Category Archives: Choreography

The Joffrey Ballet Dazzles

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The Joffrey Ballet wowed the crowd at Cal Performances in March, opening with Commedia, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, and closing with The Times Are Racing, by Justin Peck. It was a gift of a repertoire. Only one dance was slightly disappointing: Bliss by Stephanie Martinez. The costumes were out of sync; the men topless in plain tan pants, the women in short blue or pink tutus with bling: The Royals meet the working class.  

Beyond the Shore, choreographed by Nicolas Blanc with music by Mason Bates, was exquisite. It was a haunting, expressive piece that opened with audio of a NASA space flight and morphed into a hip, modern sound track.

But the crowd’s overwhelming pick was Peck’s piece: a colorful, buoyant mix of dance genres. The Chicago-based troupe danced in sneakers, and danced with abandon. Watch a clip here:

Gold Medal Ice Dancing

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Ice dancing can be as graceful as any other dance genre. One of the most exquisite performances was the 2018 gold medal free skate by Germany’s Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot at the Winter Games in PyeongChang.

Bruno, who’s a foot taller than Aljona, tosses her high to the rafters, as if weightless. She lands with power and poise after a few aerial spins on the way down — and that’s just the opening. The haunting score, by French composer Armand Amar, creates a mood of romantic longing, while the couple’s height difference adds drama. (Sadly, the IOC has blocked this video.)

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

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The Hubbard Street Dance Chicago dancers move with strength and grace. At their Berkeley engagement at Zellerbach Hall in Jan. 2019, they danced Jardí Tancat (choreographed by Nacho Duato) in near-perfect synchrony. In the silent opening, they moved as a tight ensemble. The dance, set to haunting Catalan music, mesmerized with its interplay of couples dancing as one. But the rest of Hubbard’s repertoire disappointed. The repetition in N.N.N.N. (choreographed by William Forsythe) grew tiresome. And the finale, Grace Engine (choreographed by Crystal Pite) felt like Munch’s The Scream come alive. Powerful, yes, but an overly dystopian end to the night. Still, it’s a troupe worth watching; let’s hope they shake up the repertoire. See excerpts from Jardí Tancat (recording by vocalist María del Mar Bonet i Verdaguer):

Dancing With The Stars Trophy Winner Nyle DiMarco

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One of the most remarkable dance stories in the last season of Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) is the tale of Nyle DiMarco. Born into a deaf family and deaf himself, he’s never heard a sound, never a musical note. Yet this young man exudes a musicality that defies explanation.

In one of my favorites, Nyle dances a romantic and ethereal waltz with pro dancer Sharna Burgess. Sharna wasn’t his regular partner, but in the show’s week five “switch up,” they partnered together, and the two created magic on the dance floor. Nyle’s regular DWTS dance partner Peta Murgatroyd and Sharna are the show’s best female pros, in my view.

It’s a celebratory time for DiMarco: a few months before wining the Mirror Ball trophy, he also won the final series of America’s Next Top Model.

Nyle mastered the dance basics and captured the hearts of the audience with a mix of fearlessness, emotional abandon and vulnerability. Just watch!

DWTS: A Love of Dance

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I wasn’t an early fan of Dancing With the Stars (DWTS). Apart from the pros, the show was a mixed bag. But what a surprise when I tuned in again in 2014 season 18 and caught the semi-finals with pro Maks Chmerkovskiy and Olympic skater Meryl Davis. Wow! Those two simply sizzled. Not because of their stellar good looks, but because of the way they moved as one. The dancing and choreography were extraordinary. Only a few dance partnerships have that magic. You know it when you see it: Nureyev and Fonteyn; Maks and Meryl.

After falling under the spell of those two, I was eager to see the following seasons. The first few weeks are typically mediocre, as stars get their footing. But by the semi-finals the talented shine. Pros Mark Ballas and Derek Hough are the choreographers to watch. Some of their dances are so creative, it’s hard to believe it’s just TV and not Broadway.

At the start of the recent season 21, Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter lacked verve, but by the final competition, he emerged as a spirited competitor—and a charismatic dancer. One of my favorites was his salsa trio with pros Sharna Burgess and Peta Murgatroyd. He didn’t win the mirror ball trophy, but he owned that number. Take a look:

West Coast Swing Jack & Jill Dance Competition

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The West Coast Swing dance community is so rich in talent, it’s hard to showcase just one signature dancer. Amateur competitions are held up and down the California coast, from novice to advanced. One of my favorites is called “Jack & Jill”: dancers put their names in a hat and compete on the spot with a randomly chosen partner.

The results are delightful, creative, and unexpected. The top couples are in sync with each other and the music, while the choreography often takes a surprising turn.

Here are Jack & Jill Champions Patty Vo and Kyle Redd at the Reno Dance Sensation in 2007. It takes them :30 seconds to get started—but it’s worth the wait.

A Tango Tale

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Tango is an elegant dance with close, intricate footwork. The dance’s romantic style belies its difficulty. As the music builds, intimacy is played out in fluid movement. Danced in close or open embrace, the Tango reveals more about a couple’s relationship than words alone.

Film directors are captivated by Tango’s storytelling power: Think of Scent of a Woman, The Tango Lesson, and Strictly Ballroom.

Here’s a clip of Argentina’s best: Maximiliano Cristiani and Jesica Arfenonia, the 2013 Tango Salon World Champions.

Dance Rebels

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In the world of ballet, it’s the ballerinas who shine the brightest, with an occasional break-out male lead such as Baryshnikov or Godunov. Female dancers with their spirited, emotional, and graceful movements are the ones to watch. The men are the ones who lift and twirl the women.

Not any more.

The Bad Boys of Dance emerged on the scene with a roar in 2007 at Jacob’s Pillow. The troupe is founded by the classically-trained dancer, Rasta Thomas, a self-described bad boy who wanted to step out of the shadows. His pedigree is impressive: he’s danced with the American Ballet Theater, the Joffrey and Kirov Ballet companies, the Dance Theater of Harlem, and more.

The company’s choreography taps into modern, ballet, jazz, and hip hop for inspiration. In 2008, Rasta Thomas created Rock the Ballet with his wife and award-winning dancer, Adrienne Canterna. The show has sold out worldwide.

The power, agility, and sheer talent of these dancers is astonishing. The ferocity, passion, and athleticism of the men has wowed audiences across the globe. Take a look:

West Coast Swing Dance

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West Coast Swing is a dancer’s dance. It’s a slower, bluesy version of East Coast Swing or Jitterbug. Danced to classic or contemporary blues tunes, it’s built on a six-count pattern with variations of eight or ten. It’s fun and playful, fast or slow; alluring or rapid-fire. The musical breaks and beats give dancers time for creative footwork and syncopated movements.

Here’s one of my favorite performances:  Benji Schwimmer and Heidi Groskreutz at the 2001 US Open Swing Dance Championships. The sheer physicality, artistry, and choreography caught the eye of talent scouts. Both dancers landed on national TV dance shows:

Dance Champions

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The international Latin dance champions Riccardo Cocchi and Ulya Zagoryuchenko leave their fans breathless. Their style is hot, fast, sexy—typical for professional Latin competitors. The difference?  Chemistry. Their moves, their connection, their stunning looks create an electric performance. A favorite, choreographed just for them, is “Hello, baby!” Watch it and swoon: