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Best of 2006: Dance
(Wednesday, December 27, 2006) 10 dance events that deserve the hype
By ROBERT JOHNSON Star-Ledger StaffAdvertising and publicity drive
the entertainment business like
a steam-roller, shaping opinions
by flattening them into
conformity.
For all the marketing
fireworks and gossip that
precede a premiere, however, the
real test comes in the darkness
of the theater, where each
spectator in the quiet of his
soul must judge the encounter by
what it makes him think and
feel.
Not all this year's hot tickets
flamed and sparked as promised. Some
were clearly overblown, like the
Broadway dance-icals "Hot Feet" and "The
Times They Are A-Changin,'" and wannabe
sensations like Angel Rojas and Carlos
Rodríguez, the bad boys of the Nuevo
Ballet Español.
Other much ballyhooed productions
were fine enough, but not extraordinary,
like Mark Morris' "Sylvia" and his new
"Mozart Dances." "PUSH," a heralded
collaboration between the great
ballerina Sylvie Guillem and
choreographer Russell Maliphant, turned
out to be lame. This was also the year
when Boston Ballet's resident
choreographer, Jorma Elo, swept the
ballet world off its feet, only to leave
people wondering why.
Arts promoters are quick to bestow
laurels even before a premiere has taken
place. Yet sometimes years must elapse
before the true value of an artist's
work becomes apparent. This was the case
with the Silver Belles, the protagonists
of Heather Lynn MacDonald's wonderful
documentary "Been Rich All My Life."
These elderly chorus girls of the Apollo
Theater, once admired for their pretty
legs, have at last been recognized for
their artistry and fortitude.
Here are the Top 10 dance events for
2006:
The moving "Been Rich All My Life"
makes its debut at the annual Dance on
Camera Festival in New York. It enjoys
an extended run at the Quad Cinema
there, tours nationally and comes out on
DVD. (Jan. 4)
"The Kings of Dance" showcases Johan
Kobborg, Angel Corella, Ethan Stiefel
and Nikolai Tsiskaridze, four of
ballet's most appealing stars. This
lovefest at New York City Center also
thrills with Flemming Flindt's psychotic
dance-drama "The Lesson," while
Tsiskaridze's one-man "Carmen" is a
theatrical tour-de-force. (Feb. 23)
The exceptional beauty of Christopher
Wheeldon's "Evenfall" smiles through the
tears of a melancholy Bartók score,
receiving its premiere as part of New
York City Ballet's Diamond Project.
Spectacularly inventive and brilliantly
plotted, this blend of classical and
modern styles is a masterpiece,
injecting new life into the classical
school. (May 10)
American Ballet Theatre's spring
season came packed with sensations.
David Hallberg and Veronika Part gave an
inspired rendition of "Apollo" on May
27, showing us Terpsichore's fresh
beauty through Apollo's adoring eyes.
Marcelo Gomes combined technical prowess
with a nuanced and profound
characterization of Albrecht in
"Giselle" on June 13, while Diana
Vishneva danced with a supernatural
lightness and refinement, achieving a
rare moment of transcendence in
Giselle's second-act variation, on June
17.
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance
Company presents "Another Evening: I Bow
Down" at Rutgers' Mason Gross School of
the Arts in New Brunswick. The
choreographer literally casts out demons
in this uplifting piece about faith,
community and our response to
catastrophe. (Sept. 19)
Liz Lerman Dance Exchange presents
"Small Dances About Big Ideas:
Choreographer's Commentary Version" at
Dance New Amsterdam in Manhattan. The
choreographer quietly engages us in a
difficult subject. Recalling the late
Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term
"genocide," Lerman gently affirms that
we can all be "up-standers," not
"by-standers." (Oct. 6)
The Bayanihan Philippine
National Dance Company begins a string
of local appearances at the Stockton
Performing Arts Center in Pomona. More
than just a colorful potpourri, the
program honors multiple legacies with a
fascinating mix of European, Asian and
indigenous influences. (Oct. 26)
The New Jersey Tap Ensemble of
Bloomfield offers a dazzling display of
rhythm tap, combining old-time hoofing
with the beauty of song in "The Duke
Ellington Legacy and the Harlem
Renaissance," an elaborate production at
Kean University in Union. (Nov. 6)
The magnetic dancer Roxane d'Orléans
Juste has attained a peak of artistry in
which finely tuned physical responses
combine with intimate, dramatic
awareness. She was unforgettable in
"Dances for Isadora" and "Day on Earth,"
which the Limón Dance Company presented
as part of its 60th anniversary season
at the Joyce Theater. (Nov. 14)
Weighted and sinuous, moving her body
with the slow but forceful elasticity of
a python, and at other times exploding
in a barrage of light and brilliant
footwork, Eva Yerbabuena is a master of
traditional flamenco. Her musicality in
"Eva: A Cal y Canto" at the New Jersey
Performing Arts Center in Newark was
highlighted in an extraordinary rhythmic
dialogue with the cajón player. (Nov.
26)
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-1/1167197812320280.xml&coll=1 |
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International dance visits Eisenhower
(Thursday, November 16, 2006)
By Laura McCann
For The CollegianWinter vacation may seem pretty far
away, but State College residents are
about to have a tropical paradise come
to them.
Tonight, spectators in the
Eisenhower Auditorium will take a trip
to the Philippine Islands when the
Bayanihan National Dance Company comes
to perform.
"It's a visit to another country and
flavor without leaving State College,"
Laura Sullivan, marketing and
communications director for Center for
the Performing Arts (CPA), said.
According to the company's Website,
www.bayanihannationaldanceco.ph,
the Bayanihan National Dance Company was
founded in 1957 by Helena Benitez, one
of the most notable women in the
Philippines. She has created a dance
company that has aroused pride among
Filipinos in their cultural heritage,
thus having a significant impact on her
country. The dance company is the oldest
one in the Philippines and is known for
their elegant and sound movements as
they interpret various folk dances from
all over the Philippines as well as
other countries, according to the Web
site.
"State College is able to see an
international culture without traveling
-- that's the perk," Sullivan said.
Bayanihan is a Filipino term taken
from the word bayan, referring to
a nation, town or community. The whole
term bayanihan refers to a spirit of
communal unity or effort to achieve a
particular objective, which, in essence,
is the dance company's goal -- working
together for the common good of their
country and culture.
Diane Daubert, Tour Coordinator and
Company Manager, said the spirit of
togetherness and love of dance helps the
group work together to achieve the
objectives of the company, which has 45
members.
"The group is a combination of
students and young professionals who
love to dance and believe in the mission
of preserving Philippine culture and
bringing awareness of their cultural
history to the world," Daubert said.
The folk traditions of the
Philippines are rich and feature
countless types of dances. A typical
Bayanihan program includes dozens of
dances divided into five sections,
including works with origins in the
mountain, countryside,
Spanish and Muslim traditions and
showcases costumes of embroidery,
seashells, satin, straw, feathers and
frilled lace, she said.
The performance is part of CPA's
family events series titled "Forever
Young." These events are family-friendly
and for all ages. According to Sullivan,
there is usually a good turnout with the
family events.
"We usually sell fairly well with the
family programs. We expect a nice crowd
for the Bayanihan performance," Sullivan
said.
Like a typical program, tonight's
performance features five sections. Each
is a distinctive, different dance,
ranging from telling the story of man's
awareness of nature's colors and sounds
to graceful, kaleidoscopic dances,
fiestas and clashing gongs.
"It is enjoyable to everyone. It
brings joy to Filipino-Americans,
excitement to young children who are
mesmerized and understanding to those
who knew little of the Filipino culture
before witnessing the performance. It is
a lot of singing, dancing and colors
that give you the different facets of
the Filipino culture," Daubert said.
An hour before the show, there will
be an informal moderated discussion
featuring directors of Bayanihan's
executive, artistic and costume, deputy
music and dance departments. At this
discussion, the directors will be able
to elaborate on the company's specifics,
including touring, dances and costumes.
"This is a nice little program that
allows the audience to learn more about
the program and the artists before they
see the program," Sullivan said.
The Bayanihan company was the first
Filipino group to perform on Broadway
and the first non-American dance company
to appear at New York City's Lincoln
Center for the Performing Arts.
According to Sullivan, the show is
sure to demonstrate international dance
at its finest, being an innovator in
transforming indigenous dance and music
into a theatrical presentation
chock-full of original and visual
action.
"This large company is sure to put on
a fun, colorful, athletic and
traditional folk dance program full of
Philippine culture that is entertaining
for everyone," Sullivan said.
Daubert said there are so many
reasons to see performance from other
countries.
She believes it's important for
everyone, especially college students,
to experience other things from around
the world.
"Knowing other cultures broadens your
horizons and your understanding. You
learn that there are other people around
the world who think just like you. We
want people to understand that we have
the same dream for the future, of peace,
love and unity, that every-one,
American, Spanish, German, Filipino,
Australian, or so on, does," Daubert
said.
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2006/11/11-16-06tdc/11-16-06darts-07.asp |
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Folkloric fun from the Philippines
(Saturday, October 28, 2006)
By ROBERT JOHNSON
Star-Ledger StaffDANCE
For centuries the Philippines
have been visited by sea-faring
merchants, who came to profit from the
islands' riches, and by conquerors, who
stayed to rule. Lucky audiences don't
need to make the journey, however, since
Bayanihan, the Philippine National Dance
Company, brings its country's wealth
with it on tour.
The troupe began a string of local
appearances on Thursday at the Stockton
Performing Arts Center in Pomona and
continues with upcoming performances in
Princeton and Newark. Bayanihan's
program offers a colorful panoply of
dance, music and acrobatics, drawing on
the traditions of indigenous peoples,
Spanish settlers and traders from
Southeast Asia, to produce a wondrously
varied spectacle. Although Bayanihan can
be compared to folk dance troupes from
Russia and Mexico, this company has a
fascinating repertoire and a gracefully
seductive manner all its own.
The evening begins simply, portraying
the origins of music as naked savages
learn the secrets of rhythm. It doesn't
take long for this art to develop into a
collective pursuit, and soon women are
shaking bunches of dried sheaves like
pompoms and dancing on bamboo mats that
serve as musical instruments when struck
with wands. A clog dance and a
Spanish-flavored number where men play
crotales and stamp their feet to a jota
rhythm extend the percussive theme.
Energetic musicians in the orchestra
pit create a rich musical texture with
gongs, metallophones, guitars and
various kinds of string and wind
instruments. Soprano Mary Anne Luis
appears onstage to perform sentimental
ditties from the Spanish colonial
songbook, while her warbling coloratura
becomes the comic focus of a bustling
marketplace scene.
The Spanish dances are proud and
glamorous, in which the women manipulate
shawls and kick the trains of their long
dresses as they turn. In the dances of
Asian influence, the performers bend
forward, extending a scarf that wraps
around the neck. As in the classical
dances of Southeast Asia, the women's
palms and fingers curl backward on
flexed wrists and the body adopts a
serpentine stance. In a compelling solo,
dancer Nikki Meneses keeps her gestures
in harmonious opposition and her
shoulders pulled back proudly.
While the beauty of this solo is
tightly concentrated, many of
Bayanihan's numbers are flamboyant.
Bayanihan offers richly costumed
processionals; a tribal war dance in
which a frenzied leader incites his
followers to join him in the madness of
combat; poetic reveries in which candles
glimmer in the darkness; and dazzling
exhibitions of skill.
A specialty of the Philippines is a
dance performed by skipping in and out
of the space that opens suddenly between
two bamboo poles before they come
crashing together. Although the poles
follow a predictable rhythm, like a jump
rope, this dance seems far more
dangerous. Miraculously, no one's ankles
are shattered.
Other numbers are pure fun, and the smiles on the faces of the gossipy crowd
that assembles in "People Under the Sun," the village fete that closes the
program, are sure to be contagious.
http://www.nj.com/theater/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1162010975221880.xml&coll=1
Robert Johnson writes about dance for
The Star-Ledger. He may be reached at
rjohnson@starledger.com. |
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Dance company inventively frenetic
By ANTHONY DEL VALLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL
You don't have to be a die-hard dance
fan to fall in love with The Bayanihan
Philippine National Dance Company.
The group's Tuesday evening performance
at Artemus Ham Hall -- part of the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Performing Arts Center's New York Stage
& Beyond series -- was an exciting and
varied theatrical experience. It felt
part Broadway musical, part concert and
part raw folklore.
Bayanihan refers to the Filipino
tradition of working together for the
common good. The program gave us six
segments that celebrated the interaction
of people with each other and the land.
If that sounds a tad high-toned, well,
rest assured the show was a
crowd-pleaser. It takes a hard heart to
not respond on some level to vivid
colors, inventively frenetic staging and
choreography -- by Ferdinand D. Jose --
that somehow combines elegance with
broad humor and genuine feeling. It took
us on a journey through the early
history of man, four centuries of
Spanish-European dance influence, and a
modern village enjoying a fiesta.
While interpretative movement was, of
course, the show's main method of
storytelling, the young, 25-member cast
-- accompanied by seven onstage
musicians -- proved equally adept at
singing and dramatic attitude.
A musical production number featuring a
slew of multicultured merchants hawking
their wares had all the grandeur and
sweep of traditional European opera.
A vignette involving two men vying for
the attention of a beautiful woman had
modern-drama power.
And the exuberant athleticism of choral
numbers celebrating the human spirit
suggested the gut-busting optimism of an
American musical in the "Oklahoma!"
mode.
Director Suzie Moya Benitez paid wise,
careful attention to the technical
aspects of the show. The stage was
always dazzling to look at. The
production made it easy to understand
why this was the first Filipino group to
ever perform on Broadway, and the first
non-American dance company to perform at
Lincoln Center.
The only major downer was that none of
the cast members was mentioned in the
program notes. We got the names of 11
behind-the-scenes folk, but not one of
the talents who were up onstage busting
their butts. I wanted to know who these
artists are. They deserve the respect of
acknowledgment.
Anthony Del Valle can be reached at
DelValle@aol.com.
You can write him c/o Las Vegas
Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas,
NV 89125. |
Hi Zen! |
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I truly did not like the article. It was
not a solid commentary for me. I
think the writer missed so much on the
nuance of the dances presented.
One who does not understand Philippine
folk dancing is not equipped to make
critical comments. I sincerely
believe that a good critic must see all
angles. The writer made a
comparison with Silayan and Kayamanan Ng
Lahi. Personally, I did not see
any close or near comparison with
Bayanihan. Dancers born and raised
here will never ever reach the true
definition of Philippine folk dancing.
I feel a lot closer with Bayanihan.
Though there's emphasis in precision and
colors, I still find the troupe to
be at its best; great ambassadors
of a nation ailing economically,
spiritually and asking to have a place
in the heart of Americans. Based
from what I saw at Pepperdine
University, the dancers connected
with the students and young people in
general. There was no pretense.
They were themselves and they did dances
beautifully. I thank you, Zen, for
giving my school the opportunity to see
the troupe. It was you who got us
connected with Pepperdine University.
And, because of you- the children
have a different perspective of what
Philippines is all about. What
they see on T.V. did not justify what
they saw onstage. It was, indeed,
a great opportunity and experience for
the students to witness the beautiful
soul of a nation through the lyrical and
not so lyrical movements.
Thanks, Zen.
Blessings,
Jo |
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Josefina Solomonsonm |
ststschool@sbcglobal.net |
Hi Ms. Benitez,
Roy Arcinas our Laboratory Information
System Coordinator mentioned to me that
he met you at the church in Parsippany,
New Jersey. I had told him that I
was going to see the Bayanihan at NJPAC
on the 28th of
October with my American girlfriend.
She asked me about the different dances
especially the tribal and although I am
a Fil-Am I was at a loss for their
origins. Some of them I was not
familiar at all. All I can say
to her was that you guys do research on
Philippine culture and these were the
fruits of your endeavor. She
was awed at the splendid performance and
totally enjoyed the whole evening
presentation. Congratulations on a
job well done.Stephen |
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Stephen S. Mercado, MPA, MT(ASCP) |
Administrative Director of Laboratory |
Bergen Regional Medical Center, L.P. |
230 East Ridgewood Avenue |
Paramus, NJ 07652 |
Tel. (201) 967-4062 |
Fax (201) 967-4092 |
smercado@bergenregional.com |
www.bergenregional.com |
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