I wrote this preview of the PBS documentary “Free to Dance” for the New York Times, which published it on June 17, 2001. The passing of Charles Reinhart has prompted me to post it now because “Free to Dance” came out of a larger program that Charlie and his wife Stephanie launched called The Black Tradition in American Modern Dance. It was also made into a book written by Richard A. Long with annotated photos by Joe Nash. Charlie and Stephanie were executive producers on “Free to Da...| WENDY PERRON
As a young dancer with recurring back spasms, I sought relief with various physical therapies. Around 1971, Sandra Neels, a longtime Merce Cunningham dancer, told me about Elaine Summers’ approach to somatic healing. Teaching only a few people at a time, Elaine would pay deep attention to our physical tendencies and give us time to […]| WENDY PERRON
I thought I knew about Sylvia Waters’ long life on the Ailey planet, but when she spoke recently on a panel celebrating 90 years of dance at the 92nd Street Y, I heard some surprises.| WENDY PERRON
The 92nd Street Y is celebrating 90 years of dance. The ebullient Joan Finkelstein led a panel of eight illustrious dance artists at the Library for the Performing Arts on March 10. A major part of the leadership lineage at the Y, Joan gave us a jam-packed history lesson before introducing the panelists in three […]| WENDY PERRON
I loved Carolyn Brown’s book so much when it came out in 2007 that I gushed about it on dancemagazine.com. Now that she has passed away, I’m feeling a great loss and am re-posting it here. For anyone who has devoted herself to a choreographer and still wonders what he/she thinks of her, For anyone […]| WENDY PERRON
Ashley Bouder and Gilbert Bolden in Firebird, Bouder’s Farewell, ph: Erin Baiano| WENDY PERRON
This list is subjective; it reflects my taste as well as that of the writers represented here. It is not in any particular order. Please feel free to comment below or suggest your favorite dance book of the year. Btw, sometimes a books is released too late in the season for me to catch up, in which case I try to consider it the following year…. Enjoy.| WENDY PERRON
A ghost, an apparition, a figure somewhere between life and death, emerges from an alcove. Holding a candle, she touches the wall, as though to ensure that the physical world is really there. This wraith looks into the eyes of some of us witnesses sitting on the pews in this small, stained-glass windowed chapel.| WENDY PERRON
In the New York dance world, March came in like a lion and went out like a lion. The density of performances seems to have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Here is a quick round up of some of our local March Madness. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago exploded onto the Joyce stage with two programs of […]| WENDY PERRON
The lavish, dreamlike vision of Shen Wei graced the David Koch Theater last weekend. Co-produced by the China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG) and American Dance Festival, Dongpo: Life in Poems melds Shen Wei’s swirling choreography, spectacularly multileveled sets, and otherworldly costumes into a magical experience. The show loosely depicts the journey of Song Dynasty […]| WENDY PERRON