The world of dance is famously tough on physiques, not just in the sheer wear and tear on bones and ligaments incurred by practitioners of this most athletic of the arts, but perhaps even more so in psychological ways. The pressure to be thin and to be in top physical shape is rarely relenting, and a new work of dance that tackles this idea head-on had its premiere Sunday … [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...]
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...]
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...]
Dance troupes join forces for Eissey show
When Ballet Florida shut its doors in 2009, it left a hole in the local dance world. But it didn’t disrupt the network of dancers, choreographers and enthusiasts who wanted to see the art of Terpsichore continue under the palms. Jerry Opdenaker, a 47-year-old performer and choreographer who danced with for 22 years with Pennsylvania Ballet, the Kansas City Ballet and Ballet … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: March 23-25
Music: Contemporary classical music has a surprising number of champions in South Florida, and that includes Tim Thompson of Palm Beach Atlantic University, who every year offers concerts of new pieces by faculty members, students, and guests. This year’s festival, called Frontwave, began last night with a concert by the piano team of Duo Gastesi-Bezerra, and tonight is the … [Read more...]
MCB’s ‘Giselle’ ecstatic, classic
The Miami City Ballet’s performance of Giselle Sunday afternoon at the Kravis Center proved to be an ecstatic rendering of Adolphe Adam’s classic Romantic ballet. Tricia Albertson gave a lovely nuanced and technically sound performance as the young peasant girl betrayed by Albrecht, a cad of an aristo, danced by Renan Cerdeiro, just prior to his marriage to a noblewoman. … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Nov. 26-30
Dance: Let the Nutcrackers begin: Today marks the beginning of the annual productions of the ballet Peter Tchaikovsky scored in 1892, a year before his death, and while the composer thought his work was inferior to his other ballets, generations of dancers, choreographers and audiences beg to differ. Florida Classical Ballet Theatre gets its four performances under way this … [Read more...]
PB County gets new dance company; FAU gets cache of rare recorded Judaica
Ex-Ballet Florida workshop chief founds dance company Palm Beach County has a new dance company, and it will make its debut in early February at the Duncan Theatre, on the Lake Worth campus of what will soon be Palm Beach State College. O Dance was founded by and is named after Jerry Opdenaker, most recently director of the now-defunct Ballet Florida’s STEP Ahead … [Read more...]