‘Beautiful Struggle’ to explore themes of race, gender and privilege

By Steve Sucato The last time Baker & Tarpaga Dance Project visited the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, a dancer’s injury forced the company to alter its program and present a work-in-progress showing of Beautiful Struggle. This weekend, the contemporary dance company based in Columbus, Ohio, and Burkina Faso returns with the completed version of this thought-provoking dance-theater work. Beautiful Struggle “reflects on questions of belonging … visibility and invisibility, which are themes often … Continue reading ‘Beautiful Struggle’ to explore themes of race, gender and privilege

AIRINGS: Mini Reviews of Conservatory Dance Company’s ‘The Jazz Nutcracker’, ‘A Son is Given: An Urban Ballet’ and Columbus Dance Theatre’s ‘Cleopatra’

By Steve Sucato Conservatory Dance Company – The Jazz Nutcracker Pittsburgh Playhouse Pittsburgh, PA December 9, 2012 Perhaps no ballet in history has seen more different incarnations than The Nutcracker. From traditional productions after Marius Petipa’s 1892 original to those far from traditional like Maurice Bejart’s pseudo-sexual 2000 production and Mark Morris’ The Hard Nut and everywhere in between, each holiday season brings with it … Continue reading AIRINGS: Mini Reviews of Conservatory Dance Company’s ‘The Jazz Nutcracker’, ‘A Son is Given: An Urban Ballet’ and Columbus Dance Theatre’s ‘Cleopatra’