Dance

There are some pairings in film that conjure eye rolls and looks of confusion.  There are still others that are so perfectly crafted, they practically create a new era of film in and of themselves.  Cue Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. That their first film together, Flying Down to Rio (1933), was a Hollywood-style happy accident was more fortuitous than producers and audiences could imagine.  From that film onwards, they delighted audiences with their charm, chemistry, and dancing style.

Astaire, 12 years her senior, offered Rogers a cigarette in The Gay Divorcee (1935) with his sly smile and a song in mind, “Night and Day.”  Dance numbers between the two range from vivacious, Vegas-style spectaculars to intimate, two-on-two turns on an impromptu dance floor.  Their costumes ranged from gowns and coattails to slacks and blazers just as their styles ran the gamut from sweet and silly dancing to dramatic sweeps across the floor.

In celebration of the romantic duo’s 75th Anniversary, the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood will host a double feature of two of their most memorable turns on the silver screen – Top Hat (1935) and Roberta (1935).  The first is a comic look at what happens when, simply put, Astaire tries to impress Rogers with his good looks and dance moves during a show they’re both working on in London.  The latter sees them tapping their toes in Paris where Astaire, leader of a band in need of a gig, gets help from his old girlfriend, Rogers.

The rumor that mulls around American musical lovers is that Ginger Rogers really wasn’t a great dancer in her own right.  It’s that Astaire was such a professional, he made her look like queen of the dance floor.  (I mean, he has danced with a coat rack.)  No one really knows if that’s true, but if you think about it, it’s a sweet rumor – they were more together than they were alone.  Swoon.

The double feature of Top Hat and Roberta at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood is on view this Sunday, March 14 from 7:30pm.  For more information, please call (323) 466-3456 or click here.

When you stop to think about women in countries like Argentina or in the countryside of Spain, what do you picture? If you’re anything like me, it’s a romantic vision of a flamenco dancer in a black dress with dramatic makeup, a lace fan, and the attitude of a seasoned temptress.  Ruven Afanador knows this woman – in fact, he knows many of them.

Photographed in a desert looking uncomfortably hot in long black dresses and striking wigs, Afanador’s women are the bold image of Latin women that remains burned in our brains from John Singer Sargent paintings and films by Luis Bunuel and Federico Fellini.  They are the women who look like they could teach you about the ways of the world in the most basic sense – they look like they’re from the earth.  That’s particularly why Afanador’s photographs, in his “Mil Besos” exhibition are so memorable, enticing, and true.  He photographs women of all shapes and sizes in various forms of undress at their most intense – one image shows two women nearly kissing, one shows three women who look like they’re on the verge of spontaneously imploding (in good and bad ways), and one shows two women in the midst of a certain kind of dance and wearing long skirts that almost seem connected.

In his “Torero” exhibit, showing in the smaller of Fahey/Klein’s two rooms, the images are more portrait-like and show the young men who become bull-fighters in all their embroidered, detailed, costume-like majesty.  There are the simple parts, like a dusty pair of shoes with a bow, there are images that celebrate the male body, and there are images that show the emotion behind such a dangerous and historically rich sport.

All in all, Afanador’s images, from both exhibits, succeed in so many ways.  They not only enhance the melodramatic and quixotic vision of Latin men and women, but they also seem to show the familiar and human side of these gorgeous specimens.

Ruven Afanador’s “Mil Besos” and “Torero” will be on view at Fahey/Klein Gallery through March 27.  Please click here for more information.

Glorya Kaufman’s contribution to dance in Los Angeles, and specifically at the Music Center, has already begun to impress.  They recently presented the Joffrey Ballet’s Cinderella and up next, on February 16 – 17, we Angelenos have a chance to see the critically acclaimed Kings of the Dance at the Ahmanson Theatre.

If you haven’t heard of Kings of the Dance, you’ve more than likely heard of its components (hint: some of the world’s most phenomenal male dancers) like Guillaume Cote, Marcelo Gomes, David Hallberg, and Denis Matvienko.  Spoiled as we are in Southern California, and now by Glorya Kaufman and her welcomed and generous contribution, the performances will also include special guest appearances by Desmond Richardson, Jose Manuel Carreno, Nikolay Tsiskaridze, and Joaquin DeLuz.  These dancers have graced the stage with some of the world’s most prestigious companies like the American Ballet Theatre, Kirov Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and New York City Ballet.

Admittedly, when you think of ballet, the first images that come to mind are of pointe shoes, beautiful ballerinas in tutus in a perfect arabesque, or dancers with their hair pulled into tight buns and wearing enviable tiaras.  Finally recognizing the beauty and strength of male dancers, Kings of the Dance celebrates these virtuosos in some of dance’s most incredible choreography by such inspiring artists as Roland Petit, Sir Frederick Ashton, Christopher Wheeldon, and Leonid Jacobson.

Because we’re so generous (and because we want to have someone to gush over the performance with), we’ve got tickets to give away!  Enter below to win a pair of tickets to the performance on February 17 at 7:30pm and then let us know what you thought after – we’ve got a good feeling your email will be filled with exclamation points and many synonyms for amazing.

Here are some Extra! Extra! details you’ll want to keep in mind here: by entering into this giveaway, you’re also entered into our next three giveaways! All we need is your first name, last name, and email address, and voila – you’re a connoisseur of dance.  Or, at the very least, you’re on your way to watching some of ballet’s most muscular (er, talented) examples at the height of their careers.

(Click here if you feel like you need to witness what’s on stage and can’t risk the whole giveaway thing.)

I headed downtown, sniffling and sneezing the whole way, determined to revel in the magic of the Joffrey Ballet’s production of Cinderella at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.  With a pounding sinus headache and hot soup calling my name, I knew that if there was one reason to leave the house on Thursday evening, this performance was it.  A ballet dancer through most of my life, I had never seen Cinderella performed and more importantly, this was the Joffrey!

To say that the Joffrey’s performance is a delight would be a gross understatement.  The inexplicable energy that comes from an impenetrable technique and preparation was abound on opening night; you focused not on the choreography itself, instead you were invited to focus on the story the choreography was telling.

As Cinderella, Victoria Jaiani was convincingly transformed from poor maiden to princess – her first scene having been dressed by her fairy godmother was performed with a shopoholic level of excitement.  The new, white, sparkling tutu redefined her as a veritable, although expiring, princess in every sense of the word.  It seemed her posture even improved.  In a refreshingly aggressive move during the famous “glass slipper” scene when the prince approaches Cinderella’s stepsisters first, Victoria practically throws her partnering shoe at the Prince to prove herself – quite unlike the demure, embarrassed display of politesse in the book.

One of the more joyous characters of the ballet, and simultaneously one of the most scarily talented on the stage, was undoubtedly the Jester, played by an enormously flexible Derrick Agnoletti.  Prior to the roar of applause given to him by the audience, he moved us through each scene at the Prince’s ball with huge leaps and great comic timing.  Likewise, the two gentlemen (yes, men) playing Cinderella’s stepsisters are so entertaining and flailing, it convinces you that while their roles are significant, these dancers aren’t being used to their full potential as stepsisters.

To put it plainly, the style of ballet performed in Cinderella is a kind of anomaly, at least when it comes to ballet performed in Los Angeles of, say, the last 5 to 10 years.  It does not fall into either of the most widely performed styles of ballet: Russian and Balanchine.  (Yes, balletomanes, I am generalizing.)  Choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton, who was born in Ecuador and whose Cinderella premiered with Sadler’s Wells Ballet at the Royal Opera House in London in 1948, the style and movement has much more fluidity than Russian choreography, but isn’t nearly as esoteric as a George Balanchine choreographed work.  It’s accessible, comedic, and yet no less impressive.

On for two more performances (well, three if you hurry), Cinderella is a gorgeous display of how well technique, set and costume design, and wit come together on stage for such a grabbing, beautiful, and entertaining performance.  Even the little girls sitting with their parents were on the edge of their seats at the end to see the prince and his princess walk off into the gold and glittering future.  As was I, actually, which was impressive considering my sickly condition pre-performance.  My evening had ended happily, after all.

Cinderella is on for three remaining performances: Today (Saturday) at 2pm and 7:30pm and tomorrow (Sunday) at 2pm at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.  For more information, please call (213) 972-0711 or click here.

Click here to watch a Joffrey Ballet produced video introducing their Cinderella.

In an outburst of song, dance, and color, Center Theater Group, Disney, and Cameron Mackintosh present a rare touring production with electric showmanship, mesmerizing production design, and powerhouse orchestration.

On a faint wind of nostalgia, “Mary Poppins” floated into the Ahmanson Theatre with her magic carpetbag of endless marvel.  The excitement was palpable as audience members, old and young (even if it was just at heart), awaited a promise that anything really can happen. No one could disagree that “Mary Poppins’” timing was, for lack of a better phrase, “practically perfect in every way”.

Based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the 1964 Walt Disney Film, the performance features  original Academy Award winning music and lyrics by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman as well as new music by Olivier Award winning team George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Director Richard Eyre and Co-Director/Choreographer Matthew Bourne (he of the famed all-male Swan Lake production in London) introduce a kaleidoscope of whimsy that ranges from the over-the-top (a nanny who flies out over the audience and into the rafters with her magical umbrella, then returns to center stage, landing primly atop a chimney) to the old-fashioned (a simple magic trick involving a bouquet that appears out of thin air and a cheeky, knowing smile).

The production opens upon the set of the Banks family household where we find Mr. and Mrs. George and Winifred Banks and their two children, Jane and Michael in the midst of their daily navigation through marital issues and family dilemmas. Kezler is appropriately gruff as a regimented banker, who later finds his compassion at home after his career takes a turn for the worse; Grey and Thomas are the epitome of textbook battiness and childhood curiosity, while Osterhaus is heartwarming as the empathetic mother holding her family together.

The carnival heaves into view with the first act’s “Jolly Holiday”, where the Banks children follow new nanny Mary Poppins (played by Ashley Brown) and an animated jack-of-all-trades named Bert into sidewalk paintings, through pastel gardens, and over rooftops of tap dancing chimney sweeps. Brown plays Mary with the perfect air of self-assurance, and Gavin Lee masterfully harnesses comedic horseplay in his spot-on rendition of Bert. Valerie Boyle’s performance as Mrs. Brill, the Banks’ overly burdened household maid, is wildly entertaining and a definite highlight of the production, and Ellen Harvey as Mr. Banks’ former nanny, the “holy terror” Miss. Andrew, nearly steals the whole show with her operatic performance of “Brimstone and Treacle”.  While each musical act is guaranteed to delight, the second act’s “Step In Time” delivers some serious razzle-dazzle with melodic tap dancing and a jaw-dropping re-creation of Fred Astaire’s gravity-defying “walking-on-the-ceiling” act.

With noteworthy talent (on and off the stage), a little Disney magic, and a pleasantly tolerable amount of cheese, “Mary Poppins” proves to be an all around crowd pleaser and a must-see. If you aren’t already on your feet after the 78th repetition of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” then you certainly will be by curtain call.

- By Harper Flood

“Mary Poppins” will run through February 7, 2010 at the Ahmanson Theatre.  For more information, please call (213) 628-2772 or click here.

I saw Riverdance in Dublin, Ireland during the summer of 1998, and the enthusiasm I had for it has stayed with me ever since. My family even bought a VHS tape of the performance and we played it on Saturday mornings to see who could best pretend they knew the steps. There was something infectious about this show—Riverdance rose to fame at exponential speeds. The production became a cultural obsession and its principal dancer, Michael Flatley, a household name since it premiered in 1995.  Riverdance brought something to audiences that was completely new, yet familiar.  Some had seen local teenage girls hop around in green skirts with ribbons in their hair and call it Irish dance, but nobody had seen traditional Irish step dance like this.  It was powerful. It was technical perfection.  It was sexy.  And for the first time, it was showcased on a world stage. Now, fifteen years after its premier altered the world opinion of Irish dance, the Pantages Theater in Hollywood is the LA stop on the show’s farewell tour.

According to Celtic legend, Irish music owes its strong emphasis on rhythm to the Druids. Centuries later, the English occupation of Ireland in the 1700s resulted in the oppression of many Irish customs.  Ireland’s national dance therefore adopted the stiff upper body in honor of the oppression of many Irish cultural outlets including dance, language, and song.  Bill Whelan’s original score for Riverdance draws from ancient Druid tribal musical structures but is also enhanced by the commanding sound that comes from the tapping of the dancers.  During Wednesday’s performance of Riverdance, the legacy of strong and intricate rhythm was apparent; the Pantages Theater was blissfully deafening.

The show, although primarily focused on Irish dance, provides for a well-rounded experience and is anything but a mere dance recital.  Dance segments are interspersed with musical performances, notably the crystal clear voice of soloist Laura Yanez, and the distinctive sound of the uillean pipes played by Declean Masterson.  The dances are also meaningfully structured.  Many are linked to historical events, including the potato famine when the Irish-immigrant influence in America was explored.  The dance-off between the Riverdance Tappers and the Riverdance Dance Troupe was most certainly a highlight, although Rocio Montoya’s fiery flamenco performance and the Moscow Folk Ballet Company’s impressive acrobatic display aren’t to be overlooked.

Riverdance draws much of its appeal from its star power. The show’s two lead dancers, Craig Ashurst and Melissa Convery, are captivating in their individual ability and in their chemistry onstage.  However, when the fleet of dancers joins together, they perform in seemingly impossible technical unison, and produce a resounding dramatic effect that can only result from strength in numbers.

Riverdance hasn’t lost its step in fifteen years, and now more than ever is the time to remember why you loved it then, or to encounter it for the first time.  Experiencing the energy live is stunning and impactful, but be forewarned: you may be spotted after the show hopping and shamelessly fluttering your way back to your car.

-by Brittany Krasner

Riverdance is playing daily at the Pantages Theater through January 24th. Visit their website for ticket information.

If you still haven’t felt the holiday spirit this year, you’re a little late on the uptake.  The weather isn’t helping much – listening to “White Christmas” as you peel off your unnecessary scarf, for example, doesn’t encourage drinking hot chocolate and singing carols.  Well, where the weather disappoints (in a way), our fair city’s art scene comes to the rescue.

The quintessential ballet experience known far and wide as The Nutcracker is upon us again and Los Angeles Ballet’s production will be on view at Royce Hall and Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center in the coming weeks.  Click here to check out our behind the scenes look at what goes into such a magical production as theirs with Sugar Plum Fairies, Snow Flakes, Fighting Mice, and Princes to delight your child’s (and your inner child’s) every whim.

Musically, there’s nowhere that does the holiday season like the LA Philharmonic.  On Sunday, December 20, you can warm up those vocal chords for a Messiah Sing-Along with the Los Angeles Master Chorale.  Then on Tuesday, December 22 at 8:00pm, they’re presenting Holidays with Sweet Honey in the Rock – aka not your mama’s holiday songs, followed by Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s A Creole Christmas on Wednesday, December 23 at 8:00pm.  Those are also, not your mama’s holiday songs. Unless your mama is Creole.  If you’re at a loss for what to do on New Year’s Eve, spend it with the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Disney Hall.

Not everything that puts you in the holiday spirit has to scream Santa Claus, little elves, and red ribbons.  There are some films that put a smile on your face regardless of the time of year and two of them are on view at the Egyptian Theatre on Saturday, December 26 – maybe to take your mind off the family dysfunction from the night before.  Singin’ In The Rain and An American in Paris make up the double feature starting at 7:30pm.

Did we mention that Christmas can also be funny?  The Largo at the Coronet has an All Star comedy show on Monday, December 21 at 9pm benefiting St. Jude’s Christmas Charity.  It can also be whimsical if you get yourself to Royal/T in Culver City.  Now through December 31, their Winter Wonderland pop up shop

It is a shame that, in Los Angeles, a ballet company has yet to survive for a full decade.  Don’t the powers that be realize that little Angeleno children need to experience the spectacle that is The Nutcracker year after year?  With Los Angeles Ballet comes the glimmer of hope that indeed children lucky enough to be born in the city of angels will get to see the magical world of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker year after year.  Now kicking off their fourth season with their annual production of The Nutcracker, Los Angeles Ballet is becoming a staple of our city – finally.

While the company has seen a great many changes in the past four years – the good including their new rehearsal and office space as well as the introduction of new dancers, the bad including the loss of some truly gifted company members – all seems to be going well in their favor.  And they’re set to change a few more children’s lives this winter with Colleen Neary and Thordal Christensen’s beautifully choreographed Nutcracker.  Find me one little girl or boy who sat through The Nutcracker with grandma at the tender age of 7 and didn’t beg for ballet lessons for Christmas.
We recently snuck our camera into their studios (and their opening night performance) to get a sneak peak at what’s on offer this year.  Catherine Kanner’s set design and Mikael Melbye’s costumes enhance the magic inherent in this classic ballet that ignites a holiday spirit in a way that nothing else can.  Their schedule includes four performances at Royce Hall on Dec 19 and 20 followed by three at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center on Dec 26 and 27.  Plenty of opportunities to remember what the holidays are all about – sugar plum fairies, harlequin dolls, fighting mice, and little toy soldiers.

Los Angeles Ballet’s The Nutcracker performs at Royce Hall on Dec 19 and 20 and at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center on Dec 26 and 27.  For more information, please click here.

Click here to have a listen to Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite…

This week, we’ve been glued to Culture Monster, discovered Lady Gaga’s philanthropic side, and have seen many Angelenos brave the opposite coast for Art Basel: Miami.  All in the name of art.

• Not only did Lady Gaga perform with the Bolshoi Ballet for MOCA’s 30th anniversary gala this month, but now the museum is auctioning off items used during the performance.  The gala, according to The Daily Beast, raised $4 million for MOCA (phew!) and Gaga’s costumes are the gift that keeps on giving – some of the items to be auctioned off include Prada dress, a Frank Gehry designed hat, and masks by Baz Lurhmann and Catherine Martin.  {The Daily Beast}

• We knew baritone Nathan Gunn had a notable effect on the ladies, but were blithely unaware that his influence on his fans is such that they’ve coined the term “barihunks,” for hunky, baritone leading men in opera, a group in which Gunn is a favored and founding member.   The buff, tall glass of water will perform in LA Opera’s upcoming Barber of Seville, but according to Culture Monster, there are a number of blogs devoted to these barihunks. Now, even tenors are getting in on the action.  {LA Times’ Culture Monster}

• A staff strike at Paris’ Centre Pompidou was extended this week and some fear that the strike could spread to other museums nearby including the Louvre and Versailles Palace.  The staff are upset over planned job cuts and after a meeting with France’s Culture Minister Frederic Mitterand went sour this week, it doesn’t look like Parisians will be getting their contemporary art fix too soon.  {ArtInfo}

• Once Thanksgiving passes, it’s only a blink of an eye before the art world descends on Miami.  December 3 – 6, the tanned retirees of Miami will be joined by artists, collectors, gallerists, and curators for Art Basel: Miami.  LA galleries represented this year include Blum & Poe, Michael Kohn Gallery, Regen Projects, and Roberts and Tilton Gallery.  {Art Basel: Miami}

• Also on LA Times’ Culture Monster this week, a list proving that LA’s theatre scene is worth it’s salt.  Charles McNulty notes Geffen Playhouse’s Equivocation, LA Jolla Playhouse’s production of Bonnie and Clyde, Love’s Labour’s Lost at The Broad Stage, and Mary Poppins, which recently opened at the Ahmanson, among the manifold ways in which this city continues to support live theatre.  Take that New York (and Seattle)! {LA Times’ Culture Monster}

There are only four days before Thanksgiving.  Heaven knows Fine Arts LA has plenty to be thankful for.  Let us count the ways!

The Surging Number of Food Trucks — These bad boys (and girls) are making a presence at practically every art event in Los Angeles through Twitter-based campaigns.  With delicious cuisine ranging from Indian food to gastro pub food to dessert, we want to thank you for saving us on many Saturday nights after downing one too many Grolsch beers.  Thank you, food trucks!

LACMA Film Program – You never fully appreciate something until it’s gone, or until it’s hanging on by a thread just waiting to be cut by the budget police.  Thanks to the wonderful people at Save Film at LACMA, we are fortunate to have the rich film program of classic and international films at LACMA away from its grave.  And we couldn’t be more thrilled by the fact that through this grassroots effort, we will be sitting pretty watching all of our favorite films, at least until June 2010.  Thank you, Save Film at LACMA!

MOCA’s Comeback – One year ago, we were all shocked by the reports that revealed MOCA was teetering on the brink of financial disaster.  And look at ‘em now!  They are keeping their doors open with the help of philanthropist Eli Broad and the work of countless others.  Taking it all in last night at MOCA’s 30th Birthday Party, I was fortunate enough to enjoy a Lemonade red velvet cupcake with the best of them all while catching a preview of their latest show.  Collection: MOCA’s First Thirty Years reveals the best of MOCA’s inventory, the tastes of chief curator Paul Schimmel, and the vision of curators before.  Thank you, MOCA and Eli Broad!

The Broad Stage — Speaking of Eli Broad, there is a lovely contemporary gem on the horizon in Santa Monica – The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage.  The home of dance, theatre, voice, chamber music, film, and spoken word, it is as if the Walt Disney Concert Hall’s little sister is making its claim on the Westside bringing home the best talents without a trip on the 10 freeway. Thank you, Broad Stage!

Gustavo Dudamel – Even before he arrived, this city was crazed about this talented, young man from Venezuela.  As the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel’s personality, playfulness, and passion have been infused into every portion of his program.  Making grown women (and men) behave like children and professing their crush at any given moment, Mr. Dudamel has taken this city by storm one concert at a time and has caught the attention of everyone including those unfamiliar with classical music. Bienvenido, Gustavo, y mil gracis!

And finally, we are most thankful for you, dear readers…  Without you to check us out daily, to recommend us to your friends, and to Google image search the most oddest things to find our website, we would cease to exist.  So thank you!!

What are you most thankful for?

Image: David Rex Ketchum