By Tara Mitton Catao On Friday at the Kravis Center, Miami City Ballet finished off its 2012-2013 season by presenting an evening that crisscrossed Broadway with ballet, and ballet with Broadway. The program featured two works of two great choreographers, Jerome Robbins and George Balanchine. The works were created by colleagues who seemed to have traded their signature … [Read more...]
ABT evening beautiful but skimpy
By Tara Mitton Catao On Saturday night at the Kravis, American Ballet Theatre, one of the most outstanding ballet companies in the world, made a long overdue visit to South Florida in a program that featured a mixed repertory including Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo, Mark Morris’ Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes and the White Swan pas de deux from Act II of Swan Lake. It was a … [Read more...]
Parsons Dance brings exciting athleticism to Duncan
By Tara Mitton Catao Parsons Dance has been bringing its own brand of churning dynamics and punchy athleticism to audiences around the world for decades, including one last night at the Duncan Theatre. David Parsons started his career at age 17 dancing for master choreographer Paul Taylor and his choreography still reflects that grounded, strong, exuberant physicality and … [Read more...]
Delightful ‘Wonderland’ brings zaniness of ‘Alice’ to dance
Ballet Palm Beach: Let me be among the first to tell you that this is the new name of the 12-year-old Florida Classical Ballet Theatre. Artistic Director Colleen Smith announced this from the stage of the Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach State College before the premiere of the company’s new ballet, Wonderland, on Saturday. It is a clever adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s … [Read more...]
Ratmansky’s ‘Dances’ a fiery addition to MCB rep
By Tara Mitton Catao For the third program of its current season, seen Saturday night at the Kravis Center, Miami City Ballet has chosen a program of steadfast George Balanchine works and a huge, energy-laden new ensemble creation of Alexei Ratmansky, a new master of the ballet vocabulary. Two large ensemble pieces sandwiched two traditional Balanchine duets. The first … [Read more...]
Ballet Hispanico a knockout at Duncan
By Tara Mitton Catao Last night at the Duncan Theatre in Lake Worth, New York-based Ballet Hispanico continued its 43-year-old tradition of presenting dance that explores the diversity of Latino culture and presented a program of contemporary work that was impeccably performed and deeply artistic. Jardi Tancat, the opening work on the program, was the very first work of … [Read more...]
Hula show at Duncan: Good for you, but needs rethinking
First, get rid of any preconceived notions that you might have of Hawaiian dance and the hula. You won’t see any of that in this performance by Halau Hula Ka No’eau. You will see a more historic and anthropological hula, one that was highly influenced by the missionaries and American and European culture. The women are covered from neck to ankle in granny-like Victorian … [Read more...]
Scarlett’s ‘Euphotic’ showcases big talent of MCB corps
The Miami City Ballet showcased its Program II, Tradition and Innovation, this weekend at the Kravis Center presenting something old and something new, but also something timeless and something different. George Balanchine’s choreography, the mainstay of Miami City Ballet’s repertory, is known for its unsurpassed musicality, and it is interesting to note that the first two … [Read more...]
Momix’s ‘Botanica’ stunning at Duncan
Momix never disappoints. Audiences go knowing that they will be visually satisfied and expecting something new and exciting to excite their tastebuds. After all, Momix has been doing just that since it was founded 30 years ago. It is similar to returning to one’s favorite gourmet restaurant, being served multiple exotic courses and knowing that one will leave sublimely … [Read more...]
Dance companies reimagine Romeo, chronicle women in workplace
It would be difficult to count the number of different artistic adaptations of the story of Romeo and Juliet that have appeared since William Shakespeare’s play first trod the boards in the late 16th century. But its apparently permanent appeal likely stems from its central idea of an all-consuming love, and, well, that’s something we can all relate to. “It’s a tragic story, … [Read more...]