National Tap Dance Day is May 25. The date commemorates the birth of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, one of tap’s greatest practitioners. He may be best known for his stair dance routine with Shirley Temple in 1935’s The Little Colonel. But his career stretched back to vaudeville and minstrel shows and continued through Broadway, movies, radio... Continue Reading →
She wanted a change of scenery. Somewhere with a little more history and a bit of a reputation. A place known for great food and great wine. A city that liked – no, loved – its entertainment on the racy side. Where she could walk into a hotel and have a cup of coffee. More... Continue Reading →
When dancers take to one of the Straz Center’s stages, they display the skills they’ve honed through hours and hours of practice. They also can offer a glimpse into another culture. “Dance is education as well as entertainment,” said Kelly King, lead contemporary dance teacher at the Patel Conservatory. Case in point: Flamenco Vivo Carlota... Continue Reading →
Ballet. Balanchine. The names are practically synonymous. In fact, it’s hard to imagine the former, in the U.S especially, without the prolific efforts of the latter. It’s also nearly impossible to overstate the importance of Lincoln Kirstein, a wealthy New Englander with a love of the arts. Kirstein provided the framework in which George Balanchine... Continue Reading →
Countless venues, parties and events scheduled for the evening of Dec. 31 will insist that theirs is “the place to be” this New Year’s Eve. It’s all wishful thinking, no matter how much elaborate planning has gone into them. Way too many variables when humans are involved. Besides, one person’s THE place to be is... Continue Reading →
Dirty Dancing was the little movie that could. Made for $5 million, Dirty Dancing grossed more than $200 million worldwide. Released on VHS early in 1988, it became the first movie to sell a million copies. Everyone remembers VHS's right? . . . Anyone? . . . okay, we'll see ourselves out. The movie also... Continue Reading →
Hip-hop, the “fad” that parents, teachers, government officials and close-minded rockers couldn’t wish away fast enough 40 years ago, now has its own government-sanctioned month. (Pictured above) A dramatic reenactment of the public hearing a hip-hop song for the first time. Last year, Congress designated November as National Hip-Hop History Month, a sign not only... Continue Reading →
Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Tampa appearance also will serve as a homecoming for one of the company’s dancers, Tatiana Melendez. Melendez is a genuine sensation in the dance world. She was racking up dance competition awards for both contemporary and ballet before she entered her teens. She’s in her third season with the company, and its... Continue Reading →
Photo: Brian Thomas Desmond Richardson is co-founder and co-artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Called “one of the greatest dancers of his time” by The New York Times, Richardson danced with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as a principal dancer from 1987 to 1994 and, in 1997, joined American Ballet Theatre where he was... Continue Reading →
If famed choreographer Bob Fosse had an “it” girl before Gwen Verdon, it was actress Carol Haney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26PiPUn4AWg After leaving an uncredited dance assistant job with Gene Kelly, Haney landed at MGM as a specialty dancer and partner to Fosse, who was playing Hortensio in the film Kiss Me Kate. The pair’s dance to “From... Continue Reading →
Nutcracker Facts To Chew On Everyone has their touchstone that truly marks the holiday season. It could be Black Friday shopping, or when the first tree lot opens, making grandmother’s latkes or gathering around the television for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or A Charlie Brown Christmas. In this writer’s home, it was when dad spotted... Continue Reading →
A small but mighty coterie of Straz staffers gathers the selections that make each year’s season announcement a much-anticipated event. At the start of every year, as sure as the Florida gardenias blossom, The Straz announces a new season. Every year that season blends old and new, funny and serious, musical and non-musical, spectacular and... Continue Reading →
Photo: Rob/Harris Productions, Inc. Theater lovers coming and going from live events enjoy the fare at the Straz Center’s homebrewed coffeehouse, SteamHeat, tucked beside the Shimberg Playhouse along the red brick walkway to Carol Morsani Hall. But how many patrons under the age of 66 understand the origin of the shop’s name, or know the... Continue Reading →
In Honor of National Tap Dance Day, May 25 The talent embodied by one of the Artists We Love – actor and tap dancer extraordinaire Gregory Hines – literally started at the tips of his toes and the bottom of his heels. Born in New York City on Valentine’s Day 1946 to Alma and Maurice... Continue Reading →
“It might be a good idea to call all ballets Swan Lake. That way, people will come!” - George Balanchine For a good portion of the mid to late 20th century, the neoclassical and plotless ballets, typified by the works of George Balanchine, were the favor of choreographers. Music and technique-driven ballets such as Serenade... Continue Reading →
We expect to see gymnasts, divers, volleyball players and runners in the summer Olympics. But B-boys and B-girls? For the first time, in the 2024 Olympics to be held in Paris, breakers will be competing for gold, silver and bronze medals. Says Tatiana Sophia Eriksen, who teaches breaking and other forms of hip-hop dance for... Continue Reading →
There are more than 1,500 national days to celebrate according to the National Day Calendar, but May 25 is a day to honor and celebrate the uniquely American art form that is tap dance. The brainchild of Carol Vaughn, Nicola Daval and Linda Christensen and urged by the Tap America Project, the idea was first... Continue Reading →
With performing art centers, such as The Straz, temporarily shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cable networks and streaming services are tapping into a large bank of available documentaries centered on the performing arts so we can satisfy our appetite for theater, dance, opera and more. And though documentaries generally don’t bring in Marvel box... Continue Reading →
The French codified ballet under King Louis XIV by defining the five basic positions of the feet and setting a catalog of positions related to the “turn-out” of the legs in the hip sockets (i.e., the legs rotate out of the hips instead of facing forward). Placement, a.k.a. alignment, and lift, a.k.a. pull-up, became fundamentals... Continue Reading →
Faster than a speeding pirouette, the dance world turned around a traditionally studio-based, person-to-person practice into an online smorgasbord of virtual classes, tutorials and programs for anyone, anywhere, anytime. Ever wanted to train with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater? Principal dancers from American Ballet Theatre or New York City Ballet? Now you can. Even... Continue Reading →