On to the Fall Dance Season

The summer dance season is over. I did manage to see two wonderful performance of NYC Ballet at SPAC and also fit in three classes with principal dancers from the company. The dance season at SPAC was short this year, but word has it that attendance was up. That’s a good thing. SPAC did do a lot of marketing. And having the two modern dance companies was a nice addition. Mark Morris was fabulous and I heard that the Paul Taylor company was also very good.

So, what do we do this fall? The Egg has some interesting companies scheduled. And there is the Dance Alliance NYC bus trip to see Christopher Wheeldon’s company, Morphoses, on November 1, 2009. To find out more go to http://www.dancealliance.org/New%20web/calendar.htm It should be an exciting perfomance.

Upcoming Summer Dance Season Near Albany NY

It’s almost July, so that means that there will soon be lots of dance performances and special classes in the area surrounding Albany, NY.  Unfortunately there are only two weeks to catch the New York City Ballet at SPAC this year. Hopefully the crowds will increase or I fear that they will cut the ballet altogether next year. SPAC did add some modern dance shows, one has already passed, but Mark Morris will be performing in July.

In addition to the performances, several NYCB dancers teach classes at Total Body Trifecta in Saratoga. These classes are open to the public. Some fill quickly, but there may be openings in some. They are always a fun time and I can’t wait to take the three classes that I signed up for.

Jacob’s Pillow’s season is already in full swing. This year the Capital District Dance Alliance is sponsoring group tickets for Pacific Northwest Ballet. It should be a wonderful show.

Don’t miss out on all of the dance that’s close by!

Ballet Movies Come to Albany, NY

There is a huge add in both Dance Magazine and Pointe Magazine about Ballet in Cinema – From Russia With Dance (http:\\www.balletincinema.com ). It turns out that the local movie theatre, Spectrun8 (http:\\spectrum8.com) is showing two of three movies – Don Quixote and Swan Lake. Each movie is scheduled for two showings. I took a peak at the trailer and they look wonderful. I can only imagine that seeing tham on a big scrren is almost better than seeing a live performance.  In addition, the Sprectrum Theatre is going to show the movie “Every Little Step” – a behind the scenes look at the making of the boadway musical “A Chorus Line”. I hope that they get a good turn out for all of these showings.

Dancing Through Time Keeps Seniors Active

The Capital Dance Alliance Dancing Through Time program is wonderful! Last week I taught a Balletone class  and had an uplifting time. It was inspiring to see so many older people exercising and and at the same time learning about different forms of dance. It also offers them a time to connect and meet other people. I loved teaching the class and hope that they ask me back another time.

Maybe we should start a program like this in Albany…..

Inspired by Balletone Class

After taking a Balletone class in Boston that was taught by Kathleen Riley, Principal Master Balletone Ambassador, I have some new ideas for my  Balletone classes.In addition, the class helped me remember some exercises that we haven’t done in class in a while. I can’t wait to teach Balletone tomorrow night!

What a Surprise – Harvard Ballet Company

When I think of Harvard, I think of law, business, or wicked smart students. Ballet doesn’t come to mind. However, I had the opportunity to watch a performance of the Harvard Ballet Company and was pleasantly surprised at the caliber of dance.

They performed a variety of pieces — modern, jazz, and modern ballet. The dancers were very strong when it came to pointe work and they were beautiful dancers.

The Harvard Ballet Company is a student run organization that performs classical and contemporary ballet. They hold classes taught by Boston Ballet faculty and also bring in guest artists.

I’m happy that  I had the chance to see this group perform.

To learn more, go to http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~ballet/

Show About Jerome Robbins

This Wednesday, 2/18/09, a show about Jerome Robbins will be airing on PBS. I’m looking forward to it because I love Jerome Robbins’ choreography. I’ve also read a couple of books about him. He was such perfectionist when it came to his work, that many people who worked with him have said that he was impossible. It should be interesting to see how they portray him in the show.

Here’s a link to information of the airing on the PBS station (WMHT) in the Capital District: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/jerome-robbins/video-robbins…

New Balletone Fitness Class

I attended a challenging Balletone fitness instructor trainining workshop today, called Sole Synthesis. It combines fitness workout, Balletone, and Yoga inspired moves. There’s no equipment involved. And you don’t  need a mat because it’s all standing movement. I can’t wait to begin teaching the classes, but have to complete the exam requirements first. I have a feeling that I’m going to be sore tomorrow…..

Sunday Afternoon Tea

It’s been a while since I’ve written. I’ll blame it on the holidays. Plus, I didn’t think that anyone read my blog. But several students mentioned that they saw my note about the Nutcracker performance on PBS.

So, I thought I’d let you know about a Dance Alliance event that will be happening on Sunday, February 1, 2009. It’s a Salon & Afternoon Tea with dance writer and critic, Ellen Zimmer.  She writes for Dance Magazine, the Village Voice, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. It should be an interesting session. I’ve attached a flyer with more information.

Salon & Afternoon Tea Flyer

New Nutcracker

I know that I wrote about the Nutcracker season a couple of weeks ago, but I must bring up the topic again. I just learned about a new production that will air on PBS stations on Wednesday, December 17, 2008. It’s a performance by the San Francisco Ballet that was recorded last December and includes behind-the-scenses commentaty from SFB Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson. Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic champion figure skater, will host the show. The plot of this production mostly sticks to tradition, but there are some there are some variations. WMHT, the local PBS station where I live will braodcast at 8:00 pm. Check out your local PBS station so that you don’t miss this performance. Enjoy!