5 posts tagged “dancing”

(Thanks to Chuck for the amazing photos from the day.)

My favorite party of the year's been reinstated—Warm Up at PS 1 in Long Island City—and I attended opening day yesterday as a guest of ilya's friend Dex, a DJ for the Detroit collective Underground Resistance. An amazing array of New Yorkers come out every year for this daytime dance party, people-watching extravaganza. Pics to come!

Also, for giggles, I really must re-direct to my favorite blog of the moment, Things Younger Than McCain. One of the newest entries: 5 out of the 9 U.S. Supreme Court Justices—although as the author points out, that means that FOUR of them are older than McCain. I'm really not sure which is more disturbing.

Food for thought, on this, the birthday weekend of our great country.

I've just been to the Kirov ballet, as Anri was nice enough to offer me up as her stand-in date with her mother. The famous Russian company hasn't been to New York since 2001, so their three-week run at The City Center has caused quite a stir here.

Going to dance performances does weird stuff to me. I love it, and yet I always leave feeling a little regretful. It makes me wish I had tried to become a professional dancer—not some teeny ballerina, to be sure—or that I'd tried to cultivate some physical or creative talent when I was younger. I leave the theater wishing that I could leap many feet into the air and land soundlessly, gracefully. Or that I could say the word "tutu" without giggling or conjuring images of an archbishop from South Africa.

Anyway, it was really interesting to (a), sit close enough to see exuberant/pained/concentrated expressions on the faces of the dancers, and (b) to go with Shinko, who has seen enough ballet to make comparisons in energy, style, and interpretation of some of the most classic pieces in the history of the art. I did find it technically astounding (and so did the gasping audience), but even without having much to compare it to, I'd say Alistair Macauley's review about sums it up for me. Technically brilliant, but missing an emotional connection to the dancing, to the music, and often, to the audience.

Some performances were really lovely, though, and it was a great night, all 'round.

Partying on a school night (13 March) with Naheed, Pascale, and Ilya.

Naheed's husband has a six-month residency on Thursdays at APT. These three are devotees, and the event is so good it is often listed on Flavorpill (where these photos are linked from the homepage!). For full album, click here.