The Martha Graham Dance Company recently celebrated its hundredth anniversary, a remarkable feat, considering how much it has been through since Graham's death, in 1991-a flood, financial crises, repeated closures, and an ugly, years-long legal battle over the rights to her dances which was resolved in the company's favor only in 2005.
"Most dance studio education in the U.S. still starts with ballet and works towards recitals. But historically, hundreds of distinct dance traditions emerged from cultures around the world long before ballet became the norm in European courts."
Godspell is a musical that brings the teachings of Christ to life through a modern lens, featuring a diverse cast of characters who engage audiences with skits, songs, and games.
"We are the eyes and ears, the business side of theater. Anything not on stage goes through us. Justin likes to say we're the octopus of the show."
But instead, they find their way to a small studio, where they join 27 others in strapping on a pair of high heels and throwing themselves into two hours of dance moves. This is the beginners heels class at Vibe Dance Studio, which was started by Izzy Gonzales and her dad Ed four years ago. It's a place where people can show up exhausted, but end up with so much energy they don't want to go home.
This is an absolute beginners course on the foundations of classical ballet and, a single catastrophic line dance lesson aside, it is also the first dance class I have ever attended. I am in the minority. As we take the barre, it quickly becomes apparent that not being able to tell my left from my right will be a significant deficit over the next 16 weeks. This, however, is a tertiary concern.
Being called the best assumes lightning will strike twice, on schedule, and then strike again. I think that's life at the San Francisco Ballet. I heard about many bests recently at its 93rd opening gala. Everywhere I looked, people chattered in polite gossip, and a new room waited for me to find reasons to linger, from macarons and photo stations; or I was catching up with my favorite performer while waiting in line for cocktails.
A record-breaking, dazzlingly dressed crowd turned out for San Francisco Ballet's Opening Night Gala on Jan. 14, with the fete raising more money than any event of its kind since the organization's founding in 1933 - a major achievement at a time when the organization attempts to balance grand ambitions amid mounting controversy. The sold-out evening at City Hall and the War Memorial Opera House brought out big names
When attending the ballet used to mean lining up at the box office or will-call window for a chance to score seats, you can now buy ballet tickets easily online, through the respective company websites or through third-party sites like Stubhub, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek.
President Trump overhauled the Kennedy Center's board last year, got himself elected chairman, and installed ally Ric Grenell as president. Then, in December, his handpicked board renamed the venue "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" - slapping his name ahead of JFK's on one of the country's most storied arts institutions.
