“Dances At a Gathering” is a ballet choreographed in 1969 by Jerome Robbins for the New York City Ballet. I saw it about five times with the original never-to-be-equaled cast, and it’s one of my favorite ballets ever. I haven’t … Continue reading →
Unlike over a billion of the world’s population, I only just got introduced to this weird phenom, which probably signals the end of civilization as we know it: It immediately reminded me of something I hadn’t thought about in close … Continue reading →
[NOTE: I’ve decided to every now and then republish an old post, especially one involving the arts rather than politics. Here’s one that first appeared in August of 2008.] You may recall my disastrous efforts to learn to tango, chronicled … Continue reading →
When I was a kid I was fascinated by Isadora Duncan. What was her dancing really like? How could simple movements entrance an audience so, all around the world? There are no movies of her (despite a YouTube few seconds … Continue reading →
I found this video buried in an old comment, and I think it deserves a wider viewing. It’s of Gene Kelly and Tamara Toumanova dancing Kelly’s choreography in the movie “Invitation to the Dance,” which was made in 1952 but … Continue reading →
Here are some fabulous dance pictures. No photoshopping and no tricks, although you might find that hard to believe. Here’s just one example, to whet your appetite:
Continue reading →I came across a video that was touted as amazing, featuring a 75-year-old man who still teaches ballet. My first thought was, “That’s not the least bit amazing.” Quite a few of the ballet teachers of my youth reached that … Continue reading →
They said it couldn’t be done. But hey, I’m a can-do person. So here, at commenter Gringo’s behest, is a post on ballet and jello. Helped out by the remarkably resourceful and inventive act of Googling the words “ballet jello,” … Continue reading →
This article about US Marine and Iraq war veteran and ballet dancer Roman Baca, who has choreographed ballets based on themes connected with the war, its veterans, and their families, reminds me of the fact that although there have been … Continue reading →
The bodies that excel in different sports are not randomly chosen, they are selected by the needs of the activity. One would never mistake a professional basketball player for a jockey (except maybe the highly unusual Spud Webb, and at … Continue reading →
[NOTE: Please see Part I.] “Swan Lake” is—among other things—the story of a woman named Odette who’s got a lot of reasons to be afraid. After all, she’s under an evil magician’s spell that turns her into a swan by … Continue reading →
I’m planning a several-part series comparing three ballerinas in the lead role in “Swan Lake,” and changing styles in dance and art. I got the idea after an evening of surfing around on YouTube and watching old favorites and new … Continue reading →