Many ballet-lovers subscribe to the myth that George Balanchine’s 1954 reinvention of the Russian classic for New York City Ballet “sparked an American holiday tradition” – in the words of Laura Jacobs, who penned a fascinating exploration of Balanchine’s Nutcracker for Vanity Fair, even as she played fast and …
28 Chinese face off against The Trojans
28 Chinese summered at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, and it was hard to imagine a more riveting setting for this contemporary art exhibit, culled from the permanent collection of Miami collectors Mera and Don Rubell.…
Tharp, Sharp and Dull
Leigh Donlan reported from Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall:
On her 50th anniversary tour, Twyla Tharp brought a troupe of accomplished dancers, including some veterans from her previous projects, to Cal Performances at Zellerbach Hall this past weekend. The company performed two premieres, the impressive Preludes and Fugues, the less impressive …
Mariinsky Dancers Redeem Patchy Cinderella
Leigh Donlan reported from Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley:
The Mariinsky Ballet and Orchestra brought Alexei Ratmansky’s curious 2002 version of Cinderella to CalPerformances at Zellerbach Hall last weekend.…
Beyond the Lashes: The Trockaderos’ Matthew Poppe
“We are born naked, the rest is drag.” – RuPaul Charles
“People who haven’t lived their whole lives as women… shouldn’t get to define us,” asserts Elinor Burkett in The New York Times, in an exasperated reaction to Caitlyn Jenner’s heavily orchestrated arrival on the planet: one of …