Category: Pittsburgh City Paper

Dance Reviews 2014, Pittsburgh City Paper

fireWALL Dance Theater’s ‘Uproar’ an Unexpected Holiday Treat

Reviewed by Steve Sucato For its sophomore effort, fireWALL Dance Theater embarked on a unique project. The resident dance company at Carnegie’s Off the Wall performing-arts center created a companion dance-theater piece to the Liz Duffy Adams play Or, now being staged by Off the Wall’s acting troupe. Adams’ Or, tells a fictional story of 17th-century British poet, spy and playwright Aphra Behn’s efforts to write … Continue reading fireWALL Dance Theater’s ‘Uproar’ an Unexpected Holiday Treat

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Pittsburgh City Paper

Burk Shines in Conservatory Dance Company’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’

By Steve Sucato It’s sometimes easy to forget that Point Park University’s Conservatory Dance Company is a student troupe. The company so easily appears like a professional one in contemporary and modern dance works. In its latest production, Nicolas Petrov’s Romeo and Juliet, the unforgiving nature of classical ballet technique was a reminder that CDC’s dancers are indeed still students. Nonetheless, as a student production, … Continue reading Burk Shines in Conservatory Dance Company’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’

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Dance Reviews 2014, Pittsburgh City Paper

One misstep aside, Contemporary Choreographers is a strong program

Reviewed by Steve Sucato Emotionally powerful and thrilling was the ultimate effect of this past Sunday’s performance of Conservatory Dance Company’s Contemporary Choreographers program. The annual production showcases works by some of today’s best choreographers and talented up-and-comers. This year’s, however, began with a disappointing performance of David Morse’s “BWV 1063.” Set to vibrant music by J.S. Bach, the neoclassical ballet for 19 female dancers on … Continue reading One misstep aside, Contemporary Choreographers is a strong program

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Pittsburgh City Paper

Dance work summons the memory of the passenger pigeon

By Steve Sucato Once they were the most populous bird in North America, accounting for a quarter of all birds. But in less than half a century, starting in the late 1800s, unabated commercial and sport hunting and habitat destruction reduced the passenger pigeon’s numbers from billions to none. Their extinction inspires Passenger, a new program by fledgling company Shana Simmons Dance, staged Nov. 14 … Continue reading Dance work summons the memory of the passenger pigeon

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Pittsburgh City Paper

The renowned Royal Ballet of Cambodia makes its Pittsburgh debut

By Steve Sucato With roots tracing to the seventh century, The Royal Ballet of Cambodia is a unique link to Southeast Asia’s temple dances and mythic tales, as handed down for generations. With their rich, ornate costuming and headdresses, the dancers appear like ancient museum statues come to life. After seeing the company on a rare tour to France in 1906, sculptor Auguste Rodin declared, … Continue reading The renowned Royal Ballet of Cambodia makes its Pittsburgh debut

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Dance Reviews 2014, Pittsburgh City Paper

Broken Hearts and Broken Minds Highlight GroundWorks’ Emotionally Penetrating Fall Program

GroundWorks dancers in Johannes Wieland’s wait. now. go. now. Photo by Mark Horning. GroundWorks DanceTheater – Fall Program October 24-25, 2014 Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare Cleveland, OH Reviewed by Steve Sucato Whoever coined the phrase “bigger is better” could not have accounted for what Cleveland-based GroundWorks DanceTheater has been able to accomplish with just five dancers.  In its 16th season the tiny troupe led by … Continue reading Broken Hearts and Broken Minds Highlight GroundWorks’ Emotionally Penetrating Fall Program

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Pittsburgh City Paper

Internationally known troupe makes rock-infused Pittsburgh debut

By Steve Sucato A one-time ballet prodigy, “beautiful boy” and heroin addict, Scottish dancer/choreographer Michael Clark created a Warhol-esque persona for himself in the 1980s. A cultural celebrity and iconoclast, Clark traded a promising mainstream dance career for one influenced by punk, with a desire to shock audiences with sexual content, gender-bending and provocative social messages. Clark’s globe-trotting, London-based troupe, the Michael Clark Company, makes … Continue reading Internationally known troupe makes rock-infused Pittsburgh debut

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Pittsburgh City Paper

Geeks and Ghouls

By Steve Sucato Who doesn’t enjoy a good ghost story this time of year? Combine those stories with creepy dance and you get Manifestations II: Ambitions Running Cold. The 90-minute production at the 99-seat The Maker Theater — Geeksdanz‘s sequel to last season’s Manifestations — features storyteller Stas Ziolkowski. He will spin original and classic spine-tinglers including W.W. Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw,” about a mysterious, … Continue reading Geeks and Ghouls

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Pittsburgh City Paper

Pittsburgh Ballet launches its 45th season with ‘The Sleeping Beauty’

By Steve Sucato In a great story ballet, the principal roles provide the emotional adrenaline and the corps de ballet the pulse. The corps creates the world for the main characters to play off of, and is integral to advancing the narrative and creating much of the beauty audiences associate with such ballets. What would Swan Lake be without its swans, or Giselle without its ghostly wilis? … Continue reading Pittsburgh Ballet launches its 45th season with ‘The Sleeping Beauty’

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Pittsburgh City Paper

A new dance work explores love and friendship between African-American men

By Steve Sucato Beyond simply entertaining audiences, concert dance is an important means of self-expression for its creators and performers. Some artists employ dance as a forum to air their thoughts and feelings on issues important to them. In Loving Black, Oct. 17 at The Alloy Studios, local dancer and choreographer Anthony Williams uses dance to advance his own views on the complicated attitudes surrounding … Continue reading A new dance work explores love and friendship between African-American men

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