Jonathan Larson’s Tony-, Grammy- and Pulitzer-winning musical Rent is set to hit the small screen on Sunday, January 27. The live production will air on FOX on the East Coast from 8 to 11 p.m. and with a tape-delay on the West Coast. It boasts a star-studded cast, including Vanessa Hudgens as Maureen Johnson. Sonya Tayeh is the mastermind behind the brand-new choreography.
Perhaps you recall back in 2015 when ballerina Miko Fogarty, star of 2011 dance documentary First Position, announced that she’d been hired by the Birmingham Royal Ballet and it seemed she was unstoppable. Are you wondering where she is now? Fogarty, now a student at the University of California, Berkeley, is preparing to share her story as part of TEDXBerkeley 2019.
The late tap dancer Gregory Hines (1946–2003) will soon be honored in a new way — with his own stamp by the United States Postal Service. On January 28, his postal stamp will debut as the 42nd stamp in the Black Heritage series. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp, which features a 1988 photograph by Jack Mitchell.
Complexions Contemporary Ballet celebrates its 25th anniversary season at The Joyce Theater in New York City from February 19-March 3, 2019. Under the artistic direction of Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, the company will celebrate this milestone anniversary with three dynamic programs over a two-week span.
92Y’s Harkness Dance Festival celebrates its 25th season by celebrating Merce Cunningham’s centennial this spring. For five weekends from March 1-30, HDF presents performances of Cunningham’s own choreography danced by New York Theatre Ballet, Melissa Toogood, Calvin Royal III and New World School of the Arts. The Festival continues with four weekends of world premieres representing four generations of Cunningham dancers.
The Spoleto Festival has announced the program for its 43rd Season, taking place May 24 through June 9, 2019. For 17 days and nights, a variety of artists converge in Charleston, South Carolina, filling the city’s theaters, churches and outdoor spaces with wide-ranging performances and concerts. Among the dance highlights are Compagnie Hervé Koubi, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company and Caracalla Dance Theatre.
Based in the Ukraine, the legendary National Ballet Theatre of Odessa is making its first visit to the United States this month, featuring 55 ballet stars in a full-scale production of Swan Lake. The talented dancers will bring to glorious life the tale of a young prince who falls in love with a princess who has been transformed into a swan.
Colorado Ballet continues to reach new heights as a nationally recognized professional ballet company with its premiere of a new full-length ballet, The Wizard of Oz. Over the past two years, Colorado Ballet joined forces with two other esteemed ballet companies, Kansas City Ballet and Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, to create an all-new ballet on a scale far greater than any of the companies could produce individually.
A new film spotlighting tap dance opened in North America just before the holidays. In case you missed it, Swing Kids by Korean hitmaker Hyeong-Cheol Kang is still being shown in select U.S. and Canadian theaters on January 4 and 11. It follows soldiers at a POW camp during the Korean War and how they plan a tap show.
As Steps on Broadway Co-Owner/Executive Director Joe Lanteri has been acclimating to his new role over the last three months, the mighty dance organization has been busy offering its incredible daily roster of classes, as well as rolling out new programs. Youth Performance Workshops and the Thursday Spotlight Series have been introduced and have both been “well-received” according to Lanteri. Now he has announced another new initiative launching January 3 – Professional Work Sessions.
Directed by Joel Valdiviezo, Breakout Dance Competition is an innovative company that strives to provide a memorable experience for all performers, studio owners, directors, families and friends. It launches its Premier Tour on February 22 in New Jersey and over the course of its season will visit 11 cities.
Houston Ballet has announced that Artistic Director Stanton Welch AM has promoted Soo Youn Cho to the rank of Principal. Formally a First Soloist, Cho was promoted on the evening of December 23, 2018 after starring in Stanton Welch AM’s The Nutcracker as the Sugar Plum Fairy. This well-deserved promotion is another welcomed celebration and symbol of triumph for the organization during its return to its home stage.
Now through January 2, Stagestep Flooring Solutions is offering a End of Year Blowout! Shoppers can take advantage of discounted prices, various specials and closeouts at www.Stagestep.com.
Have you heard about Professional Semester at Broadway Dance Center? This program based in NYC offers advanced technical training, professionalism skills and powerful networking opportunities to help aspiring professional dancers launch a sustainable career. The Professional Semester, which is designed for advanced dancers ages 18-27, will soon lead an exclusive audition tour!
The School at Jacob’s Pillow, a world-renowned center for professional advancement in artistic excellence, offers 2019 programs in Contemporary Ballet, Flamenco & Spanish Dance, Contemporary, Tap, Choreography and Dance Photography. Online applications are now open and the Recruitment Tour starts soon.
The Nutcracker Suite & Spicy—a rousing, toe-tapping, high-kicking spin on the classical ballet choreographed and directed by Carolyn Paine and performed by CONNetic Dance—is returning for its 9th year this weekend. It will delight audiences in the Aetna Theater at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut.
Looking for a new dance movie to enjoy on your break? One where you can kick your feet up and enjoy some stellar dancing? Netflix is here to deliver a fresh dance flick with Battle by director Katarina Launing!
Martha Graham Dance Company, a leader in the development of modern and contemporary dance since its founding in 1926, continues its studio series entitled “GrahamDeconstructed” in 2019. The series offers audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the work of the company in the intimate setting of its West Village studios. In January, GrahamDeconstructed focuses on the extraordinary partnership between Martha Graham and sculptor-designer Isamu Noguchi.
BellaMoxi Dance Convention, Competition and Festival is heading into its fourth season, the Frame Your Focus Tour! Now it has announced it's adding a Nationals Event in Summer 2020 in New York City. National bids and scholarships will be awarded along the 2018-2019 Frame Your Focus Tour.
An exhilarating weekend of performances, master classes and social events featuring some of the most important voices in contemporary dance today, the Breaking Ground Contemporary Dance and Film Festival will hit the Tempe Center for the Arts in Arizona on January 25 and 26, 2019.
Jacob’s Pillow has officially announced the full season lineup of Festival 2019 including world premieres, new commissions, international artists, anniversary celebrations, Pillow-exclusive engagements and work developed at the Pillow Lab. Entering its 87th consecutive summer, Jacob’s Pillow is home to the longest-running dance festival in the United States, a National Historic Landmark, a National Medal of Arts recipient and has steadily expanded its reach in the field and its local community as a year-round center for dance research and development.
Popular costume supplier Dansco is auditioning dancers for upcoming photo shoots for its national catalog, website and social media. Auditions will be held Sunday, January 13, 2019 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1299 County Street in Attleboro, MA.
A new Adidas sneaker inspired by Brooklyn Ballet will soon make its debut on the feet of performers in the company’s expanded, one-night-only show The Brooklyn Nutcracker. Set for the majestic Kings Theatre in Flatbush, the show will see street dancers modeling the new kicks, which is inspired by the graffiti tutu worn by the mechanical doll in Act I.
Mark Morris Dance Group’s colorful classic The Hard Nut returns to BAM in Brooklyn on December 14 - 23. Company member Lauren Grant is back for her 20th year performing as Marie. Grant, who was honored with a New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award for her career with the company, has danced with MMDG since 1996.
Just in time for the holidays, Justice, marketed as “the #1 destination for all things girls”, has unveiled its newest piece of content, Finding Clara. Finding Clara is a full-length documentary that was adapted from the super popular web series featured on the Justice YouTube channel. In partnership with Elevate Pictures, Justice was given exclusive access to go behind-the-scenes of BalletMet’s production of The Nutcracker to see it through the eyes of four hard-working young dancers.
A family owned company, Beyond The Stars National Dance Competition is now in its 14th year. It’s 2019 season will present over 60 dance events and three National Finals. It begins and ends in Somerset, NJ, before offering three Nationals.
USC Kaufman in Los Angeles is now accepting applications for its 2019 New Movement Residency program. The deadline to apply is January 11, 2019 and the residency will take place at the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center in L.A. from June 3 - 21, 2019. This is the second year that USC Kaufman will be hosting this program, which aims to support the creative process by providing access to space, mentorship and other resources.
Tapestry Dance Company in Austin, TX will celebrate the holidays with its rhythm tap and jazz spin on the beloved yuletide story, The Nutcracker. This show premiered to rave reviews and standing ovations last season. Entitled Of Mice & Music, it'll unite the company's professional dancers with the rising stars of its pre-apprentice youth company, Visions in Rhythm.
Auditions began last month for America’s Got Talent Season 14, with judges visiting New York, Detroit, Knoxville and Morongo Casino in California to audition performers. Soon auditions will recommence, with stops including Tampa, Charlotte, San Antonio and Los Angeles.
Hugh Jackman recently announced his first world tour! The Man. The Music. The Show. will present Jackman performing hit songs from The Greatest Showman, Les Misérables and more from Broadway and film, accompanied by a live orchestra. The tour is produced by AEG Presents, TEG-Dainty and Robert Fox, and follows up on his tour across Australia in November and December 2015.
