Allan Ulrich analyzes the factors behind Oakland Ballet’s demise in today’s SF Chronicle, giving a vivid catalogue of the company’s past glories, and sparing artistic director Karen Brown no criticism: “For those of us who...
The Black Choreographers Festival is back for 2006. I wrote about it in today’s SF Chronicle: “Laura Elaine Ellis’ face is bright with energy, and her glow has more to do with innate optimism than with the sunlight pouring into...
Thanks to those who have written to me to express gratitude for being listed in the A-Z guide, and equal thanks to those who were not listed but wrote to bring their companies or studios to my attention. It’s just further testament to the...
My take on Ron K. Brown/EVIDENCE, in the Chronicle: “To appreciate the stir Ronald K. Brown’s “Grace” made when it premiered at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1999, you have to understand the situation the company...
Monday I got a call from Oakland Ballet artistic director Karen Brown asking me to attend a meeting the next morning at which the company had “important news” to announce. I went, naively hopeful that she was about to unveil a major...
With more than 100 entries, the A-Z Dance Guide I wrote for the Chronicle was a mammoth project, and a few groups fell through the cracks. Please know that no group was intentionally excluded. A guide of this size could not possibly have been...
I reviewed San Francisco Ballet’s opening night “Swan Lake” in today’s Chronicle. Most memorable for me was Gonzalo Garcia’s promising debut as Prince Siegfried: “Four ballerinas are slated to tackle the dual...
Ah, the San Francisco Ballet season is upon us! My review of the gala in the SF Chronicle: “Absent a major milestone to fuel giddy whispers Wednesday at San Francisco Ballet’s gala, the real celebration was in the dancing. Helgi...
It came as a shock last week to learn that Crystal Mann–dancer, teacher, force of will–has died, of a recently diagnosed cancer. Crystal began her dance life as a member of Welland Lathrop’s company and went on to become a...
The San Francisco Ballet season–one of the biggest perks of my year as a critic–starts this Wednesday with the opening gala. “Swan Lake” begins on Saturday. The Chronicle asked me to give a run-down on all eight programs...
I had a bonanza of writing appear in the SF Chron over the last few days–I’ll post the pieces separately. For starters, I reviewed Bill T. Jones’s new “Blind Date” Saturday. I’m a big Bill T. Jones...
You’ve got to give Rob Bailis, director of ODC Theater, big points for curatorial initiative. Faced with a last-minute cancellation by a struggling dance company last year, he inaugurated an impromptu series for emerging choreographers, The...
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