Dance Theatre + Broadway News

Danza Contemporanea de Cuba Comes to Edinburgh's Festival Theatre Tonight, May 16

(5/16/2012) Danza Contemporanea de Cuba dance company return to the UK with a programme including the world premiere of a piece by award-winning choreographer and influencer of modern dance Itzik Galili, and another chance to experience the incredible Mambo 3XX1. They perform at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh tonight, 16 May at 7.30pm.

Jonah Bokaer's CURTAIN Comes to France's Avignon Festival, 7/20; MA's Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, 8/1

(5/15/2012) Jonah Bokaer, who has been making artistic waves on the international dance circuit since he began choreographing almost ten years ago, will be seen both close-up and afar in these coming months: outdoors at the Avignon Festival in France (July 20–22, 24–26) and indoors at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, MA (August 1–5) when he and Bolshoi Ballet star David Hallberg perform together in the world premiere of Bokaer’s “CURTAIN.”

Gotham Arts Exchange Presents GOTHAM DANCE FESTIVAL, 5/30-6/10

(5/15/2012) Gotham Dance Festival returns for two weeks, presenting five programs that feature the work of more than ten choreographers, including a program celebrating the choreographic work of American women, both established and emerging talents. May 30 - June 10, 2012 at The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, NYC. Tickets are $10-$39 and are available at 212-242-0800 or joyce.org.

Rob Ashford, MOMIX Included in Fire Island Dance Festival, July 20-22

(5/15/2012) Fire Island Dance Festival, the premier cultural event of the season on Fire Island, returns July 20-22, 2012, for its 18th edition and will feature debut performances and stunning encores by some of the hottest dance companies in the industry, spanning ballet to Broadway, all performed outdoors against the dazzling backdrop of the Great South Bay. The highly anticipated event is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The weekend kicks off with the Friday night Leadership Event, an intimate evening reserved for Leadership Supporters. The excitement continues throughout the weekend with three Fire Island Dance Festival performances featuring famed and fast-rising dancers.

Bolshoi Ballet Presents SWAN LAKE in Toronto, Now thru 5/19

(5/15/2012) The world-renowned Russian ballet company, Bolshoi Ballet, marks its return to Toronto with SWAN LAKE, a production that celebrated its world premiere by the same company on March 4, 1877.

Danza Contemporanea de Cuba Comes to Edinburgh's Festival Theatre, May 15-16

(5/15/2012) Danza Contemporanea de Cuba dance company return to the UK with a programme including the world premiere of a piece by award-winning choreographer and influencer of modern dance Itzik Galili, and another chance to experience the incredible Mambo 3XX1. They will perform at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh tonight 15 & Wed 16 May at 7.30pm.

RIVERDANCE: A Heart-Stomping, Pure Spectacle

(5/14/2012) RIVERDANCE draws on Irish traditions and the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music to the present day capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures. The show will take its last steps in June 2012.

Forever Flamenco Presents QUIEN YO SOY in LA, 5/27

(5/14/2012) The Fountain Theatre’s acclaimed Forever Flamenco! series presents Arte y Pureza Flamenco Company in “Quien Yo Soy” (“This Is Me”), fusing flamenco and jazz at The Fountain Theatre on Sunday, May 27 at 8 pm. Forever Flamenco! is produced by Deborah Lawlor, who created the esteemed Flamenco program at the Fountain more than 20 years ago and has established it as the foremost venue of Flamenco in Los Angeles.

The Unconventional Trumps the Expected as Peak Performances Announces 2012-13 Season

(5/14/2012) Peak Performances has been rapidly making Montclair State University a major cultural destination, even for New Yorkers. Nine premieres including stunning, often startling, new music, dance and theater works by composers David T. Little, Laurie Anderson, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Toshi Reagon; choreographers Benjamin Millepied, Richard Alston, Vusi Mdoyi, Jasmin Vardimon; directors Robert Wilson and Romeo Castellucci are among the highlights of the 2012/13 Peak Performances season. Peak is where exceptions rule.

Breakin' Convention Returns to Birmingham Hippodrome Tonight, 5/14

(5/14/2012) Breakin' Convention, the critically acclaimed international festival of hip hop dance theatre, returns to Birmingham Hippodrome with another line-up of jaw-dropping performances by companies from around the world.

BC Beat at Cielo to Feature Works by Choreographers Richard J. Hinds, Camille A. Brown and More, 5/21

(5/13/2012) Monday May 21, 2012 marks the third production of BC Beat at Cielo (18 Little West 12thStreet). Produced by Jennifer Jancuska and The BringAbout Productions, BC Beat offers the Broadway and dance communities another unique and exciting way to experience dance. Focused on storytelling and set in a club with the best sound system in NYC, BC Beat will feature new work by eight highly anticipated choreographers from genres including musical theatre, contemporary, jazz and tap. Smack in the middle of the club, with the audience surrounding the sunken stage and close enough to touch the dancers, choreographers will present their unique way of storytelling and vision for Broadway’s future.

NYC Ballet Offers Pre-Performance Programs for Kids and Adults, Now thru 5/19

(5/12/2012) Below lists information regarding pre-performance programs for children and adults taking place at New York City Ballet from today May 12 through May 19. For additional information, visit: www.nycballet.com.

Trisha Brown Dance Company's ASTRAL CONVERTED to Play Park Avenue Armory

(5/11/2012) Park Avenue Armory will present Trisha Brown Dance Company’s reconstruction of ASTRAL CONVERTED, a groundbreaking work by choreographer Trisha Brown in collaboration with Robert Rauschenberg (visual and costume design) and John Cage (original music) July 10th – 14th, 2012. The piece will be presented in its entirety for the first time in 18 years in Park Avenue Armory’s soaring 55,000-square-foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall. The culminating work in Brown’s Valiant Series, ASTRAL CONVERTED premiered at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1991.

Breakin' Convention Begins Sixth UK Tour

(5/11/2012) Breakin’ Convention is back for the ninth year with the annual May Bank Holiday extravaganza at Sadlers Wells, continuing with a national tour until June. Breakin' Convention is the international festival of Hip Hop dance and as well as breaking and popping, audiences can see different hip hop dance forms including locking and b-boying plus newer styles such as house dance, devised on dance floors and born out of club culture.

Festival Ballet Providence Presents SWAN LAKE, 5/11-12

(5/11/2012) Festival Ballet Providence closes its 34th Anniversary season with one of the most revered of all classic ballets SWAN LAKE, Friday, May 11 at 7:30P and Saturday, May 12 at 2P & 8P at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC). Tickets are $38 - $68 and are available at the PPAC Box Office, online at www.ppacri.org and by phone at (401) 421-ARTS (2787).

Nikki Feirt Atkins Announces ADM21 Company

(5/10/2012) Nikki Feirt Atkins, Founder and Executive Director, has announced the formation of American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (ADM21), a new not-for-profit dance company dedicated to "creating a living and vibrant archive of classic and current notable musical theater choreography."

Photo Coverage: Jerry Mitchell & More Celebrate Dancers at the Career Transition For Dancers Dinner

(5/10/2012) The Shubert Organization and Career Transition For Dancers along with the host committee: Josh Bergasse, Caitlin Carter, Charlotte D’Amboise, Krisha Marcano, Kathleen Marshall, Jerry Mitchel, Kirk Sprinkles and Sergio Trujillo welcomed The Broadway Dance Community for a Buffet Dinner & Between-Shows-Get-Together at Sardi’s, Eugenia Room yesterday, May 9, 2012.

Application Deadline Extended for HCAC's Mark Ryder Original Choreography Grant Program

(5/10/2012) Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) is pleased to announce that the deadline for applications for the Mark Ryder Original Choreography Grant Program has been extended to June 15, 2012.

Dance Adaptation of Transsexual Novel LUNA Set for Brighton Fringe and North Devon Theatre Festival February 10th – June 24th

(5/10/2012) Pretty Good Girl Dance Theatre will present LUNA, adapted from the novel by acclaimed author Julie Anne Peters, from the 11th to the 13th of May at the Nightingale, Brighton Fringe Festival. The show will also tour 21st - 24th June to the North Devon Theatre Festival.

Angela Lansbury to Present Liza Minnelli with Rolex Dance Award at JUMP FOR JOY!, 11/5 - Full Honorees List

(5/10/2012) Rolex presents JUMP FOR JOY! A Dance Variety Spectacular - Career Transition For Dancers’ 27th Anniversary Jubilee on Monday, November 5, at 7:00 pm at New York City Center, 131 West 55 Street (btwn. 6th and 7th Ave) NYC. Legendary star Angela Lansbury will host. It will be followed by a Supper in The Grand Ballroom at The Hilton New York. America loves variety, and JUMP FOR JOY! provides a fun-filled evening that weaves together all genres and dance styles in an exciting tapestry of quality entertainment. The show is produced and directed by Ann Marie DeAngelo.

CHOREOGRAPHER’S CANVAS Honors Tony Stevens Tonight, 5/10

(5/10/2012) New York’s Group Theatre Too (GTT) will honor noted choreographer Tony Stevens at the fifth anniversary presentation of the Choreographer’s Canvas tonight, May 10th at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center.

Jody Sperling/Time Lapse Dance Presents Loïe Fuller Celebration Program, Now thru 5/13

(5/10/2012) To celebrate the 150th birthday of modern-dance pioneer Loïe Fuller (1862-1928), Jody Sperling/Time Lapse Dance, in association with The Joyce Theater Foundation, presents a season honoring her legacy at Joyce SoHo. Artistic Director Jody Sperling – who has earned an international reputation as the leading contemporary interpreter of Fuller's genre – offers a range of tribute works varying in approach from reverential to experimental.

RIOULT's 4-Day NY Season Features THE VIOLET HOUR World Premiere, Now thru 5/13

(5/10/2012) RIOULT, a leading American modern dance company with a classic sensibility, previously announced its four-day 2012 NY Season at The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, May 10-13, 2012 with a family matinee May 13, 2012. The Season features the World Premiere of Artistic Director/Choreographer Pascal Rioult’s new work, The Violet Hour, inspired by T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” with a commissioned score by Grammy-Winning composer Joan Tower. The World Premiere will be performed at each evening performance to live musical accompaniment with Joan Tower at the piano, and cellist Raman Ramakrishnan. The program also includes RIOULT’s Firebird (2003) and Celestial Tides, which captivated audiences at its premiere at The Joyce Theater in 2011.

New York City Ballet Spring Gala Features Natalie Portman, Two World Premiere Ballets Today, 5/10

(5/10/2012) New York City Ballet's 2012 Spring Gala tonight, May 10 will feature a one-time-only salute to France titled À La Française, and will feature two World Premiere ballets, one by NYCB’s Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins to a score by the French composer Marc-André Dalbavie; and one by French-born choreographer and former NYCB Principal Dancer Benjamin Millepied to a commissioned score by Nico Muhly. The evening will also include a major revival of George Balanchine’s Symphony in C, which was created for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1947 to a score by the French composer Georges Bizet.

Celebrate Brooklyn! Performing Arts Festival Announces Line-Up Beginning June 5 - 32 Shows Including SLOW FADE TO BLACK

(5/9/2012) Celebrate Brooklyn! today announced its lineup for this year, which begins June 5 with a free concert by reggae icon Jimmy Cliff.

BREAKIN’ CONVENTION Hip-Hop Dance Theatre Festival Set for May 25-6, Sheffield, UK - Hosted by Jonzi D

(5/9/2012) Breakin’ Convention, the critically acclaimed festival of hip hop dance theatre, pops and locks its way into the Lyceum Theatre from Friday 25 – Saturday 26 May, with more jaw-dropping performances from local and international artists.

Iyun Ashani Harrison's ASHANI DANCES DEBUT SEASON Set for June 1-3, Seattle

(5/9/2012) ASHANI DANCES DEBUT SEASON will play June 1 at 8pm, June 2 at 2pm and 8pm, and June 3 at 2pm at the Erickson Theatre, 1524 Harvard Ave Seattle. The four performances will be Subway Stories: Dances on the A, For Christine with Love, Union, and Neo-Funk Ballet (James Brown)!.

LaMaMA Moves! Festival Features Works by Female Artists, Now thru 5/20

(5/9/2012) The 2012 La MaMa Moves! festival is taking a different step this year. Fewer companies, longer engagements, all works by female artists. But still chockablock with surprises wrapped in new dances including “Love Story, Palestine,” a powerful world premiere by Yoshiko Chuma; “Beauty,” a New York premiere by Jane Comfort; “Digital Duets,” a cross-continental world premiere made possible through the magic of digital media; the U.S. premiere of Ann Liv Young’s “Mermaid Show,” plus Chamber Works I and II, which features a series of premieres by Juliette Mapp, Maura Donahue, Yuko Takahashi. Now in its seventh year, the 2012 La MaMa Moves! festival runs today May 9 through May 20.

Australian Ballet Presents LET'S DANCE, June 7

(5/8/2012) As part of The Australian Ballet’s 50th anniversary, the company is bringing together eight of the country’s most exciting dance companies under the one roof. Let’s Dance opens for a special Melbourne-only season on 7 June for 11 performances.

Hilary Easton + Company Present THE CONSTRUCTORS at Baryshnikov Arts Center, 5/17-20

(5/8/2012) Hilary Easton + Company's 20th Anniversary Season presents The Constructors, May 17-20, 2012, at Baryshnikov Arts Center, with choreography by Hilary Easton and featuring performers Alexandra Albrecht, Hilary Easton*, Michael Ingle, Joshua Palmer, Emily Pope-Blackman, and Sarah Young.

Met Museum Presents NY Phil's CONTACT!, Jordi Savall and Cirène, June 2012

(5/8/2012) Met Museum presents the New York Philharmonic's concert series CONTACT!, Jordi Savall's "Orient-Occident: A Dialogue of Souls," and New York ensemble Cirène's interpretation of a classic love story of the Middle East with music, dance and painting, all in June 2012. See details below.

Ballets With a Twist Brings 'Cocktail Hour' to XL Cabaret, 6/14

(5/8/2012) Ballet is finally letting its hair down and heading to Happy Hour with the upcoming performance of “Cocktail Hour” at New York City’s most buzzed about new performance space – XL Cabaret – on Thursday, June 14th at 8:00pm. Conceived and choreographed by critically acclaimed dance-maker Marilyn Klaus, each piece is inspired by a well known cocktail and brings one of the highest art forms to the masses in a fresh and playful way. The irreverent dance suite gives life to a variety of iconic drinks—saluting the elegance of cocktail culture as the Martini, Mai Tai, Gimlet, Mint Julep and an aptly named ‘Scotch on the Rachmaninoff’ spring off the menu and onto the stage.

NYC Ballet Offers Pre-Performance Programs for Kids and Adults, May 12-19

(5/8/2012) Below lists information regarding pre-performance programs for children and adults taking place at New York City Ballet from May 12-19. For additional information, visit: www.nycballet.com.

ACT One Announce Summer Camp Internship Opportunity, Kansas City, MO

(5/8/2012) Each summer ACT One, the Academy of Christian Theatre, offers students agesd 13 and up the opportunity to as interns at one of our week-long camps. In exchange for working at a camp, they receive a $50 discount on Teen Camp.

Toni Braxton, DJ Ruckus, Leslie & Tom Maheras Set for 10th Annual Ailey at the Apollo Tonight, 5/8

(5/8/2012) Stars of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, gifted young dancers from The Ailey School and, for the first time ever, talented students from AileyCamp come together for a spectacular one-night performance on tonight, May 8th at 7pm on the world famous Apollo stage. Led by new Artistic Director Robert Battle, the Spring Gala Benefit performance is at the Apollo Theater (253 W 125th Street, between 7th & 8th Avenues). A gala party with festive dress, décor and dancing to music by the famed DJ Ruckus will conclude the 10th annual celebration.

Photo Flash: Nigel and Simon Lythgoe Host Benefit for The Dancers' Resource

(5/7/2012) Ovation, The Actors Fund, Dizzy Feet Foundation, Nigel and Simon Lythgoe hosted a special event to benefit The Dancers' Resource, an organization founded by Bebe Neubirth to provide a wide range of support to injured dancers. Among the many who contributed their talents to the evening's event, The Mark Stuart Dance Theatre and Executive Director Mark Stuart. He and his dance partner, Jamie Verazin performed one of the evening's most exuberant dances – The Libertango. Check out the hosts with Stuart and Verazin, and Stuart dancing with Verazin, below!

Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre Premieres DETOUR, 6/21-23

(5/7/2012) Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre announces its 2012 Season, the Twelfth Annual Performance Season from June 21-23, 2012 at 7:30pm at New York Live Arts, 219 W. 19th Street, NYC. The season will feature the World Premiere of Detour. Tickets are $30 at the door/$24 in advance ($27 at the door/$22 in advance for Live Arts members, students, and seniors) and will be available at www.newyorklivearts.org or by phone at (212) 924-0077.

MMAC Presents ACS Benefit DANCE AGAINST CANCER Tonight, 5/7

(5/7/2012) Manhattan Movement & Arts Center presents Dance Against Cancer tonight, May 7, 2012 with cocktails at 6pm, a performance at 7pm, and a reception at 8:30pm at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center in the Lincoln Center area.

On Stage at Kingsborough Presents Paul Taylor's TAYLOR 2 Tonight, 5/5

(5/5/2012) On Stage at Kingsborough announces its Spring 2012 season at The Leon M. Goldstein Performing Arts Center on the campus of Kingsborough Community College. Paul Taylor's Taylor 2 plays tonight, May 5.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Returns to PlayhouseSquare Tonight, 5/4

(5/4/2012) Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congress as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World,” visits Cleveland’s PlayhouseSquare tonight, May 4 through May 6, led by dynamic Artistic Director Robert Battle. Following critically-acclaimed sold out performances in New York City, Ailey’s extraordinary dancers will move audiences in a series of premieres and new productions that launch an exciting new era in Ailey history. Presented by the U.S. Bank Star Performance Series at PlayhouseSquare.