Category Archives: Julie Gervais / Detroit

This Weekend March 9: Michigan 5 / Choreographer Showcase at the Berman Center

Posted on by
Reply

Courtesy of Sari Cicurel / The Berman Center For The Performing Arts

The Berman Center for the Performing Arts will host, “Michigan Five: Choreographer Showcase,” Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 8:00pm, highlighting the most outstanding and creative dance talent from colleges and universities through-out the state.

This year, the “Michigan 5”are:  Oakland University, Hope College, Western Michigan University, Grand Valley State University and the University of Michigan.

Greg Patterson, Director of this year’s ‘Michigan 5′

“Michigan 5” is led by Greg Patterson, associate professor of dance at Oakland University and founder and artistic director of the Patterson Rhythm Pace Dance Company.

Patterson is thrilled to announce this year’s guest choreographers: Oakland University’s Thayer Jonutz and Ali Woerner with the set design created by Jeremy Barnett , Matt Farmer from Hope College, Western Michigan University’s David Curwen, Shawn Bible from Grand Valley State University, and from the University of Michigan, Jessica Fogel.

Elaine Smith, Managing Director of The Berman Center for the Performing Arts, looks forward to the return of this dance showcase to The Berman stage. “Every month, The Berman Center for the Performing Arts offers audiences the finest music, theatre and entertainment programs. This showcase of the universities is excellence in dance, “said Smith.

Program Notes:

Thayer Jonutz / Oakland University

Oakland University, Thayer Jonutz:  Things Happen Because I See

This collaborative project was choreographed by Oakland University’s Thayer Jonutz and Ali Woerner with the set design created by Jeremy Barnett. The piece explores human interaction in a variety of public spaces.

Ali Woerner / Oakland University

 

 

Matthew Farmer / Hope College

 

Hope College, Matt Farmer: due e una 

The piece is a soft duet between two women (music by Arvo Part), and is influenced by the weight of oppressive darkness.

David Curwen / Western Michigan University

 

 

Western Michigan University, David Curwen: the lie

A  strong modern work choreographed by WMU dance alum, Jacquelyn Nowicki,  Music is by the Kronos Quartet, Music title: UNIKO.II.Plasma, Western Dance Project Dancers: Sam Assemany, Darryl Barnes, Jalisa Brown, Connor Cornelius, Alex Laya, Emily Rayburn, Sarah Rot, Alli Zajac

 

Shawn Bible / Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley State University, Shawn Bible: Sacrificed

A contemporary pointe dance filling space with drums, silhouettes, and physicality. The intense process of ritual dance and sacrifice is portrayed.”

 

 

 

University of Michigan, Jessica Fogel: Hath Purest Wit: Anagrams for Eight Dancers and Thirteen Letters 

Jessica Fogel / University of Michigan

The concert begins with a pre-show interactive lobby performance installation that transfers to the stage in choreographer Jessica Fogel’s Hath Purest Wit: Anagrams for Eight Dancers and Thirteen Letters.  The interactive performance installation in the lobby invites you to translate what you see into words or sketches. What you see and interpret in the lobby is re-imagined onstage, not just through movement but also through music and text. Making and experiencing art form part of a buoyant, flexible, ongoing process.

Tickets to “Michigan Five: Choreographer Showcase,” on Saturday, March 9th at 8:00pm, are $21 Admission, $16 JCC Members, $12 for students and groups will pay $11 for tickets. For more information visit www.theberman.org   or call the box office at (248) 661-1900.

Interview with Keith Saunders, Ballet Master of Dance Theatre of Harlem

Posted on by
Reply

Keith Saunders

by Julie Gervais

Dancepanorama had the opportunity to talk with Keith Saunders, Dance Theatre of Harlem Ballet Master, in advance of the Company’s arrival in Detroit for performances at the Detroit Opera House Feb 1, 2, and 3.

 

DP: It was shortly after the company’s visit to Detroit in 2004 that Dance Theatre of Harlem went on hiatus, suspending operations of the professional performing company. When dancers get injured, and rehabilitate, and then return to work, it’s an exciting time but a dancer is also changed by that process. Does the company feel something like that?

KS: It’s an interesting analogy – yes – we are changed by that process; we are strengthened by that process. There’s a renewal. We feel very much alive and excited to return to the national and international landscape. And the new Dance Theatre of Harlem is not the company of 2004. Almost all of the dancers are new, of course because eight years is almost an entire generation in the life of a ballet company. And there are other differences: one of the biggest being that the size of the company has gone from 44 dancers to 18, now. These dancers have been hand-picked from our second company, the DTH Ensemble, which has been touring nationally since 2009 [and visited Detroit during that time]. Some dancers have also been brought into the company from our national auditions.

DP: How many of your current 18 dancers remain from the pre-hiatus days?

KS: There are a couple of dancers on the current roster who were with us before, including one of our leading dancers, Ashley Murphy, who was an apprentice with DTH in 2004.

Ashley Murphy. Photo (c) Rachel Neville.

And Taurean Green was with us in 2004. He danced with other companies in the intervening years and now he’s back with us.

DP: What changes in repertory have resulted from the decreased size of the Company?

KS: Our Artistic Director, Virginia Johnson, did a very smart thing. Over the last three years, as we worked toward the return of the Company, and we’ve known for a while now that we were planning to go with 18 dancers, Virginia instituted a choreographic development program that she called ‘Harlem DanceWorks 2.0’. She invited choreographers in to develop, working with dancers we hired, new works that would form part of the rep of the new company. We are bringing one of the ballets that came out of this project to Detroit. It’s called ‘Far But Close’. It’s a narrative ballet, a contemporary love story of two people who meet in Harlem. Some of the other ballets we’ll be performing in Detroit have been developed just this season – world premiere ballets specifically for the company, or company premieres. We will be performing Alvin Ailey’s ‘The Lark Ascending’ – the first time any company other than the Ailey company will perform it – and this is the first time it’s being performed on pointe. We’re bringing two Balanchine ballets, his masterwork Agon [which was in Dance Theatre’s rep prior to hiatus], plus a lesser-known work: Glinka Pas de Trois, which dates from the 1950s and is a small gem of a work. We’re also bringing a Donald Byrd ballet called ‘Contested Space’, which was made on our second company last season and has been brought forward. Obviously right now we won’t do Giselle, or Serenade, or Four Temperaments…some of those bigger ballets that were staples of the former company, the size difference means we’re unable to do those now. So what Virginia has done is to develop ballets for this company at this size. We do retain some ballets from our previous repertoire.

‘Return’

‘Return’, by Robert Garland is one of these that we’ll be bringing to Detroit. It’s very popular and set to songs by James Brown and Aretha Franklin.

We’ll also be bringing the world premiere that Robert choreographed for us for this season, called ‘Gloria’ – a full-company ballet set to Francis Poulenc’s Gloria.

‘Gloria’ Photo (c) Matthew Murphy.

It was the first ballet seen when the company returned to the stage in October. We’re also bring the Swan Lake Act 3 Pas de Deux. So it’s a carefully selected balance; there are two complete programs. There are original ballets made on these dancers, there is repertoire from the former company, and there are company premieres. This is the Dance Theatre of the 21st century. We’re interested in continuing to grow and develop our dancers of course, but also interested in exploring the idea of what ballet in the 21st century means.

DP: In a recent interview, Virginia Johnson discussed the ongoing disparity between the diversity in our population and the diversity represented in ballet companies. How does DTH’s original mission fit into the 21st century?

KS: It’s still a necessity for DTH to have this sensibility. We’ve been having the same conversation for as long as I’ve been involved in ballet. I don’t that anyone has ever had a satisfactory answer, but if you look at ballet companies across America, it’s not really that different from what it was years ago; it’s frankly not that diverse. Dance Theatre’s mission to continue to provide opportunities for black dancers remains unchanged, and remains relevant.

DP: The fact that we’re still having this conversation – is it good, in a way? In the sense that, if we’re talking about it, we’re acknowledging that there remains work to be done.

KS: I don’t want to say it’s exactly the same as years ago – there is some more diversity now, but change is slow. There are so many factors that go into it. So yes, perhaps the fact that we’re still talking about it is good, in that we need to continue to make people aware. Particularly people who serve on Boards of Directors and as Artistic Directors, it’s important that they know that there is still an issue of inclusion.

DP: Thank you so much for carving time out of a busy schedule, and we’re looking forward to seeing you next week!

KS: We’re looking forward to being there!

 

 

 

 

 

Preview: LM Productions ‘Broadway in Detroit’: Masonic Temple December 14

Posted on by
Reply

Lisa McCall

Lisa McCall is at it again!

This whirlwind of a woman, who has crafted an international career as a performer, choreographer, educator and producer, is once again working her magic as she prepares a big show: a Broadway-style production that showcases major stars alongside some of our own Detroit performing artists.

She makes clear how important this is to her – to create opportunity for local performing artists who have the talent and the drive, but maybe not the resources, to propel themselves all the way to New York. She puts them up on stage with artists who are in the international mix, and schools them in the demands and standards that it takes to get there. She chooses as collaborators other established artists who also care about this goal.

Dancers in rehearsal for ‘Broadway in Detroit’

Legendary percussionist Bill Summers, who worked with Quincy Jones in writing the musical score for the mini-television series ‘Roots’ and the soundtrack to the ‘The Color Purple’, says “I want to share my experience and knowledge with the current and next generation of artists. I have worked with my own idols and I have information that can help make the road less arduous for those seeking a productive life in the arts. There are no shortcuts to being an excellent performer but the experience of the experienced can shorten ones life journey to success.”

‘Broadway in Detroit’ will take the audience on a musical journey, one experienced by a dancer dealing with rejection.

McCall: “We have all experienced rejection at some time in our lives, but the way we respond to it will either break us or build us up. ‘Broadway in Detroit’ will empower, enlighten, and entertain the audience.”

This show will take place in the stunning Scottish Rite Theater (also known as the Cathedral) at the Masonic Temple, 500 Temple Ave., Detroit. Tickets are $20 and are now on sale. Call 248-573-9243.

Detroit Dance Race: artLabJ November 2-3, 2012

Posted on by
Reply

A terrific and well-curated collection of dances was shown last weekend in the artLabJ Theater, the new dance/art space in Greektown opened just this summer by Joori Jung. There was much polished creativity at work here, lots of beautiful movement and a nicely balanced diversity of style and content. Below are some snaps from Friday evening. Keep an eye on artLabJ – lots going on there! All photos: Scott Lipiec.

Lydia Alexis Porter and Laressa Batson in ‘Dream a Little Dream’ by Big Red Stowall / Big Red Wall Dance Company.

Carson Reiners, Choreographer & Dancer: ‘Not Nobody. Yesbody’

Miranda Wilking, Melanie Wilking, and Sarah Greenwald. They choreographed their own work, ‘Crystallize’, and appear as ‘Finesse’ – teen performers who are also raising money for their college funds!

Erika Stowall and Liz Kreutziger in ‘Vested’ by Kristi Faulkner / Kristi Faulkner Dance

Aaron Smith, Marianne Brass, and Joori Jung (center) in Joori’s own piece, ‘Dream City’ / artLabJ Dance

Melanie Verna in her own work, ‘Old Time Tumbler’

REVIEW: NEW YORK CITY BALLET MOVES

Posted on by
Reply

October 27-28, 2012 at the Detroit Opera House

by Julie Gervais

Whether you’ve seen this company before or this was your first time, there is no mistaking the singular style and energy of the dancers in the New York City Ballet.

As much as any company in the world, this company embodies the city where it lives – edgy yet not self-conscious, supercharged but not frenetic, self-assured in its central position in the artistic universe. NYCB is pure New York.

They brought enough newer work to give Detroiters a taste of what bigger cities get to see on a regular basis, and enough NYCB ‘tradition’ to give a sense of the company’s lineage – an important consideration in light of the fact that their last visit here was in 1961. The full company numbers over 90 dancers; this touring group collects 16 of them from all of the ranks, plus their own musicians. It’s a welcome innovation.

Polyphonia. (Shown here danced by The Royal Ballet (c) Alice Pennefather)

They opened with Christopher Wheeldon’s breakthrough work from 2001, Polyphonia. His initial image is arresting: the dancers’ arms and legs make a surgically sharp sideways diagonal slice through the air. The women wear leotards of rich concord grape and the men sport the same color – this costuming being both in line with NYCB leotard-ballet tradition, and a half-step away from it. The bold and unexpected start turns out to be a harbinger, as the work turns up surprise after delightful surprise. Unusual shapes and movements flow freely and never feel forced or gimmicky, and they serve as a bridge to the musical world of Gyorgy Ligeti, perhaps foreign territory for some. Wheeldon paces the work so that even on first view, there is time to see what’s happening – and this reads as an easy confidence by an artist who doesn’t feel pressed to throw every last thing at the wall and see what sticks (a tendency with some contemporary choreographers). Maria Kowroski (of Grand Rapids) gets some of the juiciest bits, and brings a quiet but assured star power to everything she does. She has one of the most beautiful classical bodies of any woman working today, and seems to be at a point in her career where she wields her powers lightly, dazzling without ever seeming to be impressed with the effects she creates.

Duo Concertant was created by George Balanchine in 1972 – before our current age of

Duo Concertant

irony. The piece starts with the dancers standing near the onstage musicians – a pianist and a violinist – looking appreciative, admiring. Many have noted that this seems kind of hokey now, and it’s a relief when the dancers finally get to step away from their reverie and…dance. But there is a point – one that was very dear to Balanchine – which was that you must really listen to the music, really hear it and understand it, before you can dance to it. Megan Fairchild and Chase Finlay illustrated this concept with total commitment. The allegro movement is breathtakingly speedy, and it’s easy to imagine the dancers in the first cast feeling unsure whether this could be done. Subsequent generations of NYCB dancers now have this kind of speed in their DNA, but it’s still astonishing.

Herman Schmerman was created for NYCB in 1992 by William Forsythe, an American who has built an illustrious career in Germany. Schmerman has an exploratory feel to it, in its deconstruction of classical pas de deux and traditional partnering work. It’s fun and light, and seems to say that sometimes people just can’t figure out what’s going on in their relationships. Maria Kowroski and Robert Fairchild try one thing and then another, give up, walk away, come back to each other. In the end, they settle on a finger turn – kind of an inside joke for dancers, but the audience seemed to get it.

The last two pieces came from Peter Martins, the Company’s Artistic Director. It was exciting to see that Tiler Peck would dance the first, Zakouski. Ms. Peck made a name for herself even before she graduated, as a crack turner with a killer jump – not a typical combination of assets. Then she became NYCB’s youngest principal dancer. In Zakouski and everything she danced in Detroit, it’s clear she is almost superhuman in her technical assurance. But none of her roles here offered us the chance to see her really dig in, and Zakouski itself is kind of a perplexing mashup of classical ballet, folk dance, and experimental noodling.

Hallelujah Junction

Mr. Martins’ Hallelujah Junction, commissioned from its native son by the Royal Danish Ballet in 2001, really moves. It is jubilant and very, very busy with comings and goings, in the manner of Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room. Indeed the structure of delayed repetition between the two pianos (composed by John Adams) also feels similar to a Philip Glass work. It’s the biggest piece of the night in terms of personnel – eight corps dancers and three soloists, including Daniel Ulbricht, who brought this work the electricity it needed to come together. The fullness of his expression of each single step, and the clarity of shapes at lightning speed was thrilling. As much as anything we saw here, Junction was a good way to re-introduce New York City Ballet to a city that needed a re-introduction.

Thanks is due to Marlene Boll, Joanne Danto, and Nora Moroun for making these performances possible.

 

 

New York City Ballet MOVES Upcoming: Detroit Opera House Oct 27-28

Posted on by
Reply

Grand Rapids native Maria Kowroski, Principal Dancer with the NYCB, shown here in George Balanchine’s ‘Serenade’. This work isn’t on the upcoming Detroit program, but the photo shows some of the signature technical details that put NYCB in a league of its own in the ballet world.

By Julie Gervais

Puzzle: The USA is a big country. The New York City Ballet is the largest American dance organization. How do you share the magic of a ballet company with 90-some dancers and an active repertory of over 150 works?

Solution: Create ‘NYCB MOVES’ – a touring group that presents a selection of dynamic works from the company’s vast repertory. Performed by a group of NYCB dancers, including principals, soloists and members of the corps de ballet, each program features live music played by musicians from the NYCB orchestra.

Conclusion: Not only does this make abundant sense, it’s a tremendously exciting development for Detroit, considering that we’re on the tour schedule! NYCB MOVES will appear at the Detroit Opera House October 27-28. The last time New York City Ballet appeared in Detroit was…1961. We’ll try to dig up more info on that later. Meanwhile, enjoy this photo of Michigan’s own Maria Kowroski, Principal Dancer with NYCB, who is listed as  a member of the touring group. Casting and programming not yet available as of this writing, so stay tuned!!

Meet Addison Toutant – Dance Student and Winner of Two Tickets to Billy Elliot The Musical!

Posted on by
Reply

Addison Toutant in the Fisher Theatre, ready for the show!

By a slightly crazy coincidence, the winners of Dancepanorama’s ticket contest for Billy Elliot The Musical at the Fisher Theatre were Heather Toutant and her son, Addison – who is a 13 year old…dance student! He even resembles some of the boys who play Billy, and someone in the lobby at intermission approached him to ask if he in fact is one of the Billys! You can’t make this stuff up! So we had to ask him a few questions…

dp: Where do you study dance, and what kinds of dance do you study? How many classes do you take in the average week?

AT: I take class at The Turning Point School for the Performing Arts in St. Clair Shores …. I have been going there for 7 or 8 years. We just started this week, I think I take 9 classes per week. I take jazz, tap, hip hop, ballet and now this year lyrical.

dp: Had you seen the film version of Billy Elliot, and so did you kind of know the story beforehand?

AT: No, I didn’t but my mother told me a bit about it.

dp: Can you pick out a favorite part of the show, or maybe two?

AT: I’ve got to say my favorite part of the show was the end of the 1st half — the Angry dance. I feel like I could understand what he was going through by the way he expressed himself in that dance … It sorta got to me because the emotions were conveyed very well.

dp: Do you have to deal with people at school or elsewhere who still think that dance is ‘for girls’?

AT: Not so much of that is what I deal with, more so that people don’t think it’s a sport. I guess they don’t think dance has any competitions to it so therefore it’s really not a sport. Little do they know dance has a lot of competitions! I even compete with my dance studio.

dp: It’s just a crazy coincidence that these tickets wound up going to a young boy whose story has some parallels with Billy’s story! Did it feel a little autobiographical to you at times?

AT: Actually yeah — it did!

dp: Anything else you want to say that I didn’t ask?

AT: Next time you see a young man dancing, you can think of the show. We all struggle with our own issues, but there is always somebody behind us — supporting us.

 

DETROIT METRO DROP-IN DANCE CLASSES

Posted on by
Reply

Detroiter Bianca Revels shows how it’s done.

We are happy to offer this continuously-updated list of ongoing class availability in Detroit Metro. If you would like your information included, send in the format shown below to julie at dancepanorama dot com.

 

 

 

 

BRIGHTON / MICHIGAN DANCE PROJECT / WWW.MICHIGANDANCEPROJECT.COM
WE OFFER: advanced contemporary jazz
CLASS COST: $10
WHEN: Sundays 1:00-2:30pm
WHO: ages 15+
CONTACT: michigandanceproject@yahoo.com
RECITAL CONFLICT? only concert weekends & holidays

COMMERCE TOWNSHIP / DDC DANCES / WWW.DETROITDANCECOLLECTIVE.ORG
WE OFFER: open company class in advanced modern & ballet
CLASS COST: $15 OR $100 for a 10-class card
WHEN: M, W, F 10 – 11:30 a.m.
WHO: adults
CONTACT: 810-444-4553, barb@detroitdancecollective.org
RECITAL CONFLICT? no

DETROIT / 3D DANCE ACADEMY / WWW.3DSHARONFREED.COM
WE OFFER: ballet, hip-hop, Zumba, modern, African, tap, jazz / all levels
CLASS COST: $15
WHEN: Tuesday & Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons
WHO: Teens & adults
CONTACT: freedsharon3d@yahoo.com, 313-515-3549
RECITAL CONFLICT: no

DETROIT / ARTLABJ / WWW.ARTLABJ.COM
WE OFFER: Mat Pilates – All Levels
CLASS COST: $32 for a 5 class card in advance, $12 at the door
WHEN: Wednesdays 6:30 – 7:30 pm
WHO: adults
CONTACT: info@artLabJ.com 313-638-2192
RECITAL CONFLICT? sometimes

DETROIT / ARTLABJ / WWW.ARTLABJ.COM
WE OFFER: Intermediate/Advanced Modern Dance
CLASS COST: $40 for a 5 class card in advance, $15 at the door
WHEN: Sundays 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
WHO: adults
CONTACT: info@artLabJ.com 313-638-2192
RECITAL CONFLICT? sometimes

DETROIT / AWAKEN STUDIO
WE OFFER: Yoga/ Pilates
CLASS COST: $10/ class, $7 w/ college I.D OR $45 for the month
WHEN: M 5pm Pilates, M,T 6:30 Yoga, Th 12pm Yoga, 7pm Pilates Sat 12pm Yoga
WHO: Teens/adults
CONTACT: 313-258-4011, awakenstudio12@gmail.com
RECITAL CONFLICT? no

DETROIT / BALLET RENAISSANCE / WWW.BALLETREN.ORG
WE OFFER: ballet / beginner – intermediate
CLASS COST: $15
WHEN: Monday-Thursday evenings
WHO: Teens & adults
CONTACT: balletren@balletren.org, 313.469.0694
RECITAL CONFLICT: sometimes

DETROIT / DETROIT DANCE STUDIO / WWW.DETROITDANCESTUDIO.COM
WE OFFER: ballet, contemporary, street jazz, hip-hop / beginner-intermediate
CLASS COST: $14 single 1-hr class or $45 for 4-week session
WHEN: Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday evenings
WHO: adults mainly, teens welcome
CONTACT: 313-887-0656, info@detroitdancestudio.com
RECITAL CONFLICT? No

DETROIT/SOUTHWEST DANCE/WWW.LIVINGARTSDETROIT.ORG
WE OFFER: Zumba, Salsa, Pilates Fitness
CLASS COST: $45 for 10 week session/ $8 drop-in (first class free!)
WHEN: Salsa: Mon 7:30-8:30/ Zumba: Tues 6:00-7:00/ Pilates Fitness: Tues 7:30-8:15
WHO: adults
CONTACT: (313) 841-4765, maria@livingartsdetroit.org
RECITAL CONFLICT? no

DEXTER/PURE EXISTENCE DANCE COMPANY/WWW.PUREEXISTENCEDANCE.COM
WE OFFER: advanced contemporary jazz class
CLASS COST: $10
WHEN: Sundays 1:30-3:00pm (check website for occasional schedule changes)
WHO: advanced and adult dancers
CONTACT: jodie@pureexistencedance.com
RECITAL CONFLICT? No
FERNDALE: KRISTI FAULKNER DANCE / WWW.KRISTIFAULKNER.COM
WE OFFER: Modern – intermediate/advanced
CLASS COST: $5
WHEN: Monday evenings
WHO: Ages 16-50
CONTACT: Kristi@KristiFaulknerDance.com
RECITAL CONFLICT? No
FERNDALE & OAK PARK / ISISRAKS DANCE / WWW.FUTUREWAVEPRODUCTIONS.NET

WE OFFER: Bellydance for Fitness (Beginner), Mediterranean (Intermediate), Bellydance (Egyptian, Tribal Fusion, Cabaret, Forkloric)
CLASS COST: Drop-in $8.00 & $12.00
WHEN: M/T/W evenings, Saturday mornings
WHO: Teens & Adults
CONTACT: Dee (313) 303-7321 / email:stedee12001@yahoo.com / facebook: Dee of Futurewave Productions LLC
RECITAL CONFLICT? Yes, for community events, private events.

KEEGO HARBOR / CHRISTINA’S ADULT BALLET / WWW.CHRISTINASADULTBALLET.COM

WE OFFER: adult ballet / beginning thru advanced plus
CLASS COST: first class free, $17 per Class
WHEN: Sunday thru Friday mornings
WHO: Adults and teens
CONTACT: 248-977-8699
RECITAL CONFLICT? no

OAK PARK / LASHELLE’S SCHOOL OF DANCE / WWW.LSODANCE.COM
WE OFFER: yoga, ballet, tap, modern jazz, praise dance, hustle ballroom & bop
CLASS COST: $15
WHEN: After 5:30pm Monday – Friday
WHO: 18 & up
CONTACT: lashelles@hotmail.com
RECITAL CONFLICT? no

PLYMOUTH / TRIPLE THREAT DANCE & THEATRE COMPANY / WWW.TRIPLETHREATDTC.COM
WE OFFER: jazz, ballet, turns & jumps, stretch & conditioning / intermediate thru advanced
CLASS COST: $8 – $15 depends on class
WHEN: Wednesday & Thursday evenings, Saturday mornings
WHO: 9+ but minimum age varies by class
CONTACT: 734-335-7722, info@TripleThreatDTC.com
RECITAL CONFLICT? no

REDFORD / JAZZ & SPIRIT DANCE THEATRE OF DETROIT / WWW.JAZZSPIRITDANCE.ORG
WE OFFER: Horton, tap, Dunham, Zumba
CLASS COST: $15
WHEN: M,W,F evenings
WHO: Adults
CONTACT: 313-534-0301, jazzspiritdance@gmail.com
RECITAL CONFLICT: sometimes (Apr-June)

ROCHESTER / ROCHESTER SCHOOL OF DANCE / WWW.ROCHESTERSCHOOLOFDANCE.COM
WE OFFER: ballet / beg-intermediate
CLASS COST: $20 drop-in rate or $126 for 9 week session plus $25 registration fee
WHEN: Wednesday evenings
WHO: teens & adults
CONTACT: 248-652-3117, michballet22@aol.com
RECITAL CONFLICT: no

ST. CLAIR SHORES / MOREDANCES CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY
WE OFFER: ballet, contemporary / advanced
CLASS COST: $12
WHEN: Tuesdays & Wednesdays midday
WHO: teens and adults
CONTACT: 586-899-2629
RECITAL CONFLICT: No

STERLING HEIGHTS / GOTTA DANCE / WWW.SUZANNEHAWKINSBALLETWORKSHOP.COM
WE OFFER: ballet / intermediate – advanced + pointe
CLASS COST: $140 / 10 int. classes, $165 / 10 classes incl. Pointe
WHEN: Tuesday evenings, Wednesday mornings
WHO: 16 & up
CONTACT: 248-652-3003, shawkins248@comcast.net
RECITAL CONFLICT: No

UTICA / ARGENTINE TANGO DETROIT / WWW.ARGENTINETANGODETROIT.COM
WE OFFER: Argentine Tango, Zumba, salsa/latin, ballroom / beginner thru
COST: $15.00
WHEN: All evenings & weekends
WHO: All ages
CONTACT: lori@argentinetangodetroit.com, 586-254-0560
RECITAL CONFLICT? no

WESTLAND / THE DANCE ACADEMY / WWW.THEDANCEACADEMYGC.COM
WE OFFER: Zumba, yoga/Pilates mix / beginner-intermediate
CLASS COST: $7
WHEN: Tuesday & Wednesday evenings, Saturday mornings
WHO: 13+
CONTACT: 734-452-1478
RECITAL CONFLICT: no

WIXOM / ACADEMY OF RUSSIAN CLASSICAL BALLET / WWW.RUSSIANCLASSICALBALLET.COM
WE OFFER: ballet, character, pointe, variations, conditioning, men’s technique, pas de deux, adults / pre-ballet through advanced

REVIEW: Stars of Russian Ballet Gala

Posted on by
Reply

By Julie Gervais

Power Center for the Performing Arts

August 18, 2012

Alisa Sodoleva. Stars of Russian Ballet Gala 08.18.12 (c) Gene Schiavone

With the presentation of its third Gala on Saturday night, Russian Artists International/Ballet Russe took another graceful step forward.

Its mission, the presentation of classical ballet in the Russian tradition, is unique in the area and thus requires some clarification. Does it mean, as some in the audience wondered, that all of the dancers come straight from Russia? No. Does it mean that inclusion of new work by contemporary choreographers is a departure from the mission? Again, no. It means, as the work illustrates, that dancers trained in the exactingly specific Russian method continue to dominate the ranks of the world’s major ballet companies for a very good reason. And, that no matter where they were born or where they dance now or what work they perform, they do ballet like no one else. The crowd at the Power Center seemed to appreciate this.

The structure of a Gala evening is ultimately a tease, and no doubt many people look forward to the day when the Company will be able to present work in longer formats. That said, the only choice is sit back and enjoy the rapid-fire assortment of greatest hits. Those hits were interspersed this year with several excellent contemporary works, following the kickoff with two dances performed by the excellent students of the Russian Ballet Intensive. There were many wonderful moments.

Maria Kochetkova and Gennadi Nedvuigin, Stars of Russian Ballet Gala. 08.18.12 (c) Gene Schiavone

Maria Kochetkova is a Principal Dancer at San Francisco Ballet, and has a most remarkable movement style, velvety even in her sharpness of attack. She is precise without being perfunctory, full of care for every step yet simultaneously somehow carefree in her overall impression. Her first appearance was in a contemporary piece, Yuri Possokhov’s ‘Diving Into the Lilacs’, a title that reportedly has symbolic significance to Russians (and sounds like some kind of outdoor misadventure to the rest of us). The piece is kind of inscrutable in this excerpted section. There’s a lot of yearning and angst and swoopy lines and mysterious events, like when she lies down flat on the floor for a while. In the absence of context, the dance serves as a sort of physical manifestation of emotional state – and that’s plenty.

Sergei Sidorskyi, the leading Principal of the National Ballet of Ukraine, is similarly

Sergei Sidorskyi

confounding – how can a dancer be simultaneously so gallant, yet totally nonchalant? How does he take total command of the stage with confident authority, yet also come across as a most affable fellow? In addition to his classical work in La Bayadere and Don Quixote, he showed a solo that he choreographed for himself. It’s a fair guess that A. Vivaldi would be either very pleased by it, or rather envious, as the whole theater kind of gasped when Mr. Sidorsyki’s open shirt came all the way off.

Keenan Kampa

A fair amount of buzz anticipated the appearance of Keenan Kampa, a young American dancer who graduated from the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg and has just become the first American to join the famous Mariinsky Theatre there. She’s another study in contrasts – so young and American in her look (I would say California, except that she’s from Virginia) yet self-possessed with the formal polish of Russian training. It will be fun to follow her trailblazing career.

Courtney Richardson (a Detroit native) and her partner Ernesto Boada showed two contemporary pieces: Christopher Wheeldon’s ‘After the Rain’, and ‘Sweet Spell of Oblivion’ by David Dawson, who is the choreographer-in-residence at the Royal Ballet of Flanders. Their work together seems highly charged, and

Ms. Richardson is shocking in her beauty and in the luxuriousness of her shapes and lines. As ‘Sweet Spell’ got underway, I felt my jaw drop open and stay there. It’s sexy and gorgeous and urgent and a little crazy; seeming only tethered to reality by Bach’s music. This is a great example of the kind of innovative work well underway in Europe, where the developed tastes lead to more open experimentation that our American free market will support.

Courtney Richardson and Ernesto Boada, Stars of Russian Ballet Gala. 08.18.2012 (c) Gene Schiavone

Olga Pavlova is a consummate Russian ballerina. In dance training, one is often coached to ‘fully commit’ to the movement and I know of no other ballerina that shows this idea so clearly. She and Andrey Ivanov had one of the most difficult spots on the program when they had to swing the audience back to hardcore classical directly following the Wheeldon piece. It would intimidate all but the best.

Olga Pavlova

Mr. Ivanov, a soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre who also danced with Ms. Pavlova in Carmen near the top of the show, is credited with the choreography for the Finale, but unmentioned as the possible architect of some highly mischievous shenanigans taking place in the last parts of the Don Quixote pas de deux sequence. Suffice it to say that the Russians, contrary to what some believe, have a highly developed sense of humor and don’t take themselves all that seriously.

Mark your calendars for next year’s Gala: August 17, 2013. The students of the Russian Ballet Intensive and the Stars of the Russian Ballet Gala look forward to surprising you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Complexions Contemporary Ballet Summer Intensive

Posted on by
Reply

Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Detroit Summer Intensive
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Generously Sponsored by Maggie Allesee

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Maggie Allesee, Sponsor of the Performance, and Meg Paul, Director of the Intensive, join the dancers onstage for congratulations to the raffle winner of a scholarship to next year’s Intensive.

By Julie Gervais

“It’s the original choreography – the exact same as what the Company dances. We didn’t want to dumb it down.”

Right away, you sit up a little straighter in your seat. ‘Really?’ you think. Because if you’ve ever seen Complexions Contemporary Ballet, you know that the choreography is so richly complex, so intricate, and so jam-packed that it’s hard to imagine anyone but seasoned professionals getting a handle on it.

And that’s where your imagination will have failed you.

These kids – some as young as 11, some in their early 20s – accomplished incredible things over the course of two weeks. It’s a tribute to the Complexions artistic staff, of course, but credit should also be given to the clearly strong corps of local schools that prepared these students for the experience. This show wouldn’t have been what it was unless these students were ready to meet the challenge.

The program structure was well-designed. Each student section, grouped into four skill levels, began with staged phrases of class work. This lays it right out: ‘ballet is hard. The exercises take a long time to master, and we have to repeat them thousands of times. But we have to do classical ballet well if we want to do contemporary ballet well.’

It’s not easy to put together a student performance in two weeks. Using the classwork as a base, the faculty set sections of numerous dances on each group. At each level, you see them grappling with the rigid requirements of classical work, and then learning to set their bodies free into looser lines and shapes. Advancing through the ranks, the older and more experienced students show how, bit by bit, this becomes more and more possible. The fascinating thing is the progression. It’s almost like watching a time-lapse video of the human growth pattern / 2nd decade.

And none of this is to say that there wasn’t some fabulous dancing. These kids were fired up! Christina Dooling’s group was first up and set the tone, beginning with their tendu combination and transitioning to a medley of stylish and diverse selections from repertory. One of the most exciting things about Complexions is the enormously broad range of music that they use. Spirituals segue into Dave Brubeck’s Take 5, then on to some rockabilly on the way to the Chopin. It’s kind of a wild ride at times, and the choreography no less so. But this is exactly why this Company is credited with a paradigm shift. They have never accepted the idea of arbitrary boundaries or limits on the use of ballet as a tool for the creation of great art.

The performance was polished to a shine by Complexions’ professional dance faculty, who stepped out on stage to show some of Dwight Rhoden’s choreography at full throttle. For dance students, there is no substitute for close-range study of professionals at the top of their game. Inspirational dance artists all.

Special mention to Adam McGaw, WSU student, who did a beautiful job with a solo by

Alyssa Clark and Sam Horning

Associate Artistic Director Jae Man Joo. The iconic Bach cello suite #1 was well represented. Also to David Sherban, who moves with incredible fluidity and a center of serene calm, and to Sam Horning and Alyssa Clark for some sophisticated pas de deux work. A big shoutout to outstanding soloists in each of the groups whose names are sadly unknown to us now, but who will likely become known as they dance their way up through the local ranks. Look for performance listings on dancepanorama’s calendar, and get out to support your local dance artists in training!