Socks, Boots & Cheese

By Steve Sucato The American Dairy Association may have been onto something in its ads touting “the power of cheese.” Anecdotal reports of increased creativity by Texture Contemporary Ballet’s dancers and choreographers from eating cheese led to the tongue-in-cheek title of their latest program, There’s Something About Fontina. The troupe presents the mixed-repertory program featuring six premiere works April 3-5 at the New Hazlett Theater. Among … Continue reading Socks, Boots & Cheese

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s ‘Unspoken’ a gem of a program

Reviewed by Steve Sucato March 13, 2013 A year after he co-founded New York’s School of American Ballet in 1934, George Balanchine created “Serenade” (1935), a ballet that began as a lesson for his advanced students at the school on how to perform on a stage. Since then the iconic ballet has become a mainstay in the repertories of professional and pre-professional ballet companies across … Continue reading Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s ‘Unspoken’ a gem of a program

Moulin Rouge makes its Pittsburgh premiere

By Steve Sucato Celebrated on stage and screen and in literature, the most famous cabaret in the world is now a story ballet. Canadian choreographer Jorden Morris — whose Peter Pan the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre staged in 2011 — returns with his critically acclaimed 2009 box-office hit Moulin Rouge. The only ballet licensed by the Moulin Rouge to carry its name, Morris’ original story asks: If two good, … Continue reading Moulin Rouge makes its Pittsburgh premiere