Flickers of Dance
Lincoln Center’s annual Dance on Camera Festival is a must-see
By Susan Reiter
Now in its 40th year, Dance on Camera is at a new level of maturity. The annual event at the Walter Reade Theater that once fit into a three-day weekend has expanded to fill five days, Jan. 27–31, and within its brief duration has its own opening night, centerpiece and closing night films. Read more
Wheeldon and Dealin’
New York City Ballet returns with Balanchine and Wheeldon works
By Susan Reiter
Following a brief winter hibernation after its five-week Nutcracker onslaught, New York City Ballet returns to its primary business Tuesday, Jan. 17, when it opens its six-week winter repertory season. While the company’s repertory has been opened up to an increasing variety of choreographers in recent decades, the vast archive of George Balanchine’s exceptional ballets remains its mainstay. Read more
A Life of Dance
Luigi Faccuito trained a bevy of Hollywood superstars
Luigi Faccuito’s apartment on West 68th Street is filled with the memorabilia of a lifetime spent dancing with the stars. Autographed photos of Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra line the walls. A framed picture of Liza Minnelli and her mother, Judy Garland, resides above his television, engraved with the epitaph “To Papa Luigi.” A framed Dance Teacher Magazine proclaims “Jazz Master Luigi.”
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All the Right Moves
Martha Graham Dance Company celebrates 85th season with Lincoln Center celebration
The dance pieces are as iconic as the woman who created them.
The Martha Graham Dance Company will celebrate its 85th anniversary with seven performances at Lincoln Center, March 15–20, featuring classic Graham works, along with companion pieces by contemporary choreographers.
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From Flying Ace to Dance King
World War II vet traveled globe with Martha Graham
For 20-year-old Stuart Hodes, the prospect of dancing for a living seemed laughable. He had just finished three years of service as a pilot in WWII, an experience he remembers as “a war that nobody doubted was good.”
Although he wanted to become a journalist, he became discouraged by the fact that, as he recalls, “you could throw a stone in Times Square and it would land on a reporter.”
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Dance Distortions
Ballet may be in pop culture for the moment—but it deserves more respect
Director Darren Aronofsky may be bold and indie, but in his latest film Black Swan, which has been heaped with critical praise, he opportunistically and rather heartlessly recycles one cliché after another about ballet and ballet dancers. Overall, it seems Hollywood may be in worse trouble, artistically, than ballet itself at the moment.
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City Week: – January 14, 2011 – January 20, 2011
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14
Tango Fire—Ten dancers explore the evolution of tango in Tango Inferno. The Joyce Theater, 175 8th Ave., 212-242-0800; 8 p.m., $10+.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 15
Weill Recital Hall—Violinist Quinton I. Morris performs with special guest soprano Indra Thomas. Carnegie Hall, 881 7th Ave., 212-247-7800; 2 p.m., $20+. Read more
City Week: January 6 – January 12, 2011
FRIDAY, JANUARY 7
BAM Harvey Theater—Irish poet Frank McGuinness presents a new version of the Henrik Ibsen play John Gabriel Borkman. Jan. 7-Feb. 6, 651 Fulton St.; times vary, $25+.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 8
Compagnie Philippe Saire—For its Joyce debut, the company performs Lonesome Cowboy. Jan. 8-9, The Joyce Theater, 175 8th Ave., 212-242-0800; times vary, $10+.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 9
Manhattan Movement & Arts Center—The center presents the aerial circus showcase of the Your Move! series. 248 W. 60th St., 212-787-1178; 6, $10.
International Center of Photography—Cuba in Revolution, photography of the 1959 Cuban Revolution, ends its run. The exhibit traces from the entry of the rebels into Havana to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. 1133 6th Ave., 212-857-0000.
MONDAY, JANUARY 10
Rubin Museum of Art—Early Photographs of Bhutan & Sikkim ends its run. The show is the first exhibition of photographs by John Claude White, presented in original prints and large-scale reproductions from two important albums on view. 150 W. 17th St., 212-620-5000; 11 a.m.-5 p.m., $10.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 11
Merkin Concert Hall—Mozart, Elgar and Bartók feature in A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra’s performance, the first-ever chamber orchestra presented in the Tuesday Matinees series. Kaufman Center, 129 W. 67th St., 212-501-3300; 2 p.m., $16.
Zankel Hall—Soprano Renée Fleming performs a solo recital with pianist Hartmut Höll. Carnegie Hall, 881 7th Ave., 212-247-7800; 8, $22+.
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark—Julie Taymor directs while Bono and The Edge provide the score as the comic-book classic hits Broadway. Foxwoods Theatre, 213 W. 42nd St., 877-250-2929.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12
In Plain Sight—David Akiba: In Plain Sight is comprised of photographs of the natural and manmade environment. Photographing Greater Boston’s urban infrastructure, as well as its many parks, Akiba creates images that embrace the formalist tradition while exploring contemporary urban landscape. 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, 212-415-5563; times vary.
City Week: December 16 – December 22
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17
Peter and the Wolf—Isaac Mizrahi narrates Sergei Prokofiev’s children’s classic, “Peter & the Wolf.” New York City Opera’s George Manahan will conduct the Juilliard Ensemble. Dec. 17-19, 1071 5th Ave., 212-423-3500; times vary, $10+.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art—Alan Gilbert conducts members of the New York Philharmonic as part of the CONTACT! series. 1000 5th Ave., 212-535-7710; 7 p.m., $20.
Joffrey Ballet School—The school presents a new rendition of The Nutcracker, created by Gelsey Kirkland and Misha Chernov. Ends Sunday, John Jay College, Gerald Lynch Theater, 899 10th Ave., 212-254-8520; 7 p.m., $20+.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18
Clay Festival 5—The Clay Festival celebrates its fifth year by showcasing 20 works by New York ceramic artists. Dec. 18, St. Anthony’s Church, at Houston and Sullivan streets, 212-226-5249; 12-7 p.m., free.
Jerome Robbins Theater—Choreographer Aszure Barton explores the human psyche in Busk. Baryshnikov Arts Center, 450 W. 37th St., 646-731-3200; 8 p.m., $25.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19
Church of St. Ignatius Loyola—Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols” features carols from around the world and from our own tradition. 980 Park Ave., 212-288-2520; 4 p.m., $40+.
Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola—Percussionist Duduka Da Fonseca and pianist Helio Alves lead a concert of samba jazz and bossa nova. Ends today, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Broadway at West 60th Street, 5th Fl., 212-258-9595, www.jalc.org; 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., $15+.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21
Avery Fisher Hall—The National Choral Council presents the 43rd annual Handel’s Messiah Sing-In with music director Martin Josman. 10 Lincoln Center Plz., 212-875-5656; 8 p.m., $32+.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22
Jazz Standard—Drummer Francisco Mela performs with pianist Vijay Iyer and bassist Larry Grenadier. 116 E. 27th St., 212-576-2232; 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. today and tomorrow, $25.
City Week: December 9 – December 16
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10
Ballet Hispanico—Ballet Hispanico celebrates its 40th anniversary with three world premieres, one revival and three repertory favorites. Ends today. The Joyce Theater, 175 8th Ave., 212-242-0800; $10+. Read more
