Caryn Cooper - Page 4

With the holidays right around the corner, many folks are making their way to the theater to see a Nutcracker performance- which has become a favorite holiday tradition, bringing families together for an intergenerational event. This season is no different. On the evening of Friday, December 9th, I had the opportunity to see Dances Patrelle present The Yorkville Nutcracker at The Kaye Playhouse located on the campus of Hunter College. Special guests included Abi Stafford, Craig Hall, Maximilien Baud, and Therese Wendler of New York City Ballet. In addition to all this, students from the city's prestigious schools such as Alvin Ailey, Ballet Hispanico, JKO School at ABT, and the New York Theatre Ballet School to name a few, participated to make this a must-see production.

December 7, 2016 kicked off the premiere of Brooklyn Ballet's The Brooklyn Nutcracker at the Brooklyn Museum. In this re-imagined holiday classic, the Brooklyn Ballet fuses ballet and hip hop along with an array of world dance genres to create a new tradition for today's audiences. In this celebration, The Brooklyn Nutcracker, also integrates ground-breaking technology of lights, motion-responsive costumes, and a digital set, inviting audiences of all ages to this 'Brooklyn-ized holiday' program.

On November 12th, 2016, Aries in Flight presented their second performance showcase featuring work of emerging choreographers from the New York and New Jersey area at the West-Park Presbyterian Church. This showcase looks to celebrate a diverse range of dance styles and techniques while providing dancers an opportunity to learn, create, and explore their craft in a safe, judgment-free environment.

On Saturday, November 5, 2016, Buenos Aires company Estampas Porteñas returned to the U.S. for a special one night engagement debuting their newest production Deseos: Stories of Longing and Desire along with works featuring tango and malambo- traditional dances of Argentina. Under the leadership of acclaimed dancer and choreographer Carolina Soler, this performance celebrates the essence of Argentine culture through music and dance.

On the weekend of October 29th and 30th, 2016, the acclaimed Calpulli Mexican Dance Company presented audiences with a special Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) production with live music, classical and folkloric dances with a mix of contemporary work with long-time partner at the Queens Theatre. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Alberto Lopez Herrera, Choreographer-in-Residence and former dancer with Ballet Hispanico Roberto Lara, and Music Director George Saenz, the company took audiences on a journey to a small town in Mexico to Michtlan- the beautiful underworld of Aztec mythology.

On Sunday, October 23rd, 2016, acclaimed pianist and Music Director Polly Ferman and the Glamour Tango ensemble brought together an all-female multi-media music and dance performance to pay homage to women who quietly wrote the pages of Tango from the very beginning. In this one-night only engagement at Le Poisson Rouge, audiences were exposed to the art of Tango from the Rio de la Plata region in South America in a different light.

For a limited two week engagement at the David H. Koch Theater, the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) kicked off its fall season with spectacular pieces that truly push the boundaries traditionally found in classical ballet. On the evening of October 21st, the program featured Twyla Tharp's audience favorite The Brahms-Haydn Variations, the world premiere of Her Notes by the acclaimed Jessica Lang, and the company premiere of Daphnis and Chloe with choreography by Benjamin Millepied.

On the weekend of October 15 & 16, 2016, Taylor 2 returned to the Schimmel Center at Pace University to bring some of our favorite Paul Taylor pieces to a cozy and intimate setting. Taylor 2 was established in 1993 as a way to ensure Mr. Taylor's work could be seen by all audiences, even in the smallest of venues.

On September 29, 2016, Caleb Teicher & Company welcomed audiences to an intimate evening of new work at the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College. As a Bessie award winner for Outstanding Individual Performance, Teicher has been making a name for himself not only as a performer, but as a choreographer. This one-night-only engagement was made possible with support by Queens College as part of the City University of New York (CUNY) Dance Initiative and an artistic residency at the American Tap Dance Foundation.

On September 16, 2016, Artistic Director, Miro Magloire, and company New Chamber Ballet, kicked off its' 2016-17 season with an exciting mix of old and new works at the City Center Studios. With this not being my first time seeing the troupe perform, I was curious what to expect since I saw them last year. But I must say, I was not disappointed before, and I was not disappointed this time either!

On June 29, 2016, The Black Iris Project, under the direction of the award-winning choreographer Jeremy McQueen, performed their new ballet entitled Black Iris at Central Park as part of SummerStage- the largest free performing arts festival in New York City. It was such a beautiful evening- a perfect night for the ballet.

Performing for the first time in more than a decade, the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival welcomed The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) to the Prospect Park Bandshell on Saturday, June 25th 2016. This evening's program tailored specifically for the festival featured cutting edge choreography by some of the field's leading names such as Ronald K. Brown, Ray Mercer, and Christopher L. Huggins.

On June 4, 2016, The Elliott Dance Company (EDC), under the direction of Kim Elliott, presented A Night of Diversity Dance Concert at the Jacqueline K. Onassis Theater on West 46th Street in NYC. This was a special performance for a few reasons. For one, this is the last performance by the EDC, as the company is planning on taking a hiatus from performing. And second, Ms. Elliott being a graduate of the Jacqueline K. Onassis High School, is happy to come back and perform where it all started.

Graham 2 opened its 2016 New York season on June 2, 2016 with a special benefit performance honoring the renowned choreographer and former Graham Company alumna, Patricia Birch.

Saturday, May 21, 2016 was a special day. Not because of the many pre-Memorial Day sales in the stores or the beautiful weather we had the few days prior. But mainly because it marked the 10th annual Dance Parade and Festival. This year's theme was Decade of Dance to celebrate 10 years and to showcase the cultural diversity of the world through dance.

On May 9th 2016, the Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University curated an interesting presentation entitled: Ballet and Tap Dancing: Oil and Water? The History of Attempts to Mix Ballet and Tap as part of their public conversations series. This one featured acclaimed author, dance critic, and writer Brian Seibert. Mr. Seibert led this talk with aims of giving the audience an overview of the various attempts to fuse the two dance forms.

Two very different organizations, the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation (IDDF) and the Nietzsche Circle, came together for a unique collaboration in a program entitled An Affirmation of Life: Friedrich Nietzsche, Isadora Duncan, and the Making of Modern Dance. This partnership brought about a nice blend of performances and lectures as the project sought to explore dance and its connection to philosophy.

Last week, the American Tap Dance Foundation (ATDF) presented new works by both veterans and emerging tap dancers and choreographers at its spring Rhythm in Motion show in the Theater at the 14th Street Y. This production, curated by Tony Waag, Artistic/Executive Director of ATDF, stretches the boundaries of tap dance to present groundbreaking choreography, showcase innovative technique, and provide a platform to present, move forward, and grow the art of tap.

Last week, Ballet Hispanico continued its 45th anniversary tour with their spring New York season at The Joyce Theater, April 5-10, 2016. This time around, the company chose to honor the past by bringing back some old favorites from their repertoire.

This weekend, Paul Taylor American Modern Dance (PTAMD) concluded its 2nd season at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center with both old and new choreography. Since the company made its shift from their former name, Paul Taylor Dance Company in 2014, Mr. Taylor has developed a new initiative: To present his own classics and premieres, while presenting great works in the history of modern dance and outstanding works by today's leading choreographers. Another integral part of Mr. Taylor's vision is for the dances to be accompanied by live music, thus sparking the partnerships with the renowned Orchestra of St. Luke's. This particular season seems to be just the beginning of preserving not only his legacy, but the essence of American modern dance.