Bob Rizzo - Page 2

Popular choreographer Al Blackstone, known for his Broadway style routines on So You Think You Can Dance, is excited to be returning for his third season at the Fire Island Dance Festival. Blackstone will be presenting an excerpt from his new work, Freddie Falls In Love, which recently had its premiere at The Pershing Square Signature Center in New York City. The show was also a benefit performance for DRA and Blackstone figured it would be a perfect fit for this year's festival.

Khori Petinaud was more of an athlete as a child yet she still sashayed around her house in tutus, tiaras, and dance slippers. She didn't actually start formal ballet classes until she was thirteen. Having been bitten by the 'ballet bug' was, in a word, transformative. Given her age, the young Petinaud was not one to waste time. She attended the summer program at Dance Theatre of Harlem that very same year. Eventually she discovered her love of modern dance while studying at Alvin Ailey and subsequently attended Tisch School of the Arts where she received her BFA in dance. Her foray into musical theatre was with the national tour of The Color Purple.

The Radio City Rockettes star in the new summer show at the Radio City Music Hall, 'New York Spectacular,' but don't expect the traditional razor precision ensemble work that you may be accustomed to seeing. This new show has the personalized stamp of popular So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Mia Michaels, who is also credited as the director. Fans of Michaels' signature contemporary dance style will find a lot to like in this production: from the Rockettes gesticulating and grooving to her edgy vibe, to the wildly talented male ensemble that turn, jump, and twitch out to her stylized dance vocabulary.

He made his mark on the New York stage in 2015 playing the Fred Astaire role in Lady, Be Good at City Center's Encores! This past season he made his Broadway debut as Lucky in the tap-happy revival of Dames At Sea. Now Danny Gardner shuffles onto the grand stage at Radio City making his debut in the New York Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes. As part of the principal cast, Danny joins eighty performers in this new show that celebrates New York City in the summertime. It's centered around the trip of a lifetime for two kids, who, while on a vacation in New York, are separated from their parents. The city magically comes to life and helps to reunite their family in the end. It's all directed and choreographed by Emmy Award-winner Mia Michaels, and is written by Drama Desk Award-winner Douglas Carter Beane.

Josh Walden is a seasoned Broadway hoofer. He's sung and danced in the revivals of 42nd Street, A Chorus Line, La Cage aux Folles and Ragtime. But it's in the new Off-Broadway musical Cagney where Walden gets to really show off his versatility and range. He changes characters and costumes faster than he taps out a syncopated rhythm-and he even executes that flawlessly. He's part of Cagney's expert six-member cast in this musical biography of Hollywood tough guy and dance man James Cagney.

It's only a few moments before choreographer Jennifer Paulson- Lee will watch her cast give the press a 'sneak peek' of their rehearsals. They're preparing to perform three musical numbers from 'You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown' which will be presented at The York Theatre beginning this week for a limited engagement. What's unique about this revival is the fact that a pint-sized cast of 9 to 13 year olds is performing all the roles. But don't let their ages fool you. This young bunch of talented thespians has a list of professional credits that any seasoned 35-year-old performer would envy. As the press files into the theatre, Paulson-Lee is busy making last minute corrections on her young charges. She is gentle and soft-spoken yet gets her point across to these eager children who take her notes and make the adjustments on the spot. The mutual love and admiration between this gang of peanuts and their dance master is all too evident.

The sparkling new Broadway musical Shuffle Along boasts an all-star cast and one heck of a tap-happy, super talented ensemble. Dancer Phillip Attmore is among those skillful hoofers who tear up the floor nightly at The Music Box Theatre. This guy has charisma to spare and literally bursts out of the chorus performing a rapid-fire succession of rhythm turns that are reminiscent of the dynamic tapping from the old classic movie musicals.

Now that the Tony Award nominations have been announced, it looks like a pretty competitive race for 'Best Choreography.' The category is full of creative and diverse work from four established Broadway vets, and the debut of a new modern voice. Each put their own distinctive stamp on dance genres that include tap, hip-hop, salsa, and traditional folk dances with a twist. Here are the five guys to watch out for on June 12th.

Sterling Masters hails from Charlotte, NC and is currently appearing in Wicked on Broadway. Long before she made her Broadway debut in the show she grew up dancing in her mom's dance studio. She competed in dance competitions and still holds the record for being the first and only dancer to hold all four titles for Carolina Dance Masters. After a brief stint at Florida State, Sterling was cast in the national tour of Fosse and never looked back. She went on to perform (and dance captain) national tours of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Wicked, to name a few.

On Tuesday evening April 12th, The Dance Enthusiast presented an informal evening of dance and conversation. The 4th in a series called Enthusiastic Events!, Dance: Broadway Stage and Screen consisted of three engaging speakers and two short dance performances.

If there were a Tony Award category for 'Best Dance Shoes', the most likely nominee (and winner) would be Broadway shoe designer Phil LaDuca. This season alone his custom-made shoes are trotting the boards in a batch of new shows including Shuffle Along, Tuck Everlasting, She Loves Me, and the upcoming New York Spring Spectacular starring the Rockettes. His trendy dance shoes were also worn in the hit movie musical, Chicago, and in Katy Perry's acclaimed performance in last year's Super Bowl XLIX halftime show.

His middle initial stands for Quinn, but close friends call him Colby Q. Colby has recently joined the cast of Off-Broadway's song and dance extravaganza, TRIP OF LOVE where he surfs, shimmies and shakes to the pop sounds of the 60's. A graduate of Oklahoma City University, he's appeared on Broadway in WICKED, toured with Radio City, and danced on television in SMASH and BOARDWALK EMPIRE. Get to know a little more about Colby as he talks dance, underwear, and working for Madonna.

Lorin Latarro talks about her choreography in the new Broadway musical, WAITRESS.

BWW Interview: Ray Mercer puts All The Right Moves into PURE MOTION

BWW Interview: Dancer Jakob Karr on his Diverse Career since So You Think You Can Dance

Lori Ann Ferreri has the distinction of performing the iconic 'The Music and the Mirror' number from A CHORUS LINE in this year's production for ADM21. What makes it even more special is that she's being taught the original material by none other than Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie herself.

I recently caught Mr. McCormick's premiere of 'Cinderella' and was fascinated by his work. It was the first time I'd seen one of his productions and was entranced by his unique storytelling through dance and much more! From the clever and outrageous costumes right down to the atmospheric setting throughout the theatre space, it's all one delicious artistic confection. I asked Mr. McCormick about his upcoming revival of NUTCRACKER ROUGE.

It's the most wonderful time of the year at Radio City Music Hall! The Rockettes are in fine form and have kicked off the holiday season with another slick and polished production that's directed and choreographed with finesse by Julie Branam. Just watching that glorious orchestra rising up out of the pit while playing a festive overture certainly gets one into the holiday spirit.

Slick, sassy, and sexy are three key adjectives that describe Debbie Roshe's jazz dance class at STEPS on Broadway.

Julie Branam has the distinction of being the first Rockette ever to have directed and choreographed the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York City. For the past 28 years, Julie has had a successful career performing as a Rockette as well as holding other various positions at the Music Hall.