certainly was easy to sit back, relax and go just along – laughing all the way – with … [Read more...]