Letter from New York
6
October 2003
By Mindy Aloff
Copyright ©2003 by
Mindy Aloff
William Forsythe
has been here all week with the Ballett Frankfurt, for performances at
the Brooklyn Academy of Music and talks around town. The program at BAM
was a surprise, at least for me: all-dancing, from curtain to curtain;
no harangues in a fractured polyglot tongue; scores from Thom Willems,
Forsythe’s longtime composer, that were completely appropriate to
the stage action; and choreography that seemed to have themes and a focus
that even a lumpkin like me, who gave up trying to penetrate the works
of Jacques Derrida and Theodor Adorno 20 years ago, could grasp. It may
be that the concentration on dancing to put over the theatrical ideas
made it possible to see what those ideas are and to appreciate the relationship
between the individual phrases that the dancers contribute to the work
and the larger editorial shaping and control that Forsythe exerts in the
studio and through his customarily brilliant lighting designs. These were
works that didn’t look as if they had to prove anything, or compete
for something, or impose themselves in order to be recognized. They were
dances in the presence of skillfully-designed particles of sound, performed
by brilliant movers, and it was pleasant to be in their company for an
evening.
full article
A: Carlotta Sagna's inside-out dance-theater
A
Choreography and text by Carlotta Sagna
The Kitchen
October 1-4, 2003
By
Meital Waibsnaider
Copyright ©2003 by
Meital Waibsnaider
Part
rehearsal-on-display, part modern-dance performance and part late-night
confessional, Carlotta Sagna's A explored performers' psyches while humorously
toying with audience expectations. In a jumble of a show that touched
on many aspects of performing and living, small kernels of truth shone
throughout.
full article
The American Forsythe
Ballett
Frankfurt
Brooklyn Academy of Music
September 30-October 5, 2003
By
Nancy Dalva
Copyright
©2003 by Nancy Dalva
Native
son William Forsythe returned to New York City this week, to warm acclaim.
The four performances at the Brooklyn Academy of Music were the last here
for the Frankfurt Ballet, which will disband next summer after a final
American tour. Having fallen out with the city burghers, the maverick
Forsythe, who has for some twenty years directed his troupe under Frankfurt's
sponsorship, will then move on. (Though perhaps not far. At press time,
he had any number of balls in the air, including regrouping under a new
banner in Frankfurt itself.) Like that other prodigal, Mark Morris, who
made rude remarks about Belgian royalty and Bejart and was booted out
of Brussels, Forsythe has only gained in American affection from his recent
political difficulties abroad. With interesting synchronicity, the program
he brought here, four works new to New York, was distinctively American
looking, while usually what one sees of Forsythe here looks European.
full article
What's
on This Week?
October 6-12
October
6-12 (opened September 23)
Momix
Features works by Moses Pendleton - "Opus Cactus," "Baseball,"
and " Passion." "Baseball" is called a "tribute
to America's national pastime, with music by James Brown, Queen, Ali Farka
Toure among others." "Passion," performed to rocker Peter
Gabriel's score, is lush and exotic while "Opus Cactus" conjures
images of the West. Joyce Theater
175 Eighth Ave. at 19th Street
212-242-0800
www.joyce.org
October
9
Ben Munisteri Dance Projects
Ben Munisteri, known for his musicality, wit and virtuosic performers,
previews his upcoming Moyce Theater concert. World Financial Center, Winter
Garden
220 Vesey Street
212-945-0505
www.worldfinancialcenter.com
October
9, 13, 16, 23, February 18 and 21
Stravinsky Triple Bill
Metropolitan Opera
A triple bill of works by Igor Stravinsky. "Le Sacre du Printemps,"
with choreography by Doug Varone opens the program, followed by "Le
Rossignol," a tale by Hans Christian Andersen, choreographed by Frederick
Ashton and danced by New York Cit Ballet's Damian Woetzel and American
Ballet Theater's Julie Kent. Oedipus Rex rounds out the evening.
Metropolitan Opera House
Columbus Ave. and 64th St.
(212) 362-6000
www.metopera.org
October
11-12
Suzanne Farrell Ballet
Suzanne Farrell's meticulously coached and fully alive troupe
perform a triple bill of her mentor George Balanchine, which includes
his crystalline and pure "Divertimento No. 15," the fiery gypsy
inspired " Tzigane," and the landmark "Apollo."
October 11
New Jersey Performing Arts Center
36 Park Place
Newark, New Jersey
1-888-GO-NJPAC
www.njpac.org
October 12
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Brooklyn College, Flatbush & Nostrand
718-951-4500, 718-951-4437
www.brooklyncenter.com
October
6-18 (opened October 1)
Tere O’Connor Dance
O'Connor performs his new multimedia work, "LAWN," which concerns
itself with environmental issues and the poetics of dance.
Dance Theater Workshop, Bessie Schonberg Theater
219 W 19th St.
212-924-0077
www.dtw.org
October
10 – 17
Tuscan Dance in Movement
Five Tuscan contemporary dance companies.
John Jay College Theater
899 Tenth Ave. between 58th and 59th Streets
http://johnjay.jjay.cuny.edu/theater/nowplaying.asp
Dale Brauner
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