It’s been almost a year since our last one and, because next week is Valentine’s Day, it seemed an especially appropriate time for showing and sharing the love.

When will the LOVE Our Readers Giveaway begin?

Good question! The first giveaway will appear at 8am EST on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

A new giveaway will go up every day for 7 days.

When will it end?

The last giveaway goes up on Saturday, February 18 Sunday, February 19 (we love to overdeliver)

But each giveaway is open for approximately 4 1/2 days, closing at 12am, Midnight EST at the close of Day 4. (That means the final giveaway will close at Midnight on the 23rd)

What could I win?(...)

Continue reading "How Do We Love Thee? Let Us Count The Giveaways!"

One comment - ADD YOURS!

---

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2012. | Permalink | Category: Blog, Dancethropology, Fun & Games, News and Events | Who's talking about this article?

---

Get free updates PLUS access to additional content, tips, and more. Get Subscriber PLUS.

]]> http://danceadvantage.net/2012/02/07/love-readers-giveaway/feed/ 1 http://danceadvantage.net/2012/01/23/object-as-performer/ http://danceadvantage.net/2012/01/23/object-as-performer/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:00:15 +0000 Guest Contributors http://danceadvantage.net/?p=14192 Objects have played an integral role in all types of performance, from an actor with a prop to a conductor with a baton.

Each situation would be drastically modified without the presence of such an object.

Abigail Levine, "Slow Falls"

Often, though, it’s easy to disregard the inanimate object and focus on the human performer. It’s only natural to notice a person performing.

But what about the object? Even though it doesn’t have a personality, does it still have the ability to perform or at least assist a performance?

When I work in the studio as a choreographer, sometimes I utilize objects as part of my creative process. I gravitate toward chairs because they are easily accessible and usually located in any rehearsal space.

Sometimes I work with a theme, such as in this project Nine Ways to Use the Body as a Bridge and other times just let the object dictate how I will shape my body, such as in this short study “Duet with Chair #2.”(...)

Continue reading "More Than A Prop: Object As Performer"

3 comments

---

© Guest Contributors for Dance Advantage, 2012. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Choreographing, Community, News and Events | Who's talking about this article?

---

Get free updates PLUS access to additional content, tips, and more. Get Subscriber PLUS.

]]> http://danceadvantage.net/2012/01/23/object-as-performer/feed/ 3 http://danceadvantage.net/2012/01/06/congrats-top-blogs/ http://danceadvantage.net/2012/01/06/congrats-top-blogs/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:33:29 +0000 Nichelle (admin) http://danceadvantage.net/?p=13863 Once again, a group of fabulous dance bloggers turned up for our contest.

Once again, readers turned up to vote for their favorites and found new blogs to follow.

Once again, I saw bloggers out supporting each other, illustrating that the dance blogosphere is thriving and teeming with people passionate about dance.

Mission Accomplished!

What a way to start a year. Here are your Top Dance Blogs, everyone:

Top 20

Nearly 3000 votes were counted and our top two blogs walked away with about 26% of the votes… each! Woa!

But one blog pulled ahead by nearly 20 votes:

#1 — Ballet to the People

2. Enforced Arch
3. Dance Commentary by Heather Desaulniers
4. Rogue Ballerina
5. Tendus Under a Palm Tree
6. Tutus & Tea
7. Adult Beginner
8. My Son Can Dance
9. Odette’s Ordeal
10. Ballet Pages
11. The Body Series
12. Maria’s Movers
13. Born Again Dancer
14. Frame Dance
15. Ballet Shoes & Bobby Pins (by Sheena Jeffers)
16. Picture Books & Pirouettes
17. Dave Tries Ballet
    
17. –TIED– Contemporary Dancing (by Melissa)
18. Noa Blogs Ballet
19. Leotards and the Buns in Them

Category Winners

Speaking Dance

Ballet To The People by Carla Escoda

62% of votes

Adult Dancer

Adult Beginner

58% of votes

Teen Dancer

Contemporary Dancing by Melissa, Lover of Dance

39% of votes. The three blogs were separated by only 2 votes – a close race!

Teacher Talk

Ballet Pages (by Melanie Doskocil)

48% of votes

Dancer Musings

Tendus Under a Palm Tree (by Rebecca King)

68% of votes

Dance Organization/Artist

Frame Dance Blog

40% of votes. Another close race, separated by mere clicks of a button.

Business Blog

Kiner Enterprises Inc. Blog

And, as always, Ashani Mfuko in a class by herself.

I want to say thanks again to ALL who entered regardless of where they are in their blogging ‘career’.

It takes a certain amount of bravery to step up and be counted, so to speak. Please, if you haven’t already, visit the list of 32 blogs who participated (the significance of the number 32 is not lost on the bunheads out there).

Editor’s Choice

This proved very difficult for me because even I discovered new blogs through the contest this year. Plus some blogs are just very new.

In the end, I went with a blog that I feel has consistently shown a clear focus, delivering material that is valuable to its readers in a fun but thoughtful way. I’ve enjoyed watching this blog develop and wish for its longevity.

Though ALL 32 blogs show great promise, I chose…

The Dance Buzz

Congrats to All!

I’ll be contacting winners with badges to put on their sites and with questions for your feature!

Our Top 20 winner, Ballet to the People will be highlighted individually. Meanwhile our category winners and Editor’s choice will be featured together.

We’d love your feedback on the contest in the comments.

I know that with the holidays, the end of the year is a tough time for the contest. I’ve been thinking about moving it up to early December. Knowing that there’s never a perfect time for everyone, feel free to weigh in on this, or other details of the contest.

Have suggestions? Ways to improve? I’ll take ‘em!

Want to congratulate the winners? Compare to last year? Do it!

Thanks so much for helping to make the 2011 Top Dance Blog contest a success!

---

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2012. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Dance Media, Featured, Fun & Games, News and Events, Online | Who's talking about this article?

---

Get free updates PLUS access to additional content, tips, and more. Get Subscriber PLUS.

]]> http://danceadvantage.net/2012/01/06/congrats-top-blogs/feed/ 8 http://danceadvantage.net/2011/12/27/vote-top-blogs-2011/ http://danceadvantage.net/2011/12/27/vote-top-blogs-2011/#comments Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:00:08 +0000 Nichelle (admin) http://danceadvantage.net/?p=13775 32 blogs entered this year’s Top Dance Blog competition:

Barre Boys	The Belated Ballerina	Relevé Your Life	Ballet Fan/Fitness Warrior
The Four-Eyed Ballerina	En Pointe with Houston Ballet	52 Weeks of Ballet	Kiner Enterprises Inc. Blog
Mike Barnes, Anthropologist (Ballet)	The Dance Buzz	BalletScoop by the ClassicalBalletTeacher	Dancers Global
Leotards and the Buns in Them	Dance Commentary by Heather Desaulniers	Born Again Dancer	The Body Series Blog
Contemporary Dancing by Melissa, Lover of Dance	My Son Can dance	Picture Books and Pirouettes	Tendus Under a Palm Tree
Dave Tries Ballet	Frame Dance Blog	Ballet Pages	Maria's Movers
Tutus and Tea	Ballet Shoes and Bobby Pins (by Sheena Jeffers)	Odette's Ordeal	Noa Blogs Ballet
Adult Beginner	Enforced Arch	Ballet To The People	Rogue Ballerina

Some are returning from last year. Some very new (but very good) blogs are in the mix. All are worth a look!(...)

Continue reading "VOTE for the Top Dance Blogs of 2011!"

14 comments

---

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2011. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Community, Dance Media, Dancethropology, Fun & Games, News and Events, Online | Who's talking about this article?

---

Get free updates PLUS access to additional content, tips, and more. Get Subscriber PLUS.

]]> http://danceadvantage.net/2011/12/27/vote-top-blogs-2011/feed/ 14 http://danceadvantage.net/2011/11/29/top-blog-2011/ http://danceadvantage.net/2011/11/29/top-blog-2011/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:20:46 +0000 Nichelle (admin) http://danceadvantage.net/?p=13591 It’s Time!

At the close of 2010, because everyone BUT the dance community seemed to be making a Best Dance Blog list, Dance Advantage decided to try something new:

Our own award contest, where real dance blog readers pick their favorites.

The Top Dance Blog contest was a great success so we’re bringing it back this year and we want YOU to participate!

Here’s how:

If you have a blog and roughly more than 70% of your posts revolve around DANCE (any form or genre), you are eligible to participate.

First, decide which of the following categories is the best fit for your blog:

• Dancer Musings (Career/College/Professional) – Pros or pros-to-be discuss the dance lifestyle
• Teen Dancer – 18 years and under
• Adult Dancer – 19 years and up
• Teacher Talk (Education/Training/Instruction) – Dance class topics for or by teachers
• Speaking Dance (Dance Writing/Criticism/Audience Education) – Covering the dance world for audiences
• Dance Organization/Artist – Companies or choreographers talk performance, process, production
• Business Blog – Content for the community by dance-related businesses
• Collaborative – Magazine style blogs that are multi-author and have a diverse focus

I know that you have a unique voice in the dance blogosphere, but I hope you’ll find your best match among these categories. You must choose only ONE category.

The first 5 categories will be single-focus blogs (written to discuss one topic) and in general, will be personal blogs. If you publish primarily audience-focused articles/reviews, your best category is Speaking Dance, no matter how many authors contribute.

The final categories listed are more likely to have multiple writers. The best fit for most dance school or studio blogs will probably be the Business Blog category, though some academies may also consider the Organization/Artist classification if the blog focuses primarily on a student performance company. The Collaborative Blog category would suit any blog that has more than one author AND does not fit neatly into any single category.

Next, each blogger or blog owner must enter their own blog into the competition by publishing a blog post about the contest.

In YOUR post, ask readers to show support of YOUR blog with a comment on YOUR post.

That’s important, so I’ll repeat it…

In YOUR post, ask readers to show support of YOUR blog with a comment on YOUR post.

You have until Tuesday, December 20 to round up as much comment support as you can.

Finally, let me know you’ve thrown your hat in the ring.

Comment on this blog post (the one you’re reading now) and tell me…

1. Which category you are entering under.
2. The permalink to your blog post about the contest.

How to get to the next round:

Though any blog can enter, only blog posts with the most comments will be finalists in the voting round.

Comment support will be compared in all participating blogs. The TWENTY with the most support will qualify to compete for the Top Dance Blog of 2011 title.

The blogs in each category that receive the most comments will also be eligible to compete for the top spot in their classification. So, even if you do not make the Top 20, there is a chance you could still win your category.

Again, you need reader engagement to be a finalist. As soon as you publish your post start promoting it and encouraging comments!

How to win:

On December 27th I will open the polls for our Top 20 and for each category. I will also post a ‘Thank You’ list of all participating blogs (with links).

Voting for the top slots will take place December 27 – 30.

During this period, if you are a finalist, you’ll want to send as many people as possible to vote in our polls and secure your ranking.

Readers’ votes will be tallied and the results posted during the first weeks of the new year.

Some DOs, DON’Ts, and a PLEASE

In the post on YOUR blog about the Top Dance Blogs of 2011 competition:

DO add our contest logo. (Click on any logo image for the URL, or Right-click/Save-as)

DO make it clear to readers that they should show their support by commenting on YOUR post about the competition (not mine).

DO encourage your commenters to share why they read your blog, what makes it special, or which are their favorite posts.

DON’T be sneaky about comments. I expect that all participants will behave honorably, monitoring and deleting any duplicate comments from readers. Offering incentives to commenters and/or padding your comment count in any way will disqualify your blog.

DON’T mention competing blogs (positively or negatively). Keep your post about you.

PLEASE link back to this post. Here’s the URL: http://danceadvantage.net/2011/11/29/top-blog-2011/. Dance Advantage thanks you!

FAQ

Will Dance Advantage compete too?

Nope, we’re just hosting this shindig. If Dance Advantage is your favorite dance blog, SHARE news of the contest on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc AND encourage your favorite dance blogs to participate.

As a blogger, can I comment in support of my favorite blogs if I have entered my own blog?

Yes! Please do.

As a reader, can I comment in support of more than one dance blog?

You sure can – ALL of your favorites.

As a reader, will I be able to VOTE for more than one blog finalist?

One vote per category, and only one blog out of the Top 20.

As a blogger, if I don’t make it to the finalist round, can I encourage my readers to vote for blogs that have?

Absolutely! I’m sure they’d appreciate it.

If I was a finalist/winner last year, can I participate and/or win this year?

Yes, yes, and yes. This is only our 2nd contest so, as yet, we have no limit on the number of terms a blog might win in succession.

I have a small blog with only a few readers. Why should I enter?

This is an excellent opportunity for you to engage the readers you DO have and find out why they keep coming back. Even if there are only 5 people who read and comment and no matter your chances for qualifying in the Top 20, this is valuable. You’ll enter 2012 with encouragement to keep blogging! Not to mention, some quality links from our blog to yours.

AND, if that weren’t enough, this year we’re also selecting one blog for an Editor’s Choice award. This blog will be treated much like a category award winner and will go to a blog Nichelle feels is noteworthy or up and coming, regardless of comment count or readership.

What do I get if I’m a Top Dance Blog winner?

1. See above. (We want every blog to be noted and have an opportunity to engage their readers. It’s why we’ve created a contest with two rounds.)
2. You’ll receive a badge for your website to display and leverage your ranking.
3. Category winners will be featured together in an upcoming article on Dance Advantage and the overall Top 20 winner will receive their own dedicated feature.
4.  You’ll have the satisfaction of being chosen by actual dance readers as a Top Dance Blog.

What does Dance Advantage get out of it?

I get linked to by participants, reach new types of readers, and thereby grow my audience. Plus, I get to be a connector – introducing readers to new blogs that suit their interests.

I also get to help fellow blogs, which by their nature, depend on each other to grow and survive. Though this is a competition, I believe it is a positive and friendly way to build a stronger sense of community and show that dance blogs occupy a significant, healthy, and thriving corner of the online dance community.

What didn’t I answer? Feel free to comment below or contact me with your question.

---

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2011. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Community, Dance Media, Dancethropology, Featured, Fun & Games, News and Events, Online | Who's talking about this article?

---

Get free updates PLUS access to additional content, tips, and more. Get Subscriber PLUS.

]]> http://danceadvantage.net/2011/11/29/top-blog-2011/feed/ 38 http://danceadvantage.net/2011/11/23/nutcracker-production/ http://danceadvantage.net/2011/11/23/nutcracker-production/#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:25:59 +0000 Nichelle (admin) http://danceadvantage.net/?p=13555 Hand-torn snow. 7,000 lbs of it.

Houston Ballet’s current version of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Ben Stevenson, premiered in 1987. And ever since, what falls from above in the Land of Snow is what designer, Desmond Heeley always wanted: Crepe paper, because of the way it looks, reflects the light and most importantly, because of the way it falls. Hand-torn because its densely textured surface makes it impossible to cut layers of paper without sticking and clumping.

For the first few years, volunteers from the Houston Ballet Guild and the HB staff donated several days in the weeks before The Nutcracker opened to sit and tear paper into snowflakes, but over the years a new method was developed using spools and special blades. Now a crew of four can tear several layers at once more efficiently over a period of 2 weeks.

About 200 pounds of snow fall during each snow scene, after which (during intermission) the snow is swept up and placed in special boxes to be cleaned. The used snow is carefully sifted and cleaned to be used again in another show. About 30 minutes before curtain on each performance day, the snow bags are refilled with either new or newly cleaned snow that will majestically fall to the stage, to the delight of the Houston Ballet audience.

The Nutcracker Sugar Plum Fairy tutus and Soldier costumes in wardrobe storage.

Repair. Rebuild. Remake. Repaint.

Snow isn’t the only thing that’s reused and recycled in The Nutcracker, which is produced season after season for more performances than other ballet in the Houston Ballet repertoire.

According to HB’s Production Director, Tom Boyd, who has been part of its production team from the start, there have been the expected subtle changes in choreography over the years. But everything else has remained very close to what was originally conceived by Stevenson and Heeley. Even costume fabrics and trims, which literally endure the wear and tear of hundreds of performances, are replaced only with the best possible match to the original design.

Dressing the Cast

When asked which Nutcracker costume is her personal favorite, it seems an easy answer for Houston Ballet’s Wardrobe Manager, Laura Lynch. “The Snow Queen,” she pronounces. “Love that tiara.”

One-hundred and thirty costumes appear in a single Nutcracker performance. But if you break it down to the individual clothing pieces, like collars, petticoats, and more, that the wardrobe department maintains, there are over 650 items, not including tights, facial hair or wigs.

Because The Nutcracker is performed every year, the show’s costumes hang in the back wardrobe room at Wortham Theater Center all year long so that Wardrobe may continually restore and rebuild as necessary in the costume shop at Houston Ballet’s new Center for Dance (the largest professional dance company facility of its kind constructed in the United States).

Sugar Plum's costume tagged by Wardrobe and ready to go. Photo: Casey Ayala/Art Institute of Houston North

The Wardrobe department uses a dancer’s most current measurements to rebuild costumes and depends upon the fitting process to determine if Nutcracker costumes must be rebuilt or altered. Costumes are generally not re-fit on dancers who have performed the role previously, so it may surprise those visiting Wardrobe during Nutcracker preparation that seemingly there’s not much going on with the show. However, the department is always working on other productions as well. This season, you’d see costumes for the one-night-only Jubilee of Dance, photo shoots, Cinderella (opening in February), and academy performances.

How does Wardrobe keep track of all the measurements, alterations, and other costume details?

“LOTS OF ORGANIZATION,” exclaims Lynch. “We use an extensive inventory system to keep track of which costumes belong together. We also have a numbering system in all costumes to assist in charting who wears which costume.”

If you’re producing your own Nutcracker this year, Ms. Lynch has some tips: “Stay on top of keeping things clean. Spot cleaning and hand washing are very important and if left to wait will certainly damage the costumes.” She recommends you have a system in place and “stay the course.”

Making Theatrical Magic

In the second act of HB’s The Nutcracker, flying chef-angels zip across stage. Tom Boyd recalls the origins of this unique feature: “The idea came from the fact that Act 2 is the Land of the Sweets and the designer, Desmond Heeley, was quite interested in answering the question, that a child might ask, ‘Where do all the sweets come from?’ So, Desmond decided there should be bakers and cooks and some of them would be flying. And, if you look at the chandeliers you will see flying cooks on either side. Ben liked the idea so much, he decided to expand the concept with dancers flying to open the Act.”

According to Tom, the dancers rehearse the basic positions and timing in the studio as part of the regular rehearsals for many weeks prior to moving into the Wortham. When the flying rig apparatus has been installed in the theater, the dancers are called to be fit in their harnesses and work with a flight coach until they feel comfortable being in the harness and off the ground. Then, they rehearse the flying sequence to piano music with all the flyers, the flight coach, the stagehands (each flyer requires 3 each), stage managers, and artistic staff needed during the actual show. Throughout the entire run of The Nutcracker, the flying sequence is also rehearsed onstage during Intermission for the comfort and safety of the dancers and crew alike.

The Nutcracker set design by Desmond Heeley.

Though flying takes a great deal of coordination, it is the extremely complicated transition from the Battle Scene to the Snow Scene that Boyd describes as the most technically challenging. “The house scenery has to move off and fly out, with the enormous tree, and in its place is revealed the Land of Snow. This transition involves the entire stage crew, with 7 people pulling lines on the fly-rail, and 11 people moving scenery off-stage. Both stage managers are involved in calling cues, timing the moves to the music and the entire company of dancers are either running offstage, running onstage, or quick-changing costumes to be onstage.” All in a matter of seconds.

What are the essentials for staying organized and keeping The Nutcracker running smoothly?

“It helps to have very good archived records of how the show hangs, what is involved from scene to scene, how many people are required to do what,” says Boyd, “but, the most important element of all is to have highly skilled, dedicated, experienced people putting it all together. And, we are fortunate to have an outstanding production staff, stage crew, and wardrobe staff who all know that we have a duty to present this amazing company of brilliant dancers with the highest production value possible, whether it’s The Nutcracker or any other performance.”

So you want to be a…

During the 1980′s Boyd made the leap from dancing to managing productions and scenic design. If you’re planning to make a similar leap, Boyd says to pay attention to all that is going on around you. “Our audience sees only the tip of the iceberg when attending a performance, but as members of an arts organization we have the opportunity to understand and be involved with the entire infrastructure,” he explains.

“Find out what the other departments do, how they contribute to the final product. Any single performance and audience experience is the result of hundreds of people doing so many different things. Not only could you encounter interesting career options, you have an opportunity to capitalize on the experience you already have.”

Similarly, Laura Lynch, says the path to becoming Wardrobe Manager for a large ballet company requires experience. Lots of it, working in all aspects of Wardrobe. “I have a theater degree and have been working professionally in costuming for 27 years,” divulges Lynch. “I’ve done everything from stitching, patterning, cutting, dying, crafting, painting, shop supervising, freelance design, traveling with Broadway productions to community theater. To rise to the top hard work, good work ethic and a passion for what you do are necessary.”

In addition to supervising in HB’s wardrobe and costume shop, she has also designed costumes. If you’re a dancer with a passion for ballet fashion, Lynch says, “Research! Everything, from fashion to theater.” She explains that exploring museums and art history are two great ways to research and learn, and that paintings offer an enormous wealth of fashions throughout history. “Get involved and keep learning new skills,” Lynch encourages.

Of course, what Nutcracker feature would be complete without a few stories from those who’ve seen it all?

I couldn’t help but ask Boyd about something a little mouse told me: That HB used to stage an elaborate “Nutty” Nutcracker for audiences at the close of the run.

“The Nutty Nutcracker was a tradition for a number of years,” explains Boyd. “It was a way to close out a very long season of The Nutcracker performances, and to let the dancers and audience have some fun within a very traditional framework.”

“I think my fondest memory was when Drosselmeyer brought out his trunk of dancing dolls to entertain the children, and pulled out Lauren Anderson dressed as Tina Turner doing her signature song, ‘Proud Mary’,” he recalls. “That one was so popular, she made several cameo appearances in subsequent shows, even when it made no sense, just for the fun of it.”

Last year on Dance Advantage, corps member Madison Morris, shared her favorite wardrobe malfunctions involving rats. Lynch recalls a year when one of the rats’ ears came unglued and was barely hanging on to the head. “Lots of flopping about… luckily the rat was done for that show and we were able to re-glue for the next show.”

Boyd says so many things happen behind the scenes, most if not all unseen by the audience, that it’s hard to pick one thing that he can look back on and laugh at. “The ones I remember weren’t funny when they happened, and unfortunately, they really aren’t funny in retrospect. Oh, I guess they are just a little bit. But, each little hiccup in the otherwise smooth running of a show, is a reminder that there is an enormous level of detail that needs to be constantly monitored in a show like this and one can never, ever take it for granted or think you can phone it in.”

He does relay one instance of flying gone wrong: “The flying cooks are supposed to meet at center and hold hands until they are flown off to their respective sides of the stage,” he says. ” Well in this performance, the stagehand in charge of traveling the flyers to their marks went so far past his mark that instead of stopping at center stage, the dancer from stage left went past the one from stage right, and they spun around each other getting their flying cables hopelessly entangled. So, they were just stuck together center-stage, 15 feet above the floor, staring at each other.”

Oh no, what then?

“When the stage manager realized they were not going to untangle themselves, he instructed both sets of crew operating the flying rig to travel the flyers off stage right until they were in the wings.” To a round of cheers from the audience, of course.

Featuring breathtaking scenery and costumes by Tony Award-winning designer Desmond Heeley, Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker is ideal for introducing children to the power and beauty of classical dance, and a delightful way for the entire family to ring in the holiday season. Thirty-three performances run November 25 – December 27, 2011 in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston. For tickets call 1-800-828-ARTS, or visit www.houstonballet.org.

More of The Nutcracker Behind-the Scenes:

Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker By the Numbers

CultureMap goes Art & About and wants to know…

Team Sugar or Team Snow?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ermOlzjFAZE

Nancy Wozny, aka Culture Sis, aka dancehunter, and Joel Luks, aka Culture Bro, go behind the scenes at the Houston Ballet to learn why Ben Stevenson’s version has been a hit for 24 years.

---

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2011. | Permalink | Category: Ballet/Pointe, Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Costumes Etc., Dance Companies, Dance Styles, Featured, Interviews, News and Events, Performing | Who's talking about this article?

---

Get free updates PLUS access to additional content, tips, and more. Get Subscriber PLUS.

]]> http://danceadvantage.net/2011/11/23/nutcracker-production/feed/ 1 http://danceadvantage.net/2011/10/13/dwight-rhoden/ http://danceadvantage.net/2011/10/13/dwight-rhoden/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:24:52 +0000 Nichelle (admin) http://danceadvantage.net/?p=13297

Did you know, dear Reader, that in addition to Dance Advantage I write about dance happening in Houston? If you follow me on Twitter or perhaps Facebook, you may.

This Friday, October 14 Houston’s Society for the Performing Arts will present Complexions Contemporary Ballet, the 17-year-old company founded by former Ailey dancers Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden.

You may also know their work from So You Think You Can Dance:

I previewed the event for Dance Source Houston. The interview with Dwight Rhoden below… ahem, rocks! And I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!

 

Rise. Photo by Jae Man Joo.

Complexions Contemporary Ballet Ready to Rock Houston

What does a dance company have in common with U2, one of rock music’s biggest acts?

With a big smile on his face, Dwight Rhoden quips, “I think dancers are rockstars”.

Rhoden’s New York City company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, is about to rock… and roll through Houston on October 14 with a program that includes musical accompaniment big and bold enough to blow off the Wortham’s roof: The Rolling Stones, Roy Buchanan, “The Hallelujah Chorus,” and, of course, U2. The evening will close with Rise, a work set entirely to tunes from the Irish rock band’s catalog.

Rhoden gets no argument here about the exceptional qualities of dancers. However, as I see it, the troupe he founded with dancer Desmond Richardson in 1994 is like U2 in other ways, too. Both have accessibility and wide appeal, traits which some in their respective fields dismiss as if it were harder to be obscure. Both groups resist being bound by or excluded from the circles of commercial and “high” art. Both even have a frontman (in Complexions’ case, Richardson) who can command a stage like few others.

Now in his 40’s, Richardson is retiring as a touring dancer at the conclusion of this season. Still at the top of his game, he’s been Dwight Rhoden’s muse since their days in the Ailey company. On Saturday, Richardson will perform CLICK, a solo choreographed by Rhoden about a man at a crossroads just before everything “clicks” into place.

Below, Rhoden sets the stage for this new work, gives his spin on So You Think You Can Dance, and illustrates why Complexions exemplifies the times.

Dance Source Houston: Tell us about CLICK and its significance in light of this being Desmond’s last year to tour.

Dwight Rhoden: Desmond is a dance legend and a national treasure. His artistry is on a continuous quest to find more.  He has danced and I’ve created just about every type of work one can imagine for him.  At this time in his journey I felt the dance icon, Desmond should play with the music icon, The Rolling Stones. The significance of CLICK for him is he’s playing a character that is a bit of a clown and has many contrasting qualities. Like Desmond, it’s all about fun now.

DSH: Rise looks like a lot of fun. Was there ever any doubt that movement could compete with the anthemic sounds, lyrics, and familiarity of U2′s music?

DR: My inspiration for Rise was the anthemic qualities of the music. I never once had any reservations about creating to it.  U2′s music rocks and it dances to me. I had a visual movement vibe in my head every time I listened to their music.

DSH: You’ve choreographed over 80 ballets for Complexions, not to mention works set on other companies.  You must occasionally stumble into familiar territory during your artistic process. What do you do when you find that you’re repeating yourself?

DR: I have developed a signature style to my work over the years but I always try and look for new possibilities and a fresh take on things. However, when I feel I need to stretch more, I look to my dancers to help influence the work, as well as using basic tools of the craft of choreography and composition.

DSH: Your company dancers come from many different countries. How does this fusion of languages and diverse cultural backgrounds affect the rehearsal process?

DR: It’s always fun to watch the dancers at first as they communicate and try to understand each other with various accents. Our Associate Artistic Director,

Jae Man Joo runs rehearsal with his thick Korean accent, meanwhile the dancers are speaking Spanish, Italian, Russian, French. That diversity lends itself to a very interesting creative process.  Everyone has such a different back-story, as well as cultural differences that can only bring dimension to what is being created.  I’ve been around the world but feel I’ve learned so much from my dancers.

DSH: The work you do is also a fusion. Though billed as a contemporary ballet company you blend many dance forms. Is this the future of dance?

DR: I think it has to be the future. We have to keep pushing the form and continue to make dance relevant to the time we live in. The classics will always be around. They are still beautiful, necessary and are a part of our history that is the basis for how we stretch the form.

Artists have always made work that reflects the world around them. Desmond and I feel we’ve taken it a step further with the creation of a company like Complexions.  We celebrate the differences that make us individually interesting, putting them all together and thereby creating that hybrid that is like our world today.

DSH: Speaking of cultural relevance, you’ve choreographed and appeared on So You Think You Can Dance for three seasons. What will those familiar only with your work on that show find different about your work for Complexions?

DR: I think audiences will find a greater level of diversity in the choreography, music, as well as being able to see an idea be developed a lot further. There is a depth that can be developed with more time.  On SYTYCD you usually have only 1-2 minutes. And choreographing for the camera is very different than creating for a live audience.

DSH: I imagine that you sometimes encounter those who know your work on the show but are surprised to learn you have a 17-year-old dance company. Critics of SYTYCD see a failure on the part of producers and guest artists to leverage the popularity of the show for support of dance elsewhere. How do you respond to the naysayers?

DR: In my opinion SYTYCD….

READ ON at Dance Source Houston!!

---

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2011. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Dance Companies, Dance Styles, Dancethropology, Featured, Interviews, Modern/Contemporary, News and Events | Who's talking about this article?

---

Get free updates PLUS access to additional content, tips, and more. Get Subscriber PLUS.

]]>