On the occasion of the 15^th anniversary of Youth America Grand Prix, known to all as YAGP, the international competition founded by former Bolshoi principals Larissa and Gennadi Saveliev offered a three-evening celebration at the Koch from April 9^th to 11^th 2014 that completely converted this former naysayer into a diehard fan. All of my complaints from…

On the evening of Sunday, April 6^th 2014, an Injury Prevention Workshop wrapped up The Complete Dancer Series for the 2013-2014 academic year at The School at Steps. At $10 per ticket with student discounts, the event attracted an impressively large audience of parents, dance teachers, and dance students. Many of the children looked to be as young as eight or nine. They were by and large interested and attentive, with hands waving eagerly in hopes of getting a…

On the evening of March 20^th 2014, as part of the Diamond Anniversary celebration of the Paul Taylor Dance Company at the Koch Theater, the troupe offered a triple bill that included a recent world premiere and an enduring favorite from 1982. The first two,…

I’m not a fan of the fact that standing ovations, once reserved for truly superb performances, have become almost routine in NYC. Often, in spite of not being able to see the curtain calls while everyone in front of me is up and blocking my view, I remain stubbornly in my seat if I feel that plain old clapping is sufficient. Yet on the evening of Friday, March 15^th 2014 at City Center, I was on my feet with the rest of…