Saturday’s Gala at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center had a relaxed, laid-back feel that matched the hot, humid evening, but the outdoor setting and sticky weather didn’t stop the crowds from dressing up for the occasion. Nor was the event lacking in star power: Rita Moreno, who played “Anita” in the film version of [...]

Ellen Sorrin, Jock Soto, and Robert Fairchild in costume for Fancy Free - photograph by Evan On Monday evening, thanks to the generosity of my friend Sarah, I attended a special seminar at The JCC in Manhattan on the life and work of choreographer Jerome Robbins, with a particular focus on his contribution to New York [...]

Rachel Rutherford and Craig Hall in N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz, photo by Paul Kolnik The Jerome Robbins Celebration is well underway at NYCB, now in its fourth week of the spring season.  Although I’ve already seen several Robbins ballets since the start of the season, Wednesday evening’s “Baroque to Jazz” program was the first one that [...]

American Songs and Dances is a fitting title for the New York City Ballet program I saw on Wednesday night, which included Thou Swell, Ives, Songs, and West Side Story Suite. These are all period pieces, occurring at a specific time and place in America - and all (refreshingly) without tutus. Peter Martins’ [...]