So much time has passed since the curtains on stages were drawn closed and the doors of theaters were shut tight. Needless to say, those of us who thrive on the live performances of the local dance seasons have been in a state of dismayed withdrawal. So, how to survive this cavernous gap that we have been enduring since shutdown in early 2020? And how to bridge the … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2021-22: The season in dance
By Dale King South Florida dancers of every ilk — sidelined for more than a year by a show-stopping coronavirus pandemic — have been polishing their skills, dance shoes and ballet slippers, anticipating a mass return of live performances to stages from Miami to Jupiter in the very near future. Miami City Ballet (MCB) has confidently announced its 2021-22 “Sunshine in … [Read more...]
To be Black, and a dancer: Two stories from the artistic front
Clarence Brooks still remembers the day that he first saw the posters that had a photo of him dancing. “Someone (or several people) … had plastered the N-word all over the posters,” he said. Brooks, who was only in his second year of studying dance, had felt so honored to have been selected to perform a solo at an important fundraiser to be held at the Civic Center in … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2020-21: COVID stifles dance, but live shows set for 2021
By Dale King Performance stages throughout South Florida that would normally host all sorts of dance programs this time of year are silent, dark and vacant. Producers have dismissed dancers, sent staff home and barred patrons from entry as COVID-19 has rudely slammed the door on art forms of all genres. While most dance companies have replaced live shows with online … [Read more...]
Sensational Che Malambo electrifies at Duncan
How does one take advantage of that extra day that comes only once every four years? I would say experience something out of the ordinary and if you were at the Duncan Theatre’s third presentation of its dance series this Feb. 29, that is exactly what happened. Those of us who were there experienced an extraordinary show that both informed and thrilled us. It is clear why … [Read more...]
Sumptuous ‘Firebird’ a treat at MCB
The central focus of Miami City Ballet’s Program Three, performed Feb. 21-23 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, was concentrated on the brand-new staging for the newly acquired ballet Firebird. The production itself was visually resplendent with its translucent and mystical 3D special effects and its vibrant and rich costumes, sets and lights. It was a sumptuously … [Read more...]
Dorrance Dance electrifies at Duncan with tap ‘Double Down’
What do you get when you cross America’s original art form with today’s technology? A reinvigorating artistic experience that wows everyone in the audience. Dorrance Dance is an award-winning New York-based dance company that both honors tap dance’s history and propels it into the new age of technology. The company returned to the Duncan Theatre on Feb. 7-8 as part of its … [Read more...]
‘I’m Old Fashioned’ leads off MCB’s Program II with exceptional elegance
Who was dancing with brilliant ease with Miami City Ballet at Kravis Center for the Performing Arts a couple weekends ago? Why, it was Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth gliding across the stage in a sweeping waltz. Projected larger-than-life on a huge screen, they introduced I’m Old-Fashioned, Jerome Robbins’ tribute to the silver screen and the glamorous, bygone golden age … [Read more...]
BalletX opens Duncan series in inventive but mixed-bag fashion
BalletX, a Philadelphia-based contemporary ballet company, opened the Duncan Theatre’s popular Modern Dance Series on Jan. 17 in Lake Worth. Under the leadership of Christine Cox, with an artistic mission to commission ballets from choreographers around the globe that will be inclusive and satisfying to the audience, the company has presented 78 world premieres by 39 … [Read more...]
MCB in fine form for evening of Balanchine, Taylor
Miami City Ballet adroitly launched its new season with the first of four diverse programs at the Kravis Center earlier this month. With a plethora of new dancers on the roster and some well-deserved promotions within the company ranks, MCB was in excellent form. Fully energized and technically strong, the company members took on the challenges of the different dance … [Read more...]