Fame or Famine

Yesterday I got to renew my acquaintance with the dancer Colleen Coy, who is performing choreography by Maureen Janson with tonight’s opening of “The Pearl Fishers”, an opera by Georges Bizet (better known for Carmen). Rather than transcribe, I wanted to just let you hear her own words, and especially the energy and enjoyment that comes through in her voice when she talks about working with the opera.
I was curious, since I’d found a lot of differences moving from the theatre world to the dance world in terms of production methods, to see if she had any difficulties–or particular joys–in …read more

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While getting coffee at Escape Coffee House, there was a young woman in line in front of me who looked vaguely familiar. When you’ve lived in a town as small as Madison for as long as I have, that’s an easy thing to have happen, but I couldn’t place her, until she recognized me and reminded me of her name, Colleen Coy, and that she’d been a part of Li Chiao-Ping Dance company during several of their concerts I tech-directed.
She told me she’s now dancing with the Madison Opera, and will be performing with them this Friday as they present:

The …read more

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I’ve got Greenfield’s Breaking Bounds calendar at my desk, the 3rd one I’ve owned. I love the magic of a good photograph capturing the moment of dance. Especially when the artist (like Greenfield) is so good at capturing the moment that they both capture the timelessness of the dancer’s expression and a bit of the movement that is conveyed by it.
Somehow, someway, I’ve got to get to Lincoln Center before this comes down:

"Earlier this month, Lincoln Center Festival organizers announced that the festival’s 2007 offerings will include photographer David Michalek’s outdoor installation "Slow Dancing," to be displayed on the façade …read more

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I’m in the "Roasteria" coffee shop right now on Capitol Hill looking at the various artists that are performing at the Seattle Erotic Art Festival.
Remember a while back writing about my ballet crush, Sylvie Guillam and her Sacred Monsters? Turns out one of the first performers on the website is a Kathak-trained dancer named Archana Kumar, who will be directing:

"Red-Hai Rama. Led and choreographed by dance instructor Archana Kumar, this exciting North Indian Kathak-style performance evokes exotic motions and moods of passion, including nods to the Kama Sutra."

She’ll be performing with the Archana Kathak ensemble throughout the weekend. With any …read more

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"…Makes extravagant use of video technology and a churning electronic music score to unfold Shakespeare’s tale of wrongs righted and justice served" – The New York Times
What is this amazing new work? Why, the rocking new version of King Lear! Oooooohh!
I kind of wonder if the same hoopla was made when they decided not to use a limelight, to have an "Incandescently lit!" version. I guess what bothers me is the use of the idea of "theatrical novelty". No, it’s just tech, and the fact that video projectors and edited video (as well as live video onstage) is available now …read more

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I’m starting to think that opera may be getting a renaissance. Aside from the audacious decision to both broadcast online and also simulcast OUTSIDE the Met, the Metropolitan Opera has apparently also been targeting movie theatres:
“Buoyed by the early response to its decision to make live opera performances available in movie theaters, New York’s Metropolitan Opera will encore two of the high-definition transmissions, this time to a wider selection of outlets. “
Anyone seen one of these? Eugene Onegin is playing on the 24th near me; I suspect I may go. Seeing the Met, on a big screen, for less than …read more

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…the way to get lots of comments is to talk about Jessica Simpson!
Sorry, I think that there is a HUGE difference between being a TV/Film actress and recording artist vs. a singer. For that matter, there is a difference between singing in a regular concert and singing for Dolly Frikkin’ Parton at the Kennedy Center. So I still think she deserves a break.
On the other hand, she could have done something more classy, like Ella did back in 1960.
“One of Ella’s most acclaimed live performances, in this 1960 concert in Berlin, Ella improvised the lyrics for this song, “Mack the …read more

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…so lay off Jessica, will you?
Jessica Simpson apparently froze up during a live performance at the Kennedy Honors ceremony honoring Dolly Parton. She’d expressed nervousness about the performance before, and even had a teleprompter set up. Still, her singing trailed off, she said something about "…so..nervous" and that was that–she went offstage while the audience sat there, stunned.
(Shame on you, audience. She deserved something to make her feel better.)
Look–public speaking is more of a fear for people than death. How much more is time based performance, when you can’t stop, say to the engineer "Let’s try that one again!" On …read more

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I am awestruck by the audacity and beauty of the Iraqi National Folklore Group.
From the NYT:

"…each turn of the hip and dip at the waist in their choreographed pieces has become weighted with a dangerous new reality, even as they wait for the chaos around them to subside so they can perform again. In today’s Iraq, with conservative religious parties and radical militias exerting growing influence over every aspect of life, even dancing is an act of bravery."

How many of us have something that they care so passionately about, are so devoted to that we would literally risk our …read more

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