Barnett Serchuk

BWW Reviews: John Cranko's ONEGIN at American Ballet Theatre

John Cranko's Onegin was recently presented by American Ballet Theatre. As I expected, the reviews weren't great. It seems Cranko never commands much respect over here. The reviews all describe the work in the same way: empty, boring, sleep-inducing. But I don't agree. Sure, the ballet could be shortened, but aren't there many ballets like that. One thing it does offer: wonderful acting parts for dancers.

BWW Remembers: Frederick Franklin, June 13, 1914 - May 4, 2013

It is with great sadness that we report Frederick Franklin's death at age 98. One of the most elegant, charming and seemingly versatile male ballet stars of the 20th century, and into the 21st, Franklin brought real class to whatever he was performing. He danced with almost every major ballerina, and had works choreographed for him by Balanchine, Massine and de Mille, among a host of others.

BWW Reviews: Ballet in Cinema from Emerging Pictures Presents ESMERALDA

Being a student of history is enlightening. You can learn about so many new things that may, or may not, be of interest .I felt that way about Esmeralda. I've heard about it. I know there's an Esmeralda variation that's sometimes done at competitions. But it's gone beneath my radar. So, with a great deal of trepidation, I went to see the Ballet in Cinema from Emerging Pictures film on April 22. After watching the performance, transmitted from the Bolshoi Ballet, in what is billed as a new production, I can understand the reason for the ballet's infrequent showings.

BWW Reviews: Juilliard Dances Repertory

The Juilliard School presented an interesting program on the afternoon of April 7, 2013, at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre. Before I even start my review , I want to extend my congratulations to Lawrence Rhodes, the Juilliard Artistic Director, for his commitment and dedication in producing, what is in my mind, some of the best graduate dancers I have ever seen-and I've seen many of them over the years. These dancers are what we need in our artistic venues, whether as performers, or, as I hope, future administrators, teachers and choreographers. Time will tell. My only problem: will there be enough places for the dancers when they graduate? I hope so. When you scrutinize highly gifted college artists, you want them to exit, blazing and seething with their talent, ready to change the artistic world around them. By their ardor and enthusiasm, they only help to reinforce our country's need for greater commitment to the arts, which is sorely lacking and much needed. Mr. Rhodes, keep up the splendid work. I'm always watching your dancers.

BWW Remembers: Maria Tallchief--January 24, 1925 - April 11, 2013

Maria Tallchief, the first Native American to win acclaim as a prima ballerina, passed away on April 11, 2013. While she worked with many companies and choreographers, she is most renowned for her collaboration with George Balanchine, first at The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and then, most importantly and famously, at the New York City Ballet. She was married to Balanchine from 1946 until 1952 when the marriage was annulled. Despite this interruption in their private lives they continued their professional association.

BWW Interviews: Lar Lubovitch of Lar Lubovitch Dance Company

One of America's most versatile, popular and highly acclaimed choreographers, Lar Lubovitch leads the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in New York City, which he founded 44 years ago. Lubovitch's dances are renowned for their musicality, rhapsodic style and sophisticated formal structures.

BWW Interviews: Tiffany Rea Fisher

Tiffany Rea Fisher is the Associate Artistic Director of the Elisa Monte Dance. She received her BFA from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College SUNY, where she co-founded ForArts, the school's first interdisciplinary presenting organization, which provided opportunities for students from different conservatories to create collaborative works.

BWW Reviews: Ballet in Cinema from Emerging Pictures Presents 'La fille mal gardee'

It wasn't until Frederick Ashton undertook a new creation of the ballet that it finally became an international hit. He referred to it as his 'poor man's Pastorale,' a lovely reference to Beethoven's symphony where things go from simplicity to thunderstorms and back to normalcy and contentment with the world. He commissioned The Royal Opera House conductor, John Lanchberry, to orchestrate a new score that, while recalling French culture and manners (it did begin as a French ballet after all), is firmly rooted in an English sensibility

BWW Interviews: Elisa Monte

Elisa Monte Dance, an emotionally charged and highly acclaimed dance company that champions individuality, returns to The Ailey Citigroup Theater on April 11 for the company's 32nd season. The season features three premieres: Artistic director Elisa Monte's world premiere of Terra Firma; Associate Artistic Director Tiffany Rea-Fisher's company premiere of Identity; and dancer Joe Celej's company premiere of Portals & Passageways.

Spring Dance Coverage Coming Your Way in NYC

Just a quick note to say that the spring season is upon us. Look out for more extensive coverage from Broadwayworld Dance including reviews on New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, NYLA, Nederlands Dans Theater, Apollo Theater, Baryshnikov Dance Center, plus interviews and information about new dance venues.

BWW Reviews: Ballet's Greatest Hits: YAGP Gala

I recently attended a performance of La Bayadere. The dancing was excellent, but the music by Ludwig Minkus was excruciating. I realize that it has a jump, a bounce, danceable adagio notes, but after three hours of listening to it my head was spinning. I went home intending to wash Minkus out of both my hair and brain by listening to every note that Shostakovich and Prokofiev ever wrote. If I want to hear music, let's not settle for anything less than best and, many times, the brilliant.

Rare Photos of Dancers From the Royal Ballet of Cambodia on View at NY Public Library for the Performing Arts, Now thru 5/11

MEMORY PRESERVED: GLASS PLATES PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ROYAL CAMBODIAN DANCERS, an exhibit of rare images of five principal women dancers from the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, will be on display in the United States for the first time at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center (Shelby Cullom Davis Museum, Plaza Corridor Gallery). The exhibition runs from today, March 28th to May 11th, 2013.

BWW Reviews: NYPL: A CENTURY OF FLAMENCO

A just-opened multimedia exhibit at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center is a love letter to flamenco in the Big Apple. It features over 150 historical and contemporary prints, photographs, performance programs, album covers, newspaper and magazine articles, books, costumes and performance regalia, oral histories, music, and rarely seen film and video clips chronicling the artistic and personal lives of Spanish dancers who came to New York and the art form they embraced and changed. The exhibit, a collaboration between the LPA and Flamenco Vivo, one of the country's premier flamenco and Spanish dance companies, and its Artistic Director Carlotta Santana, will be on display at the Library's Shelby Cullom Davis Museum, Vincent Astor Gallery until August 3, 2013.

BWW Reviews: Anna Pavlova, Twentieth Century Ballerina

Jane Pritchard, the curator of the dance collection at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, was responsible for much of the success of its 2009 Exhibition, Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes. This exhibition, or parts of it, continues to travel around the world. Anyone with an interest in the history of ballet owes it to themselves to get even a small glimpse of what Ms. Pritchard and her colleagues assembled for that magnificent event.

BWW Reviews: Paul Taylor Dance Company

Paul Taylor has always been one of my favorite choreographers. For over half a century he has choreographed works that have entered the repertoires of ballet and modern dance companies around the world. With a mind, spirit and quest to choreograph works not only in the purest Balanchine sense, as it were, but to address issues that confront and confound modern society, he has blazed a path that no other modern choreographer can match. We go with high expectations and are ready to be amazed.

BWW Reviews: Paul Taylor Dance Company, March 5, 2013

It's always a better place when the Paul Taylor Dance Company comes to New York-a bona fide sign of excellence in the dance world. Not that the program was perfect; I had some reservations about two of the pieces, but overall I couldn't ask for a better place to spend a cold March evening.

Rare Photos of Dancers From the Royal Ballet of Cambodia -- By Trudy Garfunkel

MEMORY PRESERVED: GLASS PLATES PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ROYAL CAMBODIAN DANCERS, an exhibit of rare images of five principal women dancers from the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, will be on display in the United States for the first time at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center (Shelby Cullom Davis Museum, Plaza Corridor Gallery). The exhibition runs from March 28th to May 11th, 2013.

Pacific Northwest Ballet at City Center

Pacific Northwest Ballet is and should always be welcomed in New York. It has a long history with the works of George Balanchine, so what better way to present its opening program than with three classic Balanchine works. Although we have seen these ballets millions of times in New York, what balletomane doesn't like to shop, compare, argue or discuss?

STAGE TUBE: Frederick Ashton's A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY, February 12, 1976

A Month in the Country, considered one of Frederick Ashton's most affecting and beautiful ballets, premiered on February 12, 1976. Based on the late 19th-century play by Ivan Turgenev, the ballet tells the story of the hopeless love of Natalia, the bored wife of a wealthy landowner, for her son's tutor, Alexei, in mid 19th century Russia.

STAGE TUBE: George Balanchine's THE NUTCRACKER Premieres on February 2, 1954

February 2, 1954 marks the 59th anniversary of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. Wasn't the ballet presented in December? No, you are wrong. It was first unveiled by the New York City Ballet in 1954 for a few performances. It proved so popular that the company presented the ballet for an extended December run in 1954. It's been like that to this day.

STAGE TUBE: Antony Tudor's LILAC GARDEN Premiere, January 26, 1936

Antony Tudor's Jardin aux Lilas (also known by its American title Lilac Garden) was first presented by Ballet Rambert on January 26, 1936 at the Mercury Theatre in London. Set in the Edwardian era to music by Ernest Chausson the ballet depicts the story of a young woman who is engaged to a man she does not love, pitted against her passion for the man she cannot marry.

STAGE TUBE: Maria Tallchief, Born January 24, 1925

Maria Tallchief, the first Native American to win acclaim as a prima ballerina, was born on January 24, 1925. While she worked with many companies and choreographers, she is most renowned for her collaboration with George Balanchine, first at the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and then, most importantly and famously, at the New York City Ballet. She was married to Balanchine from 1946 until 1952, when the marriage was annulled. Despite this interruption in their private lives they continued their professional association.

STAGE TUBE: RAYMONDA PREMIERE - January 19, 1898

On this date in 1898 Raymonda premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. The production had music by Alexander Glazunov, choreography by Marius Petipa and an all star cast (for its day) that included Pierina Legnani, Sergey Legat, Olga Peobrajenska and Pavel Gerdt.

STAGE TUBE: BALANCHINE BALLET Anniversaries - January 17

January 17 marks the anniversary of two famous George Balanchine ballets, Stars and Stripes and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Balanchine's 'Western Symphony' with Tanaquil LeClercq - Paris 1956

Tanaquil LeClercq was one of Balanchine's most famous ballerinas from the late 1940s until 1956. Unfortunately we don't have much footage of her in full length ballets, so here's one that spotlights her immense gifts not only for dance, but comedy as well.