dance

Arts

3 Top Ballet Companies Convene For The Golden Anniversary Of 'Jewels'

5:45pm July 20, 2017

by Jeff Lunden

George Balanchine's modernist masterpiece was the first full-length, nonnarrative ballet. Russian, American and French ballet dancers have gathered to perform it together in New York City.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe Brings Dance Education To Paris' Underserved Communities

5:09pm July 15, 2017

by Eleanor Beardsley

When the famed Alvin Ailey dance troupe tours, they do community outreach. This summer they're in Paris, holding classes for disadvantaged, young dancers.

Wendy Whelan danced with the New York City Ballet for three decades.

Arts

From Injury To Recovery, A Ballerina Fought To Retire On Her Own Terms

8:28am July 11, 2017

by Terry Gross

Wendy Whelan feared she would never dance again after undergoing hip surgery. The documentary Restless Creature chronicles her recovery and final performance with the New York City Ballet.

Queue Listen Now

Cirque Du Soleil Buys Blue Man Group

7:44am July 07, 2017

by Rose Friedman

Two of the most successful live performance franchises are joining forces. Cirque du Soleil announced that it is buying Blue Man Group.

Queue Listen Now

Elise Tries dancing to K-pop. It's harder than it looks.

Video: K-Pop Dance Routines Are A Workout For Body And Brain

11:33am June 26, 2017

by Elise Hu

In NPR's Elise Tries series, correspondent Elise Hu tries out new experiences in East Asia. In this episode from Seoul, K-pop dance steps prove too complicated for completion.

Queue Listen Now

Denée Benton stars in the multiple-nominee hit Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812.

'The Great Comet': 'Hits All Of The Checkmarks' Of A Broadway Experience

12:39pm June 11, 2017

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with director Rachel Chavkin and actress Denée Benton of Broadway's Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, which retells Tolstoy's War and Peace with a diverse cast.

Queue Listen Now

German studies major William Keiser rehearses for Princeton University Ballet's revival of Cole Porter's Within the Quota.

Cole Porter's Pro-Immigration Ballet Gets A Trump-Era Revival

4:32pm May 23, 2017

by Deb Amos

Within the Quota criticized the restrictive immigration laws passed by Congress after World War I. Now the Princeton University Ballet has brought the show back — with a few updates.

Arts

On Site/In Sight Brings Dance To Unexpected Places

11:28am May 05, 2017

by Eddie Garcia

Over the next few days, downtown Winston-Salem will be turned into a stage.

Queue Listen Now

In 1967, Frederick Wiseman's controversial documentary Titicut Follies exposed conditions at Bridgewater State Hospital in Massachusetts. Fifty years later, the filmmaker, now 87, has adapted the work into dance.

A Haunting '60s Film About Mental Illness And Incarceration Becomes A Ballet

4:31pm April 28, 2017

by Euan Kerr

Frederick Wiseman's controversial 1967 documentary Titicut Follies exposed conditions at Bridgewater State Hospital in Massachusetts. Fifty years later, the filmmaker, now 87, has adapted it to dance.

Choreographer Trisha Brown, Who Reshaped Modern Dance, Dies At 80

6:46am March 21, 2017

Trisha Brown, a choreographer who cemented the traditions of American postmodern dance, has died. She was 80. Brown is remembered by her colleagues for her dedication, attention to detail and art.