http://philadelphiadance.org/blog Making dance and dance writing in Philadelphia more accessible to everyone Fri, 17 May 2013 16:08:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2013/03/25/at-21-vintage-shut-up-dance/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2013/03/25/at-21-vintage-shut-up-dance/#comments Mon, 25 Mar 2013 23:52:52 +0000 Whittington http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=10119
by Lewis Whittington for The Dance Journal Everyone was ready for the ‘Showgirls’ theme after those provocative posters peppered the city and on Saturday night the annual Shut Up & Dance benefit for MANNA (Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance) was in motion onstage at the Forrest Theater with What a feeling (dancing for my life) [...]]]>
by Lewis Whittington for The Dance Journal Everyone was ready for the ‘Showgirls’ theme after those provocative posters peppered the city and on Saturday night the annual Shut Up & Dance benefit for MANNA (Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance) was in motion onstage at the Forrest Theater with What a feeling (dancing for my life) Irene Cara’s Flashdance theme blaring.  Hard to top last year’s live poster re-stages, but it was obvious that the dancers of the Pennsylvania Ballet were ready to turn the page to 21, with a show of even more passion, creativity and well, rhinestones, flesh, and scary jazz-hands.    Alexandra Hughes was at the center of the pole-dancer Cinderella story, until Jermel Johnson started stalking the stage hooker nylons and mile high heel runway stomp to make sure she has no completion. This Showgirls opener turned into is a continuing story.   Ian Hussey directing for the second year, orchestrated the joyful concert and packed it with choreographies from the PB roster, veterans of the company and guests from BalletX and Koresh Dance Companies.  The structure was adjusted from previous years, to give a more uninterrupted dance drive and flow to the concert. Course, it would be bad taste to review a benefit, but it is important to track this event as an in-house choreographic forum for new choreographers among the dancers of the Pennsylvania Ballet. WXPN’s Machaela Majoun was on hand for hosting duties and MANNA director Susan Daughtery also spoke to praise the dancers and all that they have meant to the organization. Daugherty addressed the growing fiscal challenges for MANNA as the organization keeps expanding its services to provide meals for clients living HIV-AIDS, cancer, ALS and other serious long-term diseases. Hussey made a breathless speech to praise everyone’s efforts in putting the show together and expressed the continuing commitment among the dancer in their partnership with MANNA. Phoebe Gavula and Alex Ratcliffe-Lee in Lucy Photo credit: Candice De Tore As for the dances first a disclaimer-  the memory flares and fades with so much going on, so apologies in advance for anything not noted, it is not deliberate. Among the many random highlights at SU&D 21 - ‘4 or 5 trees’ by Enza DePalma was actually three women facing away from the audience in sensual and body sculptural dance of bare backs.  Also very fleshy and dramatically beautiful, Alrick Thomas’ ‘Decomposed’ a startling work for seven dancers, in a driving contemporary ensemble set to music by Jacelyn Pook. Thomas naturalizes balletic formations that kept expressing in a thrillingly athletic and erotic tableau. In contrast,  two couples in classy boy-girl partnering for Harrison Monaco’s ‘Lucy.’ ‘Speak Easy’ by Alexandra Hughes set to 20s jazz-age rag by Parov Stelar is inventive and complete funsies with strong partnering and ensemble esprit in those Charleston kicks. Earlier, Hughes danced in the duet ‘Hanuman’ with Lillian Diphazza set to Spanish guitar music with choreography by Craig Wasserman‘s a stylish en pointe study of flamenco piques and arabesque decorations. Meredith Rainey’s ‘Fall In’ danced by Jermel Johnson, set to eastern European music by Guy Klucevsek.  Rainey’s cryptic body contortions and hyperextensions executed with Johnson’s martial arts intensity and featuring his signature steeled layouts. ‘Ennui’ the bawdy duet on a bench by Matt Neenan set to Rufus’ funky classic ‘Tell Me Something Good’ had Neenan himself back on the dance stage in powder blue briefs, bed head and t, drowsily annoying Brooke Moore, who was roused enough to give as good as she got. Befitting the showgirls theme, Jake Helgenberg weighed in with an objectifying parody of music video dancing with six ballerinas turning up the lock-stepping ‘Heat.’ Alex Ratcliffe-Lee’s ‘synaesthesia, 2003’ set to the dynamic electrostring music of Max Ricther is a stunner. Completely inside the music and it just keeps blooming in unexpected structure and performance intensity. Chloe Fetesina’ Remembering the Festival’ set to music of Handel has eight dancers in Renaissance court dance variations with double tempo minuet variations break to balletic cartwheels and somersaults. Captivated (but without a concrete fix) for Eric Trope’s ‘Carry On’ a compelling lyrical contemporary classical piece for five dancers.  A blinding slo-mo strobe and green fog atmospherics also keeps you guessing in Gunnar Montana’s ‘Weed ‘which actually was the classic urban myth of girl, meets, wrestles and tames the monster. Abigail Mentzer and James Idhe were beauty and the botanical beast. Gabriella Yudenich as Dying Swan Photo credit: Candice De Tore It was for so many years Michel Fokine’s ‘Dying Swan’ was a signature for retired PB principal Arantxa Ochoa whose impeccable classicism always made such a statement.  The torch has been passed to Gabriella Yudenich who danced it luminously this year. Those liquid arms breathtaking and she projected stellar interpretive accents, mostly in line pacing, to make it her own.  Yudenich, like Ochoa, completely reflexive to the live accompaniment by the stellar Trisha Wolf on piano and Vivian Barton Dozor on cello playing  Saint-Saens‘ music. The finale had Weed reappearing running with a stage length ribbon, then the Showgirl cast, Hughes not letting Johnson steal the show and got rid of her with a decisive shove. Moments the pair were both center stage in the stiletto kick-line finale set to, what else, Journey‘s anthem “Don’t Stop Believing” . A large chunk of the audience mulled around out front deciding whether to head to Voyeur for the after- party. 20 minutes later the club dance floor was already filling up with the club dancers burning the floor even before the performers arrived.]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2013/03/25/at-21-vintage-shut-up-dance/feed/ 2 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2013/02/11/three-world-premieres-by-diverse-choreographers-for-balletxs-spring-series-2013/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2013/02/11/three-world-premieres-by-diverse-choreographers-for-balletxs-spring-series-2013/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2013 01:23:44 +0000 Steven Weisz http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=9751
BalletX, Philadelphia’s Premier Contemporary Ballet, continues its 2012-2013 Season with a showcase of three exciting World Premieres on April 17 – 21, 2013 at The Wilma Theater, where BalletX has enjoyed its honored status as the Resident Dance Company for over five years. Spring Series 2013 will feature a diverse array of artistic talent with [...]]]>
BalletX, Philadelphia’s Premier Contemporary Ballet, continues its 2012-2013 Season with a showcase of three exciting World Premieres on April 17 – 21, 2013 at The Wilma Theater, where BalletX has enjoyed its honored status as the Resident Dance Company for over five years. Spring Series 2013 will feature a diverse array of artistic talent with World Premieres by Whim W’him Dance Company founder Olivier Wevers, and former BalletX dancers, choreographers and filmmakers Gabrielle Lamb and Tobin Del Cuore. “We are thrilled to bring these three choreographers to BalletX and see how their collaborations inspire our ten amazing dancers,” Christine Cox, Co-Artistic and Executive Director, says of Spring Series 2013. “What is so special about this series is that each choreographer has made a significant career as a dancer, director, or filmmaker. Their unique perspectives and aesthetics will surely challenge our dancers and audience in a most positive way.” The first work in Spring Series 2013 is a World Premiere choreographed by Brussels-born dancer, choreographer, and director Olivier Wevers. Wevers is a former principal dancer with the Pacific Northwest Ballet and Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Based in Seattle where he founded and leads the company Whim W’Him, he has won countless awards for his choreography with dance companies in Canada, Japan, and the United States.  About his first appearance with BalletX, Olivier states, “I am thrilled to be creating for BalletX for the first time; I have been given a blank canvas and can't wait to color it.” The second World Premiere is by acclaimed American choreographer and dancer Gabrielle Lamb. In her new work, Gabrielle will utilize music by American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird to create a quirky aesthetic that resonates with vivid colors and distinct personalities onstage. Gabrielle has performed around the world with companies in Helsinki, Montreal, Boston, Cleveland, and New York. In 2011, Gabrielle featured BalletX in her film en dedans, which was screened at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City in 2012. Spring Series 2013 third debut will feature Tobin Del Cuore’s newest work, No Sleep. Tobin states, “My choreography will exhibit an enigmatic cityscape punctuated by empty streets, shadows, severe angles, and things off in the distance that never quite reach a destination, set to music by Hauschka, Balmorhea, and Nils Frahm.” Tobin, an accomplished dancer, choreographer, filmmaker, and graduate of the Juilliard School, has performed extensively around the world. In 2010, he joined BalletX as a dancer and later choreographed the World Premiere of Beside Myself, which returned to the BalletX stage in summer 2012. Performance Dates/Times: Wednesday, April 17, 8:00 PM, Opening Night, with pre-performance Q&A Thursday, April 18, 8:00 PM Friday, April 19, 8:00 PM Saturday, April 20, 2:00 PM, with pre-performance Q&A Saturday, April 20, 8:00 PM Sunday, April 21, 2:00 PM BalletX performances take place at The Wilma Theater, located at Broad & Spruce Streets in Philadelphia, PA. Tickets available online at http://tinyurl.com/cf9porb About BalletX BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company, unites distinguished choreographers with an outstanding company of world-class dancers to forge new works of athleticism, emotion, and grace. The daring vision of its award-winning founders and artistic directors, Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, BalletX challenges the boundaries of classical ballet by encouraging formal experimentation while preserving rigorous technique. The Company is committed to producing new works of the highest quality and integrity that bring the combined visions of choreographers and dancers to life and cultivate in audiences a collective appetite for bold new dance.]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2013/02/11/three-world-premieres-by-diverse-choreographers-for-balletxs-spring-series-2013/feed/ 0 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/09/student-review-balletx-not-your-ordinary-ballet/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/09/student-review-balletx-not-your-ordinary-ballet/#comments Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:59:35 +0000 DJ Guest Author http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=9107 This review was written by a student as part of a new initiative by the Philadelphia Dance Journal to introduce aspiring writers to arts criticism. By Sloane Horton for The Dance Journal From the eyes of a 14-year old dancer: "BalletX is an extraordinary company. The extremely unique choreography had me on the edge of my seat the whole performance and the captivating music kept my eyes glued to the stage and the dancers the entire show.  In the opening piece, Instant God, the strength of the dancers stayed consistent from start to finish. One of the male dancers had to act like he was fighting every other male in the performance and the lifts, such as when two men lifted a dancer from a flip and suspended her in the air, were absolutely breath taking.  Colby Damon caught my eye with his display of emotion and overall Instant Godreally grabbed my attention". The second part to the performance was named I was at a party & my mind wandered off... I didn’t quite get the concept of the dance, as the name referred to a party and the dancers looked as if they were meant to be in a mental institution. Although the topic did not make quite that much sense in my head, it was still an interesting part of the show. Something that really drew me in to the dancers that were performing was that when the music got quiet you could hear the dancers breathing; I found that artistically creative. The use of upper body movement was also intriguing and letting the dancers’ hair swing freely made for a more thrilling performance. The originality of the choreographer really showed when the one female dancers took the shirts off of the other dancers and laid them on one performer. Despite the story line, I fell for the creativity in I was at a party & my mind wandered off... The last selection in the performance of BalletX was called Switch Phase and this piece made a lot more sense to me. The colors of the costumes really “popped” on stage and they all seemed to go with each other. There were many remarkable lifts, such as when a female dancer was held up by her arms and it looked like she was walking on air. Another amazing lift was the one where one dancer hooked her leg around her partner’s neck and he carried her without holding her. A moment of pure excellence was when everyone did a leg extension and they slowly started to “melt” out of them at different times. As the story line recreates the act of groups of friends going in and out of friendships, the ending will leave you with chills. To say the least, the performance as a whole was a spectacular experience and I would definitely recommend it to others. The lighting, music, and costumes really made the whole performance fit like puzzle pieces. I thought the whole line up of the show was great as well, especially how the two directors had came out to introduce themselves to the audience at the beginning. As you can now imagine BalletX is not your ordinary ballet. Sloane Horton is a Freshman at Neshaminy High School.  She studies jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, pointe and lyrical at Kay's Act II Dance Studio in Trevose.  In addition, Sloane is currently studying journalism and hopes to continue writing throughout high school and college.   ]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/09/student-review-balletx-not-your-ordinary-ballet/feed/ 1 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/08/review-balletx-2/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/08/review-balletx-2/#comments Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:00:21 +0000 Kat Richter http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=9102
Photo credit: Iziliaev Here is what I love about BalletX: when you arrive at the Wilma Theater, they’re just wrapping up a Q&A with the choreographers and welcoming the Andrew Jackson Public School Band into the lobby.  The evening’s program features one choreographer from Rome and two from our own backyard, plus an assortment of [...]]]>
Photo credit: Iziliaev Here is what I love about BalletX: when you arrive at the Wilma Theater, they’re just wrapping up a Q&A with the choreographers and welcoming the Andrew Jackson Public School Band into the lobby.  The evening’s program features one choreographer from Rome and two from our own backyard, plus an assortment of musicians to spice things up between works.   And the dancing?  Oh yeah, that’s great too. If it sounds like a circus, that’s because it is.  But it’s the good kind of circus, the kind where you want to grab a drink with the ringmasters and talk philosophy with the choreographers.  Last night’s program included two world premiers, Instant God choreographed by Mauro Astolfi and I Was at a Party & My Mind Wandered Off… by Kate Watson-Wallace, in addition to the east coast premier of Neenan’s Switch Phase.   Although incredibly varied in their phrasing and definitions of “good” dance, each offered a unique glimpse into the world of relationships and the complex ways in which we interact with one another. Instant God was spellbinding from the opening sequence, which found one dancer writhing on the floor, to its dramatic conclusion, in which that single, supine figure was pulled back beneath the curtain by a dozen bodiless hands.  Inspired by Fragments of an Unknown Teaching, the work used simple motifs and unexpected, intentionally unromantic partnering to explore themes of gratification and unity.  As gods, the dancers were ravenous—more vultures than angels—and under Mauro’s direction, they were hauntingly passive at some moments and beautifully active at others. Kate Watson-Wallace’s contribution to the evening was, as the title would suggest, a bit rambling.  There were moments of clear, almost cinematic episodes that felt somehow more curatorial than choreographic.  Three dancers dressed in white suits walked onstage then swung their hair from side to side.  They undressed one another, they panted like dogs and they even sang, breaking the sacred fourth wall and making me wonder for a moment if I was at the theater instead of the ballet.  But that’s Watson-Wallace for you.  I longed for a relationship between the music and the dance, especially in the beginning of the piece, but by the end, as the dancers erupted into a fist pumping frenzy, I couldn’t help but smile.  Suddenly, we had all rejoined the party. Neenan’s Switch Phase was a curious blend of buoyant ballet technique and more a visceral, folksy mating ritual.  In warm, bright tones and flowing dresses, the dancers paired off into a series of long duets.  In one, a dancer bent her leg from an arabesque into and attitude before hooking it around her partner’s head.  In another, Colby Damon performed a parenthetical solo forcing us to shift our focus from the happy couple.  Throughout it all, William Cannon and Allison Walsh were superb and the work showed the company’s technical training at its finest.  Although Switch Phase lacked the emotional depth I’ve come to love in Neenan’s work, the program left me eager to see what else BalletX has to offer this season. Kat Richter is a freelance writer and teaching artist with an MA in Dance Anthropology.  Her work can be found at www.katrichter.com.]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/08/review-balletx-2/feed/ 3 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/08/kate-watson-wallace-brings-the-party-to-the-stage-with-balletx/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/08/kate-watson-wallace-brings-the-party-to-the-stage-with-balletx/#comments Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:54:39 +0000 BillHebert http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=9083
So a few weeks back I brought you images from rehearsal of a piece that Kate Watson-Wallace was setting on BalletX. This week/weekend BalletX premieres that piece “I Was at a Party and My Mind Wandered Off” at the Wilma along with the east coast premiere of Matthew Neenan’s “Switch Phase” and a world premiere [...]]]>
So a few weeks back I brought you images from rehearsal of a piece that Kate Watson-Wallace was setting on BalletX. This week/weekend BalletX premieres that piece "I Was at a Party and My Mind Wandered Off" at the Wilma along with the east coast premiere of Matthew Neenan's "Switch Phase" and a world premiere by Italian Choreographer Mauro Astolfi. Here are a few images from Kate's piece "I Was at a Party and My Mind Wandered Off" and I hope you go check out that work along with the other premieres at the Wilma this weekend. As always all photos by Bill Hebert (BHPhotos). ]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/08/kate-watson-wallace-brings-the-party-to-the-stage-with-balletx/feed/ 0 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/04/tara-keating-jetes-to-her-next-role/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/04/tara-keating-jetes-to-her-next-role/#comments Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:47:53 +0000 Whittington http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=9035
by Lewis Whittington for The Dance Journal Photos by Alexander Iziliaev Not surprising that Tara Keating, one of the original members of BalletX, is dancing in all three works on their fall program this week, which will be her final performances with the company. Indeed, for 16 years, Keating has proved to be one of [...]]]>
by Lewis Whittington for The Dance Journal Photos by Alexander Iziliaev Not surprising that Tara Keating, one of the original members of BalletX, is dancing in all three works on their fall program this week, which will be her final performances with the company. Indeed, for 16 years, Keating has proved to be one of the most versatile around, in classical, contemporary and fusion roles in her years as a Pennsylvania Ballet corps dancer and Ballet  her artistry, beauty and flawless technical ability, is always present.  At the Performance Garage last week, she and her fellow cast members finished up a run-through of Italian choreographer Mauro Astolfi’s ‘Instant God’ a premiere piece with BalletX. Keating, looked completely energized even after a day of rehearsal, as focused as ever on the work at hand. After rehearsal, at a café, she the announcement of her retirement in a BX newsletter  just weeks ago, surprised people, but that in fact she had made the decision to stop performing and discussed it with the company‘s co-directors Christine Cox and Neenan. “I told Matt and Christine in January, initially, that it was something I was thinking about and what I wanted to be my last series. It wasn’t like something dramatic happened. So it was a slow process…we carefully planned it out and the transition to my next position has been thought out. I’m going to continue as artistic coordinator with the company, which I’ve been doing and I will start officially as the ballet mistress,” Keating said. “It really has been great to be part of this company from the beginning,” she said, “when we started as a pick up company on summers off from Pennsylvania Ballet. None of us thought it would be what it is today as a resident dance company at the Wilma and traveling all over the country.” Keating has already been unofficial repetiteur for BalletX and says that it is something that is increasingly satisfying. “I staged Matt’s work on Milwaukee Ballet, Nevada Ballet and PA Ballet and next year, I’m going to Oregon Ballet to set ‘At the Border.‘ I love to see how dancers from other companies make it there own.“ Let the body talk Keating got her first professional job in 1995 and became a corps de ballet member of Pennsylvania Ballet in 1997, where she danced for 10 years and then became a full time founding company member of Ballet X.  “I knew that it was the right time to stop,” Keating said, “ I’ve had some issues with my body…a few injuries.  I feel like I’ve done so much in my career and couldn‘t ask to do much more. I just know that it’s right thing to do and mentally I feel like I’m in the right place to step to the other side. ” “I can’t say I’m not going to miss performing, I know I am. But I feel ready, it’s the right move right now,“ she observed, “what we do is so hard, not just day to day, but some of us dance for year to year to year, and your body takes a beating. I want to be wise about that because I want to be in the studio when I’m older and still be athletic and in shape. “I have had back and hip problems… that I have to stay on top of. I got an MRI weeks ago and they said ‘you’ve done a number’ on your body. But I can’t complain.’ I actually love dancing on pointe. But over the last year, I haven’t done many pieces on pointe, which actually has been a blessing in disguise. The older you get you have to work harder to keep that refinement in your pointe work,” “Now that we are bringing in a lot European choreographers, we dance in socks too; which is something I never thought I would do, but I’m already used to it. Actually, I love it.“ Even though BalletX has proved itself game to go in many choreographic directions, Keating said their core aesthetic will always “stress classical aspects.“  All the more rigorous on the Wilma Theater stage, with its up-close amphitheater design, with dancers literally a foot away from the first row.  “It’s a different kind of theater, and we’re lucky to have it. At first I didn’t like the closeness, now I love the energy.” Even though BalletX has proved itself game to go in many choreographic directions, Keating said their core aesthetic will always “stress classical aspects.” she observes, “I’ve been very lucky with my career at Pennsylvania Ballet to BalletX. All the people I’ve gotten to work with, as a dancer, has been a full spectrum for me. I feel like there’s not much more I would want to do onstage. Most importantly I feel like now I’m ready to give back in certain ways.“ Last Tango on Broad St. For now, it’s a week of premieres and a program of choreographic variety. In addition to ‘Instant God’ BX’s fall series includes ‘Switch Phase‘ by Neenan, which was just recently hailed in the New York Times and is having its East Coast Premiere and a premiere by Philly choreographer Kate Watson Wallace. “Such a nice range,” Keating observes, “Mauro’s piece has a lot of partnering, it has a heavier theme. Then Kate’s piece is very theatrical and I’m really enjoying that. Matt’s piece is set to Armenian folk songs and in that piece I do a tango. My partner is new to the company, Richard Villaverde, from the University of the Arts.” “In this series alone, we started working with Kate, who is so talented and choreographically different for us. I really enjoyed her process.   Mauro, we’ve seen his company (Spellbound) and, they’re incredible. Mauro doesn’t choreograph a lot beforehand. I’ve worked with Matt for 15 years, so … and I can almost tell you what he is going to do before he does it and over time he has changed his methods. Taking more from the dancers and of course, everybody loves the process and the work.” “I think that one of the strengths of BalletX is the camaraderie, even for being a company of ten dancers, become a corps de ballet, but Christine and Matt make sure that the individual personalities stand out. We’re not robots up there. We can see what each person is feeling.” Tara’s favs and the next stage “It’s hard me to pick one specific role, but all of Matty’s ballets…have a special place in my heart. I’ve danced so many of his, it comes so natural to me. He’s so good at bringing out the best dancer in them. And there is something very humanistic about his work that I like.” And she particularly liked her role (as did everyone else) in Adam Hoagland’s ‘Mashup’ this summer, a campy, sexy dance romp where she was outfitted with a riding crop and stalked the stage in mile-high dominatrix boots. “That was my dream role, I must tell you. We had so much fun making that piece with Adam. He kept telling me if they do this piece again, I’m going to have to come out of retirement. And I promised him I would. But, those boots did a number on me, I was doing pirouette and jumps, so by the end of the week, boots to ballet shoes, but actually, I wanted to take those boots home.” In addition to her new multiple positions at BX, Keating is interested in exploring other areas of performing arts.  “I’ve always been interested in like acting.  Crossover dance roles, would love to do something like that,”  Keating was almost cast as Poe’s wife in Thaddeus Phillips’ Live Arts Festival hit ‘Red-Eye to Havre de Grace’ when Sophie Bortolussi almost had to drop out because of a scheduling conflict. Whatever else she is cast, come January, Keating will be back in the dance studio teaching morning dance class.  Meantime, she’s leaving the door open to be back on the dance stage as guest artist.  All of dance Philadelphia will be there to welcome her back. Meanwhile, we can bid her a reluctant farewell this week in performance with BalletX at the Wilma Theater.  ]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/11/04/tara-keating-jetes-to-her-next-role/feed/ 1 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/10/05/balletx-in-rehearsal-with-kate-watson-wallace/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/10/05/balletx-in-rehearsal-with-kate-watson-wallace/#comments Sat, 06 Oct 2012 03:14:00 +0000 BillHebert http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=8781
Well now that October’s here things are really going to be picking up in terms of not only performances but the frequency of releases of my photo column.  This week we have rehearsal moments courtesy of BalletX, Choreographer Kate Watson-Wallace and of course me as photographer.  I would love to talk more but I REALLY [...]]]>
Well now that October's here things are really going to be picking up in terms of not only performances but the frequency of releases of my photo column.  This week we have rehearsal moments courtesy of BalletX, Choreographer Kate Watson-Wallace and of course me as photographer.  I would love to talk more but I REALLY would rather have these amazing moments from Kate's piece speak for themselves.  Don't forget the BalletX Fall series hits the Wilma on November 7th thru the 11th so don't miss it... ]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/10/05/balletx-in-rehearsal-with-kate-watson-wallace/feed/ 0 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/07/13/review-balletx-marks-the-spot/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/07/13/review-balletx-marks-the-spot/#comments Sat, 14 Jul 2012 03:30:05 +0000 Kat Richter http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=7793
by Kat Richter for The Dance Journal photograph by Bill Hebert If you haven’t scored your tickets to BalletX’s summer series, which runs until July 15th at the Wilma Theater and features the work of choreographers Tobin Del Cuore, Adam Houghland and Darrell Grand Moultrie, do it.  Now. As a dance critic, teacher and practitioner, [...]]]>
by Kat Richter for The Dance Journal photograph by Bill Hebert If you haven’t scored your tickets to BalletX’s summer series, which runs until July 15^th at the Wilma Theater and features the work of choreographers Tobin Del Cuore, Adam Houghland and Darrell Grand Moultrie, do it.  Now. As a dance critic, teacher and practitioner, I see a lot of dance.  Some good, some bad and some just bizarre; when I found myself faced with the last of these, I come home wondering “How the heck am I going to write about that?”  But that’s the great thing about living in a city like Philadelphia.  There really is something for everyone and even though the quality of dance on offer is as varied as the bodies on display, every once in a while something clicks and I’ll find myself face to face with a little nugget of choreographic of genius. It’s happened four times for me this year: Bolero by Roni Koresh, CITY by the Hungarian dance collective BLOOM!, The Last Glass by BalletX Co-founder Matthew Neenan and now Mashup by Adam Houghland.  Set to Big Daddy covers of pop standards like “Super Freak,” “Whip It” and “Like a Virgin,” Mashup is zany from the start.  Five dancers slump together on a couch and fall in and out of sleep in time to the music.  The women, Tara Keating and Jaime Lennon, are dressed to the nines, Keating as a dominatrix and Lennon as a stuffy, 1950s virgin but the men, especially BalletX veteran Colby Damon and Willy Laury, nearly steal the show with their nerd/bad boy antics. Houghland mixes classic vocabulary and partnering with quirky nods to tap and a petit allegro hoedown to “The Rose;” the result is silly, irreverent and completely brilliant all at the same time.  His choreography, in fact, strikes me as the perfect way to introduce non-theatre goers to the world of classical ballet— if of course classical ballet involves fishnets, riding crops and sexy high heeled boots, which in this case it does. Del Cuore’s Beside Myself is also strong especially the male duet in which Laury and William Cannon enter as hoodie-wearing head bangers, only to melt into a slow, sustained grand plie that swings shut like a garden gate.  Moultrie’s Differences in Sections, which concludes the evening, started off slow but gained momentum with Allison Walsh’s solo in which she plunges again and again to floor as if grappling with a host of unseen demons.  The female quartet was also engaging, with the dancers slapping their thighs to accent the music, and there is a picture-perfect moment in which the dancers push up from their backs into a bridge, extending their legs in a series of parallel diagonals. Previously, the costume designs of former Pennsylvania Ballet star Martha Chamberlain had left me feeling rather underwhelmed but that changed last night: her retro duds were spot on for Mashup and the transition from a nude palette at the start of Differences in Sections to a rainbow of teals, cranberries and tangerines by its end made for a lovely conclusion to an eclectic evening. Kat Richter is a freelance writer and teaching artist.  Her work can be found at www.katrichter.com.]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/07/13/review-balletx-marks-the-spot/feed/ 0 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/07/13/balletx-summer-series-2012/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/07/13/balletx-summer-series-2012/#comments Sat, 14 Jul 2012 03:20:30 +0000 BillHebert http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=7767
This week BalletX returned to the Wilma with works by Adam Hougland, Darrell Grand Moultrie and Tobin Del Cuore. I started shooting BalletX I believe in their first year with a fringe performance at the Arts Bank around 4 or 5 years ago. It’s been interesting to see how i’ve grown as a photographer as [...]]]>
This week BalletX returned to the Wilma with works by Adam Hougland, Darrell Grand Moultrie and Tobin Del Cuore. I started shooting BalletX I believe in their first year with a fringe performance at the Arts Bank around 4 or 5 years ago. It's been interesting to see how i've grown as a photographer as the company itself has grown. I'll admit that there is still room for growth as Ballet/Contemporary Ballet is not something I shoot often but I'm definitely excited to continue to see how I grow as a photographer and also watch the company continue to reach new heights. Enough words for now. Enjoy there other pics from the show.  ]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/07/13/balletx-summer-series-2012/feed/ 0 http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/06/28/city-hall-brings-dance-to-its-courtyard/ http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/06/28/city-hall-brings-dance-to-its-courtyard/#comments Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:26:46 +0000 BillHebert http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/?p=7684
There is nothing like seeing dance outdoors. Don’t get me wrong I love seeing it indoors but once in a while it’s awesome to see it out of the theater and more importantly so accessible to the people. Yesterday City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy presented both BalletX and choreographer [...]]]>
There is nothing like seeing dance outdoors. Don't get me wrong I love seeing it indoors but once in a while it's awesome to see it out of the theater and more importantly so accessible to the people. Yesterday City of Philadelphia's Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy presented both BalletX and choreographer Kate Watson-Wallace in the courtyard at City Hall. The performances were free to the public and more importantly attracted not just folks who saw the invite announcement but also passers by. Dance and performance arts in general are always looking for new audience and this was perfect. Kudos to the City for starting to really embrace the arts and thanks to the events other sponsers. Be sure to check out BalletX coming up soon as they present their summer series at the Wilma July 11th-15th, go to http://balletx.org for more info. For more information about Kate Watson-Wallace go to http://www.anonymousbodies.org/ Finally stay tuned for more summer performances as part of the City Hall Presents series and go to http://creativephl.org/post/24504009307/city-hall-presents-free-summer-concerts-in-the#more for more information and future upcoming events. For now here are a few more pics from yesterdays' festivities... ]]> http://philadelphiadance.org/blog/2012/06/28/city-hall-brings-dance-to-its-courtyard/feed/ 0