Arts and Entertainment
| Women take dance’s center stage |
| N.C. Dance Theatre's 'Spotlight' on choreographers |
| Published Thursday, April 14, 2011 8:48 am |
Women choreographers will be on center stage this month.
North Carolina Dance Theatre presents “Spotlight,” an evening of ballets by women choreographers.
The show includes:
• A premiere piece from Greensboro native Emery LeCrone.
LeCrone studied dance at North Carolina School of the Arts. She lives in New York and plans to use mostly men for her ballet and music by Michael Gordon titled “Weather One.”
• “Requiem,” by Jacqulyn Buglisi.
Buglisi is artistic director of Buglisi Dance Theatre and a former principal dancer of the Martha Graham Dance Company.
“Requiem,” uses five female dancers and premiered in 2001 and reflects the events of Sept. 11.
• “The Golden Section,” by Twyla Tharp.
Tharp has choreographed 135 dances, five Hollywood movies and directed and choreographed four Broadway shows. “The Golden Section” features dancers in athletic wear as if they were Olympic champions.
“I didn’t put together this performance as a gimmick,” said NCDT president and artistic director Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux. “I really admire each of these choreographers and their ballets. Tharp’s ‘The Golden Section’ is a stunning work; ‘Requiem’ by Buglisi is one of the best modern ballets I’ve seen in a long time; and it’s so great to have LeCrone, who’s making a name for herself in New York, back in Charlotte.”
Shelley Washington, a choreographer and ballet mistress for the Twyla Tharp Dance Company, was one of the original dancers in “The Golden Section” when it premiered in 1983. Now she’s in Charlotte for the first time helping dancers in NCDT prepare for the 13-minute performance.
“I danced with Twyla in 1975 and I danced with her until 1988,” Washington said. “I was 20 when I joined her company and I’m going to be 57...so it’s been a long time.”
Washington says “The Golden Section” includes 13 dancers – seven men and six women – in a high-energy number that has a lot of running and jumping.
“This is not story ballet,” Washington said. “This is contemporary dancing and it’s euphoric.”
Overall, Washington says she likes the diversity among the dancers in NCDT.
“They’re all beautiful and diverse not only in classical to modern dance, but in shapes, colors and ages,” Washington said. “It’s really very special for a company to have so much diversity, I like that very much.”
Washington promises the evening will be well rounded and with the three pieces it will make for a repertoire kind of performance.
The show runs from April 28-30 at Knight Theatre, 430 S. Tryon St. Tickets start at $25.
For more information, call (704) 372-1000.
On the Net:
N.C. Dance Theater
www.ncdance.org
North Carolina Dance Theatre presents “Spotlight,” an evening of ballets by women choreographers.
The show includes:
 |
| PHOTO/JEFF CRAVOTTA |
| Max Levy & Mary Ellen Beaudreau in Twyla Tharp’s “The Golden Section.” The piece is one of three featured in North Carolina Dance Theatre’s Spotlight coming April 28-30. |
• A premiere piece from Greensboro native Emery LeCrone.
LeCrone studied dance at North Carolina School of the Arts. She lives in New York and plans to use mostly men for her ballet and music by Michael Gordon titled “Weather One.”
• “Requiem,” by Jacqulyn Buglisi.
Buglisi is artistic director of Buglisi Dance Theatre and a former principal dancer of the Martha Graham Dance Company.
“Requiem,” uses five female dancers and premiered in 2001 and reflects the events of Sept. 11.
• “The Golden Section,” by Twyla Tharp.
Tharp has choreographed 135 dances, five Hollywood movies and directed and choreographed four Broadway shows. “The Golden Section” features dancers in athletic wear as if they were Olympic champions.
“I didn’t put together this performance as a gimmick,” said NCDT president and artistic director Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux. “I really admire each of these choreographers and their ballets. Tharp’s ‘The Golden Section’ is a stunning work; ‘Requiem’ by Buglisi is one of the best modern ballets I’ve seen in a long time; and it’s so great to have LeCrone, who’s making a name for herself in New York, back in Charlotte.”
Shelley Washington, a choreographer and ballet mistress for the Twyla Tharp Dance Company, was one of the original dancers in “The Golden Section” when it premiered in 1983. Now she’s in Charlotte for the first time helping dancers in NCDT prepare for the 13-minute performance.
“I danced with Twyla in 1975 and I danced with her until 1988,” Washington said. “I was 20 when I joined her company and I’m going to be 57...so it’s been a long time.”
Washington says “The Golden Section” includes 13 dancers – seven men and six women – in a high-energy number that has a lot of running and jumping.
“This is not story ballet,” Washington said. “This is contemporary dancing and it’s euphoric.”
Overall, Washington says she likes the diversity among the dancers in NCDT.
“They’re all beautiful and diverse not only in classical to modern dance, but in shapes, colors and ages,” Washington said. “It’s really very special for a company to have so much diversity, I like that very much.”
Washington promises the evening will be well rounded and with the three pieces it will make for a repertoire kind of performance.
The show runs from April 28-30 at Knight Theatre, 430 S. Tryon St. Tickets start at $25.
For more information, call (704) 372-1000.
On the Net:
N.C. Dance Theater
www.ncdance.org
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