Opus Jazz on the High Line
September 12, 2010
Still shot of Rachel Rutherford and Craig Hall on the High Line in "NY Export: Opus Jazz"
One year ago, I visited the set of NY Export: Opus Jazz, the film adaptation of Jerome Robbins’s 1958 “ballet in sneakers”. Last March, the film made its NYC premiere and then debuted on PBS’s Great Performances for audiences everywhere to enjoy. This past Friday, I attended an outdoor screening of the film on the High Line, bringing the Opus Jazz journey full circle since the first part of filming occurred there in 2007 (before the High Line became the beautiful elevated park that it is today). Watching New York City Ballet soloists Rachel Rutherford and Craig Hall’s stunning pas de deux in a field of the High Line – with a gorgeous sunset behind them – while sitting on the High Line on a cooler, windier night was pretty magical. So much time, energy, and dedication went into the making of this film, that it must have been a rewarding experience for film producers Ellen Bar and Sean Suozzi to witness Opus Jazz presented to a packed audience at the place where filming began. For me, watching the film again and seeing all of the locations in and around NYC captured on camera was a reminder of the city’s vibrancy, wonderfully brought to life in the film along with the cast’s youthful energy and talent.
The DVD of NY Export: Opus Jazz will be released by Factory25 on November 23rd, just in time for the holidays. You can pre-order it online now, and check the film’s website for upcoming screenings in your city.
There is so much mad at DTW
September 6, 2010
Faye Driscoll’s There is so much mad in me, photo by Yi-Chun Wu
From September 22nd through 25th, Dance Theater Workshop will present a return engagement of Faye Driscoll’s There is so much mad in me, which premiered this past spring to a sold out house. You do not want to miss your chance to see this mind-blowing work! An examination of shifting states of consciousness as choreography, There is so much mad in me asks how we feel and connect in this time of over stimulation and look at me distraction. Investigating ritual from torture to religious rapture, There is so much mad in me lives within the similarities between polar extremes.
If you’re eager to read more, below is an excerpt from my full review of There is so much mad in me’s premiere last spring. Otherwise, save the reviews for later and get yourself a ticket before the shows sell out!
…Whether they were entangled on the floor, climbing a wall, charging through the aisles, or pouring out one emotion after another, the cast showed full, fearless commitment to this emotionally and physically challenging piece. In fact, the dancers were so effective that their experiences were equally challenging for the audience. Lindsay Clark’s confusion about which man to trust was the audience’s confusion, and Jacob Slominski’s terrorizing rage pulsed through every person in the theater. At the same time, There is so much mad in me allows – even encourages – the audience to be voyeuristic. We witness and experience more emotions and socio-cultural issues than anyone can handle in a week, let alone a 75-minute performance, and yet media bombards us with this stuff on an ongoing basis. How much information is too much? Where do we draw the line between voyeurism and compassion?
Larry Keigwin to Stage “Fashion’s Night Out: The Show” at Lincoln Center
September 2, 2010
Larry Keigwin
Choreographer Larry Keigwin will stage the largest public fashion show in New York City history on September 7th at Lincoln Center. “Fashion’s Night Out: The Show,” produced by Vogue and SPEC Entertainment, will feature over 150 of the industry’s top models, and give over 1,500 guests a look at Vogue’s key trends for the fall. The show will be accessible to fashionistas around the world via live webcast on CBS.COM/FNO beginning at 7:30 pm, hosted by Vogue Editor at Large, André Leon Talley and model/blogger Hanneli Mustaparta. See Keigwin’s work on September 7th at 7:30 pm by clicking here.
Larry Keigwin is artistic director of KEIGWIN + COMPANY, founded in 2003 to create and share provocative, witty, and engaging dances. Keigwin was recently named the Vail International Dance Festival’s first artist in residence, and this past summer created and premiered a new work with four of ballet’s most prominent stars. The company will perform Keigwin’s Megalopolis on October 6 and 7 at New York City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival, and will present a world premiere full-evening work at The Joyce Theater, March 8th – 13th 2011.
The event will be held at Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza, located on Columbus Avenue between 62nd and 65th Streets. For more information, visit the website for Fashion’s Night Out.
