Intro to the foot: A marvel of motion
Let’s start from the ground up… The human foot is a complex structure, vital for movement and balance. With 26 bones and 33 joints, it handles immense forces and adjusts to different surfaces, enabling various movements like walking, running, jumping and, of course, dancing! One crucial aspect of foot mechanics is the “tripod foot,” which…
Read MoreObsessed with Light’s Co-Directors on Loïe Fuller’s Return to the Screen
The documentary film Obsessed with Light explores the innovative choreographer Loïe Fuller’s life—and her impact on dance, technology, fashion, and the nature of celebrity. Co-directed by Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum, it had its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival in October of 2023, and has since been screened at festivals worldwide. Krayenbühl and…
Read MoreDancer Diary: Pro Dancers React to Step Up
In the video series Dancer Diary, Haley Hilton chronicles her life as a dancer in New York City. Here, Hilton and her friend Libby Lloyd, a dancer on Broadway, rewatch the cult classic film Step Up. For more Dancer Diary videos, visit Dance Magazine’s YouTube channel. The post Dancer Diary: Pro Dancers React to Step Up appeared first on Dance Magazine.
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Choreographer Damien Jalet on How Netflix’s Emilia Pérez Uses Dance as a “Tool for Resistance”
On the surface, Netflix’s new film Emilia Pérez doesn’t sound like a natural fit for dance: The plot follows a violent drug cartel leader in Mexico who hires a lawyer to help plan a faux death in order to start a new life as a woman. Yet Damien Jalet’s choreography plays a major role in…
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Op-Ed: Should Dancers Say Yes to Every Opportunity?
The reality of a dancer’s life is often more complicated than what we imagined as young students. We must become not just powerful artists but also skilled marketers, social media managers, and self-care experts. This, coupled with the need to pay rent and buy food, can create a heavy schedule of work and art. Time…
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Monika Saigal on ‘Nourishing Dance’: Fueling your body for dance and life
There is a new book out that is a must-read for dancers, teachers and directors. It’s called Nourishing Dance: An Essential Guide on Nutrition, Body Image, and Eating Disorders by Monika Saigal MS, RD, CEDS, CDN. The research presented is essential to understand, but the best parts of the book are the practical, real-life tips…
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Op-Ed: How to Save a Doomed Geisha
The UK’s The Spectator recently published a piece by the Japan specialist Lesley Downer, historical consultant for the Northern Ballet’s 2020 production Geisha. In her essay, Downer wonders why claims of cultural appropriation so dramatically affected the reception of the work, which has not been remounted since its premiere. You can hear her frustration as…
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How Majorette Dance Became a Mainstream Phenomenon
At historically Black colleges and universities in the American South, the real stars of any football game are the majorettes. Their signature dance style, created by Black women and femmes, has attracted a cultlike following. It’s all about no-holds-barred spectacle, combining the precision of a kick line with the winking sensuality of burlesque, boldly embodying…
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Dancing at your desk: Mark Morris Dance Group and Breakthru create dance breaks for your workday
You’ve heard it before: most people don’t move their bodies enough these days. Office workdays are long, and the television calls once they’re done. (We all need to decompress, right?) Could the concert dance industry be part of making positive change there? Through initiatives like the partnership between Breakthru and Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG),…
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Yanira Castro’s Exorcism = Liberation Is a Public Art Campaign for Divided Times
Stroll through New York City, Chicago, or Western Massachusetts in the next month and a half and you might encounter a somewhat mysterious provocation on a poster, or in a window: “Exorcism = Liberation” “I came here to weep” “What is your first memory of dirt?” Yanira Castro, the multidisciplinary artist behind those slogans, hopes…
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