By Steve Sucato The Joffrey Ballet, co-founded in 1956 by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, is proudly described on the company website as “America’s Company of Firsts.” It was the first dance company to appear on American television, the first to grace the cover of Time magazine, the first to perform at the White House, and the first classical dance company to use multimedia and a rock music … Continue reading Gerald Arpino: His time to be celebrated
By Steve Sucato for Dance International Magazine The crown jewel in Grand Rapids Ballet’s 50th anniversary season, artistic director James Sofranko’s Romeo and Juliet, was decidedly a traditional classical ballet take on Shakespeare’s famous tale. The three-act production plus epilogue, the first full-length story ballet the former San Francisco Ballet soloist has choreographed, premiered on February 17 at home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the DeVos Performance Hall. … Continue reading Grand Rapids’ Romeo & Juliet: James Sofranko’s first full-length story ballet [REVIEW]
By Steve Sucato for Dance International Magazine Kyle Abraham has come a long way from his early days as a rave dancer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to now choreographing for the world’s most prominent dance companies. His latest, The Weathering, for London’s Royal Ballet, is set to premiere as part of a triple bill on March 24 at the Royal Opera House. Abraham grew up in a middle-class African American neighbourhood. … Continue reading Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Kyle Abraham: From raves to the Royal
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