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 The 2008/2009 season opener for City Ballet of San Diego was a mainly classical ballet program with one lyrical dance piece. The November 8 performance at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre featured City Ballet’s co-director/choreographer, Elizabeth Wistrich’s short version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Diane & Acteon Pas de Deux” and “Grand Pas Classique.” The finale, Wistrich’s 2004 work, “Leave the Light On,” added a special twist to the evening affair.

The music of Felix Mendelssohn played as the curtain rose to reveal the simple forest backdrop for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” A recorded version of the music was used and accompanied by a recorded narration of the play used during mime segments. The poor sound quality of the narration was an unfortunate miss that only detracted from the ballet. Getting past the sound was one issue; having a clear view of the stage was another. Main floor seating was on a virtually flat surface. Without an incline, nearly 50 percent of the view was obstructed by those in the preceding rows. The size of the stage also seemed to be a problem for several dancers, as falls and collisions were a recurrence.The character Puck is synonymous with “Midsummer.” As such, expectations for this key character are often quite high. Cast in the part of Puck was Daniel Salvador; a dancer that projects good energy and enthusiasm, but underplayed his role as the mischievous character. Among the mortals, Janica Smith’s Hermia and Geoff Gonzalez’s Demetrius were convincing, and Ariana Samuelsson was delightful and giddy as Helena. Gerardo Gil as Lysander danced skillfully, but seemed emotionally detached from his character. The King and Queen of the Fairies, with Sarah Bek as Titania and Taurean Green as Oberon, were strong technically, but the connection between them was not evident. In the role of Bottom, David Levy brought a playful quality to his character. The romance between the smitten Titania and the transformed Bottom, turned donkey, was charming and one of the most memorable scenes.During the first intermission, it was a prime opportunity to move to higher ground to watch the remainder of the program. From this vantage point, Agrippina Vagonova’s, “Diana & Acteon Pas de Deux,” music by Cesare Pugni, was far more satisfying. Sarah Bek, all dressed in pale blue with arrow in hand, was a vision of beauty and strength as her character Diana, the hunting goddess, depicts. Taurean Green was well suited for this role and gave a solid performance in this ever-popular ballet.The only tutu on stage that evening was worn by Ariana Samuelsson in Victor Gsovsky’s dazzling “Grand Pas Classique,” set to music by Daniel-Francois Auber. Samuelsson and her partner, Gerardo Gil, were elegant in white and danced together with grace and precision. Samuelsson demonstrated unfaltering strength with her intricate pointe work. Facial expression was missing in Gil’s performance, but his solo was beautifully executed, showcasing clean lines and excellent timing with the music. Afterward, Gil’s energy level started to fade resulting in an anti-climactic finish.

“Leave the Light On,” a five part piece, was performed to the rock/blues music of Beth Hart. Women danced barefoot with loose hair and in simple dresses, which seemed fitting for this representation of Hart’s turbulent emotional journey through life, as expressed in her lyrics. The dance style had modern and contemporary influences such as loose movements with big free-flowing arm and body rolls. Technical elements were in their turned out, pointed feet, long, extending straight legs and turns and leaps with their bodies in upright positions. The men had shorter dance sequences, but their presence didn’t go unnoticed. During one segment, the audience hollered as the men strut downstage in unison while sustaining a lift with one of the female dancers. The dancers were clearly enjoying themselves as they performed and the positive vibe was infectious. When the performance was over, the audience left the theater feeling energized.   

Origional link: http://www.dance.com/mag/december-2009/121/city-ballet-of-san-diego/42/

In 1972, the American Ballet Theatre, founded in 1940, was at its peak, capturing the attention of audiences, critics and dancers all over the globe. In my mind, ABT stood out from the rest because it had the most exciting repertory of them all—this is where the great classical masterpieces were. Some of these works had been performed for decades by legendary dancers, and they were the heart and soul of the company. I was fully aware the company’s wealth was its heritage and its stars.

Royes Fernandez and Lupe Serrano, Erik Bruhn and Carla Fracci, Toni Lander and Bruce Marks, Eleanor D’Antuono, Ted Kivitt, Michael Denard, Paolo Bortoluzzi, Sally Wilson, Karina Brock, Dennis Nahat, Christine Sarry, Gayle Young, Scott Douglas, Roni Mahler, Cynthia Gregory, Natalia Makarova, Ivan Nagy, Michael Smuin, John Prinz, Jonas Kage, Bill Carter—those were only some of the names that were making Ballet Theatre such an exciting company! ABT had the history, the magic, and the inspiration that made me want to dance. American Ballet Theatre was where I wanted to be. Our ballet masters and regisseurs, Enrique Martinez, Michael Lland, Scott Douglas, Patricia Wilde, Dimitri Romanoff, themselves had fantastic backgrounds, having danced with some of the legendary ballet companies. Choreographers like Anthony Tudor, Agnes DeMille, Eugene Loring and Glenn Tetley, Eliot Feld, Jerome Robbins, Jose Limon, Alvin Ailey, were also part of the company’s great strength, adding depth and a new dimension to the existing classical repertory.

Without a doubt, there was one person at the helm of this remarkable ballet company, Lucia Chase. At the time I didn’t know much about this woman, but as the years went by, I came to admire her greatly. Lucia had the kind of courage and commitment you need to pursue your life’s dream, and even more, to make it come true. She had it, and American Ballet Theatre was the culmination of her dream, her magnificent obsession. ABT lived through Lucia Chase. I am sure her vision and stubborn determination to keep her company alive through good and bad times has earned her the brightest star in ballet heaven. Without her, the most glorious ballet seasons our country has ever seen would never have happened, and because of her, that company secured its place in history.

From the beginning, my rehearsals with ABT were very challenging. Soon we would be opening our summer season at Lincoln Center’s New York State Theater. I had been cast in six full-length works, and had to learn all those parts in less than one month’s time! I was dancing in the First Act “Peasants” and Third Act “Neapolitan Dance” of the full-length “Swan Lake.” I was a warrior in David Lichine’s “Helen of Troy,” the Drummer Boy in “Graduation Ball,” a Cow Roper in Agnes de Mille’s “Rodeo,” in the corps of Jerome Robbins’ “Interplay,” and in the corps of Harald Lander’s magnificent “Etudes.” It was a repertory of dreams.

During the company rehearsal period I had gotten a taste of what “corps de ballet” work was all about and now I realized the days ahead meant long hours of classes, rehearsals and performances. My first time on stage with ABT came during a performance of “Swan Lake.” That evening, Prince Siegfried was being danced by Bruce Marks. Right before the curtain opened, he walked to me, shook my hand and said: “Good luck! I wish you the best in your career.” Some of the older dancers embraced me and wished me good luck and as the State Theater’s curtain rose and I heard the applause of the audience, I felt the adrenaline rush and excitement of knowing I was now part of that great company.

This book can be purchased from Books & Books, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, or from Fernando’s web site at http://www.fernandobujones.com/.

Origional Link: www.dance.com

Michael Jackson wanted to learn to tap dance. About 10 years ago he asked Debbie Allen to help him find a great tap teacher. “When they asked me to find the best tap teacher, I selected Paul Kennedy. I knew Paul would be discreet. Michael and Paul came to my home where I had a studio,” Allen recalls.

“I had the highest regard that Michael would train and work outside his own box, but nothing was outside his box. It was a great creative journey watching him develop. Michael was good. He was from the same world of Sammy Davis and could pick up everything. My floor still has his prints. I took care of [Jackson's oldest son] little Prince during the classes and we would often go in the kitchen and eat cornbread. Michael was a fan of Fred Astaire and Astaire a fan of Michael’s. It was mutual admiration. It was not a surprise that he was so successful,” Allen says.

The classes were held at night usually once or twice a week for awhile until Michael’s schedule got too complicated. According to Allen, Jackson’s mother Katherine brought him to Broadway to see her shows, “Sweet Charity” and “West Side Story” and she remembers Janet also attending. Katherine supported Broadway and made sure that her children saw many shows. When Paul Kennedy became ill and could no longer attend the classes with Jackson, Kennedy phoned Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards to tell her that Jackson was looking for a tap teacher/choreographer and encouraged her to interview.

Sumbry-Edwards, as you may recall from the Tap Issue, is an accomplished tap dancer who trained in the Kennedys’ studio and was the only female tap dancer in Savion Glover’s “Bring In “˜Da Noise, Bring in “˜Da Funk.” She is considered one of the best tap dancers in the world and many rate her at the top.

Jackson flew Sumbry-Edwards to Paris, France for the interview in 1997. Michael had lots of questions: “Can you dance like the Nicholas Brothers or Fred Astaire? How fast can you move your feet?” Michael laid down on his stomach with his head very close to her feet and said: “How are you getting all those sounds out? Do it again as fast as you can go. Can you teach me how to do that?” Sumbry-Edwards recalls. Sumbry-Edwards didn’t know if she got the job until two years later. Can you imagine the surprise when she picked up the phone at her home and Jackson was on the line. “What’s going on?” he asked before inviting her to work with him. She explained that she was concluding “Noise/Funk” (1999) and pregnant. He asked her to get back in touch after she delivered when she was ready. In a few months, she was.

“We worked whenever and wherever””in Los Angeles a couple of times, but mostly in Las Vegas every weekend,” says Sumbry-Edwards. She would fly out Friday nights, work Saturday and Sunday and then travel back to New York on the Sunday night red eye. This lasted for about two months. They also worked here and there between Vegas, Los Angeles and West Palm Beach, Florida. “While we were in the studio, we were the only two and I got to know him as a person,” says Sumbry-Edwards. “He was well aware of everything: world issues, religion, family and all in life outside of entertainment. He was a man and father with a great relationship with his kids.”

After 9/11, Jackson called Sumbry-Edwards and offered to bring her entire family to California for two weeks while they worked. (Sumbry-Edwards is married to tap dancer Omar Edwards and they operate Harlem Tap Studio. They have two children, Jeremiah and Ebony, who is currently in “Billy Elliot.”) They had a varied schedule but her family enjoyed the time in California, in West Palm Beach, Florida and at the Ranch home. “Michael would invite us to dinner and while it was being prepared our kids hung out with his kids before our sessions.”

Jackson was busy doing many things and when they worked it was usually about four hours a day. “Michael knows exactly what he wants,” Sumbry-Edwards says. “Most of the time it was without music, but one time he played a song Janet had recorded and said it was his favorite. He said he liked the feeling and wanted to do something with that feeling,” recalls Sumbry-Edwards. “What do you see right here?” Sumbry-Edwards recalls Jackson asking when he needed her choreographic help. “He would back up and let me create,” says Sumbry-Edwards. “He would make some changes and then I would break it down with the changes. He was a perfectionist and in four hours we might work four bars. He would not move on until he was completely comfortable with one movement. That way he took the material in and made it a part of himself. He polished it before he moved on. I saw the passion in his work, very intense.”

“Sometimes [Jackson's youngest son] Blanket would find his way to the studio. During the last two years they worked in Las Vegas at a studio in his home. Once we both kind of messed up and Blanket was standing at the door laughing. We both got a special moment from that. It was sweet to have him there. Michael loved tap dancing. He loved the Nicholas Brothers and Fred Astaire. He was clear about what he wanted. He loved rhythm. He would sit and watch.”

Jackson worked at learning to tap. He had two years of technique before doing anything else. He learned the ABC’s of tap: shuffle exercises, paddle and roll, cramp roll, pull backs, draw backs, clean time steps””they both did all the basics. Most of the time Sumbry-Edwards would arrive in the studio early and would put on her shoes and warm up while waiting for him. When Jackson would enter, he would not stop her but would sit and observe. When she finished, he would say, “Wow! Those rhythms are great” and sometimes would want to incorporate her improvisations into what they would were doing.

Sumbry-Edwards considers Jackson one of the world”˜s greatest entertainers. “Michael has inspired dancers over the decades,” Sumbry-Edwards says. “In 2009, there are still aspiring entertainers who are studying Michael.” The last time Sumbry-Edwards worked with him was September of 2008.

Though not many knew it, Michael Jackson loved tap dancing.

Origional Link: http://www.dance.com/mag/february-1-2010/147/michael-jacksonrsquos-love-of-tap/3995/

Born in Mexico, choreographer Edgar Zenejas danced with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal [now BJM Danse], and Gus Giordano Dance Chicago before starting his own troupe, ezdanza, based in Montréal. He sat down with Dancer to talk about his creation methods, the choreographers who inspire him, and his recipe for turning Montréal’s economic blues into fertile ground for collaboration.

Q: Did you dance as a child?

A: No, I started when I was 16. In my country, my parents weren’t close to the world of dance at all. I found it, liked it, and went for it. No one was interested in art in my house. I discovered dance in high school when two performers came to perform.

Q: When you were a dancer, did you know you were a choreographer? We know that not all dancers are choreographers and vice versa.

A: Actually, not at all. I never planned it. It wasn’t in my thoughts until I arrived in Canada. As a dancer, opportunities came about to choreograph, such as workshops, so I started doing that and started developing my own vocabulary and I really enjoyed it.

Q: What do you feel characterizes your own vocabulary?

A: I think my vocabulary is a mix of different influences I had as an artist, in my career working with so many people. I would say they have all influenced me, but some are very strong. I really enjoy their movement and working with them.

Q: Who?

A: I can mention three: I worked with Twyla Tharp at Hubbard Street, Crystal Pite from Canada (she was BJM’s resident choreographer), and Ulysses Dove. When I worked with Dove I was very young (at BJM). It was a very strong but beautiful experience. He came for only two days to work with us. I was second cast for that piece and when he came he put me in first cast and I was really touched.

Q: Do you consider yourself a contemporary ballet choreographer? Modern? How do you feel others categorize you?

A: I think right now there’s a fusion of dance. And to classify my work…well, it has a strong base of classical ballet technique. [Throughout] my career, I was taking ballet class and working with contemporary choreographers with freedom of movement and creation (but the base was always classical). My work is very based in classical technique, but the influence of other choreographers has brought in this other term called “contemporary.” I do have a special style here in Canada. It has been a little hard for them to define my work here, which has been good and bad. The contemporary people here in Canada don’t classify me as contemporary; they think I do too much technique. The bigger companies like Les Grands Ballets [Canadiens de Montréal] see my work as contemporary. I kind of like that uniqueness of the work. I’m just waiting for them to recognize…that it is contemporary but it’s also classical. Also, this is something that’s been happening in the States as well; they see my work as contemporary.

Q: Your movement is both fluid yet organized. I can definitely recognize movement phrases, but I also sense a certain kind of drama. I wonder if you could tell me a little bit about your process. Do you come in with phrases? Do you collaborate with the dancers?

A: My work as a choreographer has developed over the years. I remember the first work I did. I was really creating everything—counts, each step. I would be so tired after the creation. Then we [at BJM] had this wave of improv and European style of creating. In the beginning I had a hard time working with such choreographers, but then I started enjoying it a lot, so I took part of that for the way I was working. In terms of myself, I like to create phrases, or what I call “combos.” The number I create depends on the length of the piece. I do like for the movement to [become] familiar for the audience and the dancers throughout the whole piece. In the beginning I used to do tons of steps from the beginning to the end, and it was so much work and [audiences] didn’t appreciate it. So I came to enjoy movement [executed] in different ways. I wanted to see how you could develop a phrase: floorwork is completely different from the standing version [of a phrase]. Working in colleges and universities has given me a lot of freedom to experiment because the students really go for it. They are like, “We’ll do anything you tell us.” It’s great because I learn a lot from them and I learn how to work better, so, by the time I work with professionals I have the base.

Q: Do you feel there is a dramatic or narrative impulse to your pieces? How do movement and the dramatic come together in your choreography?

A: It’s been different with every creation. Sometimes I feel really inspired by some event in my life—some relationship, something very personal, so I will decide to express it through movement with some kind of music that gives me this feeling. But sometimes I feel very inspired by the music and I don’t think of narrative or emotional expression; I just want to do movement with music. But its very interesting to see how the audience receives it because everyone identifies according to their own experiences or culture…

A: My experience with composers has been amazing. I met composers here in Montréal and Europe and they have been with me for many creations. One of them is Edouard Dumoulin and the other is Jean-Philippe Barrios. They have been working with me for so long and almost for free. Their music is amazing. It’s great to work with people like them because sometimes they see my movement and they create through the inspiration of my work or I explain what is in my head and they create through that, so it’s a collaboration. With recorded music, it’s completely different; it’s already set.

Q: In terms of the thematics of your pieces, how does your Mexican heritage or culture play into your work? You touched upon the fact that different audiences respond differently to your work, but in terms of your own cultural heritage—whatever that means to you—do you draw from your own background, or not?

A: That’s another good question because as a Latino choreographer, some people hire me to do a “Latino” piece or something with “roots.” I did a piece for Luna Negra. They said, “You can do a contemporary piece but it has to have something Latino in it.” That piece and another I did for BJDM are two pieces I decided I had to be inspired by something from my culture. I did a piece called “Besame Mucho.” It has sections and explains my place in my culture as a Mexican person. I used a very famous Mexican singer: Chavela Vargas.

Q: Who are some living choreographers you consider yourself to be in conversation with?

A: I had an opportunity to give a workshop in Portland and the other choreographer was Jennifer Muller. I remember being young in San Diego, seeing her company, and I was extremely touched. I don’t remember steps or anything, but I remember coming out of that show very high. When I saw that she was working next to me I felt very small but at the same time, just very excited and I wanted to talk to her. She is such a beautiful lady, and I just tried to absorb as much as I could about the way she thinks. She is extremely smart. Another choreographer here in Montréal I respect as a person—she has so much passion for dance—is Margie Gillis. She is a soloist. Talking to her has been a beautiful experience. I like the humanity of these two choreographers.

Q: How do you develop material in your dances?

A: I do two or three combos. From that, I work myself, develop something from each phrase. Then I ask the dancers to do tasks. I will say, “Can you take all the arms of the combo without moving your legs?” It becomes something totally different. Or I will say the opposite. Or sometimes watching the combo, I will sit in the back of the room and I see another perspective. I have noticed lately that my work is very three-dimensional. Sometimes I finish the piece and tell the dancers, “Now we’re going to face the back in this part.” So I change the front for them. They’re not very happy, but they adjust and it’s beautiful because you see something totally different. I collaborate with the dancers a lot, for example, “Can you transfer this phrase onto the floor?”

Q: What are you currently creating?

A: Right now I want to promote my company a bit more here in Montréal. Just like in the States, the economy is not doing very well. So, it’s been hard to have a real season in a theater. So, I am creating a studio series for my company every month to bring a different artist in to collaborate with us each time—singers, musicians, painters. Every show will feature a different one. Hopefully at the end of the year (because each one is short) we can create a full performance with all these artists.

Q: So, it’s as though the bad economy has forced you to stage all these interesting collaborations.

A: Coming back from the States—and here in Canada—that’s all I hear: so many cuts. So, let’s do something low budget, create something more local, more for the community. Let’s have donations or something. These will take place in inexpensively rented studios. Canada supports the arts as much as they can. We get a lot of support from the government. Once you are in it, and they know you, you have made it. It takes time, but I’m happy. Hopefully I’ll get a grant for the studio series project so I can pay everybody.

For more information on the work of Edgar Zendejas, please visit: http://www.ezdanza.com/

Ariel Osterweis Scott, a PhD candidate in performance studies at UC Berkeley, is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, educator, and scholar. She can be reached at aos@berkeley.edu.

Origional Link: www.dance.com

Walking down the street, like other New Yorkers on a frosty afternoon, Jared Grimes wears a hat and coat to ward off the cold. He talks on his cell phone to ward off lost time. A busy day, just like many others, lies ahead. Still on his phone when he enters the coffee shop, he has an easy familiarity about him as he looks over, nods and smiles. He hangs up, sings a few words of the jazzy song playing over the shop’s radio and says, “Hello.” This is our introduction, but its clear in an instant that he is as natural and approachable with everyone””no need for stuffy formalities.

The words “tap dancer” wouldn’t begin to describe Grimes’ capacity, but this title is certainly a good place to start. It’s definitely the dancing, maybe the singing and acting, or simply just the magnetism of his comfortable charm that has already made him a success. He has toured with musical artists, produced dance shows, acted in movies and recently danced at the Kennedy Center to kick-off the Inauguration. But it was absolutely the tap dancing that got Grimes started; it all flourished from there.

Born in Jamaica, Queens, he stated dancing at age 3 to expend his surplus energy. Rather than using prescriptions like Ritalin to calm him, his mother opted for a more organic approach: dance.

“I started doing a little ballet; didn’t really like that. My dad was like, “˜Don’t make the boy do what he doesn’t want to do,’ because I didn’t want to wear the stuff,” Grimes laughs. “Jazz was cool, but tap, it made noise and it was loud. I was a little kid, so I wanted to be loud and rowdy and make noise.”

Tap took a front seat, as Grimes’ mother had him try many different dance styles and classes. It quickly became his focal point. With the careful guidance of various teachers, he took his dancing beyond technique, exploring tap’s multidimensional history.

Beginning with a teacher everyone called “Auntie,” he found himself mesmerized by tap. His mother, a dancer and teacher, also made a lasting impression. He remembers sitting in the audience as a child, watching his mom on stage and thinking, “Wow that’s my mom!” Once he moved to North Carolina, he learned about the contributions of Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Ginger Rodgers. Also influential in Grimes’ dance education was Gene Medler, of the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble.

“He gave me the whole shebang, everything. He really educated me about anybody who was anybody in tap throughout history, and also the present, which I didn’t really know about,” Grimes says. “After Gene it was like, “˜Fly, fly away Jared. Do your thing.’”

Grimes has an energetic quality and his enthusiasm is palpable. He takes a moment to wave to a puppy outside the window. He has showmanship just sitting in his chair, from a tug at the brim of his hat to animated hand gestures.

He began cultivating this trait at a young age, first performing in “Showtime at the Apollo” when he was 10 years old. “I did “˜Sweet Georgia Brown,’ and some girl beat me. She was singing gospel,” he says. In addition to TV shows, he did Coca-Cola and department store commercials as a young adult, usually tap dancing.

Later, Grimes toured with the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble, gaining unique experiences and self-evaluation. “It brought me back down to earth,” says Grimes of his confidence, although, making a point to mention his mom raised him well and taught him to be humble. “When I started going around to St. Louis, Chicago and New York, you start seeing all these other kids that were my same exact age and were just as good, maybe better. And I was like, OK, it’s time to work,” says Grimes. “I’m one of those people, I’ve always wanted to be the best, different and the best… in my own direction.”

Touring presented him with some challenges and battles with insecurities. These are always lessons necessary to individual growth. This is when he realized the importance of learning different styles and techniques, something that would later become his singular distinction in the entertainment world.

When Grimes moved to New York City, he took classes taught by hip-hop star Rhapsody. He describes her as a mentor, showing him the way “outside of his tap shoes.” A motivational teacher, she pushed him down the right path, polishing his technique. 

At 18 (his first year in New York), Grimes auditioned at Broadway Dance Center for a spot in Rhapsody: The Company, a troupe undefined by a specific style of dance. He performed with the company for a number of years, returning from his travels and rehearsing right before a performance. 

In 2001, he was recognized as the Donna Reed Foundation National Scholar after their weeklong workshop in Denison, Iowa. Although receiving the award was wonderful, Grimes vividly remembers the acting classes. 

“It was fun, it was far, it was like arts camp, and I was the best kid in camp,” says Grimes. “It’s like, when you go to camp and something like an award or trophy happens, but you remember that girl from camp or something like that. You go to camp and you learn all these things, but there’s that one thing that really sticks out. For me, it was acting class.” 

In New York, Grimes landed his first big role in the 2005 movie “Little Manhattan.” Though it was a dancing role, it did not involve tap. He proved he was able to book jobs utilizing all the skills he had learned. “It was one of the first jobs that I was there with all jazz dancers and theatrical dancers, and I was able to get a job out of just being me,” says Grimes. 

Afterward, he appeared in “First Born,” and is now awaiting the release of “The Mark Pease Experience” (starring Ben Stiller and Jason Schwartzman), which has given him an opportunity to show his comedic side. 

All the while, he continued in his dance aspirations, working with Justin Timberlake’s choreographer Marty Kudelka, whom he had been a long-time admirer. Last minute and originally on his way to class at Marymount Manhattan College, he auditioned for Mariah Carey’s tour. The producers were looking for just one dancer, and Grimes landed it. 

However, his first love, tap, has certainly granted him the greatest revelations. The first time he performed with Gregory Hines, he was 16 years-old. In class, Hines selected him to perform one of his combinations. They traded back and forth for a little over a minute. “I had a conversation with my feet with one of the greatest tap dancers to ever grace this earth,” recalls Grimes. “I mean, at that point I could get hit by a bus, and I’d be good.”The star power and charisma that made Hines so great interests Grimes. Hines, along with Sammy Davis, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, were multi-talented. They could do it all, but tap was their catalyst and passion. Grimes looked back on that moment dancing with Hines, realizing he wanted to be like them rather than a “commodity of the moment.” He wanted to give audiences something fresh, something innovative and something dynamic. 

“It was about the energy, and I was always fascinated by how [Hines] and Sammy used to light up a room without even doing anything. I asked myself, ‘Do I have it? I don’t know if it’s there. Can I get that? Can you buy it somewhere?’ But I was always fascinated with that first.” 

Grimes’ style combines both hip-hop and tap. To him, they are two distinctive elements that come together and compliment each other. Tap helps his rhythm and musicality while hip-hop allows him to better engage the audience. 

“Sometimes when you’re tap dancing you can get caught up in just making music. You’re not really drawing the audience in, which are not how old tap dancers used to dance because they actually used to dance. For a while we just tapped without the dance,” he says. 

This is the direction Grimes is going, and what he believes should become the next standard of tap. “We have to do more than just tap to get through doors, break barriers down; having people finally notice tap dancers again because we don’t just tap. Tap dancers are at the bottom of the food chain, and I feel like in order to get to the top we have to eat every meal, and eat it well so that we can sit on top.” Now a teacher at Broadway Dance Center (something many in their 20s can’t put on their resume), he got his teaching legs by substituting Rhapsody’s classes. Grimes was able to attract followers of his own, and upon her return was given his own classes.His recognition has reached a much larger scope. On January 19, 2009, Grimes performed at the Kennedy Center for President Obama’s Inauguration. On stage with Wynton Marsalis and his quintet, he danced before hundreds of people.”I get there and backstage it’s all celebrities, and I’m like, ‘It’s time to throw down.’ And it was fun,” says Grimes. “We did “˜Sweet Georgia Brown,’ ironically, but it was a different version from when I was little.”Although President Obama could not make the performance, Grimes was honored and excited to be a part of the event, especially live with master musician Marsalis. “I was like, ‘You know what Jared, you are going to D.C. around one of the biggest historical moments and you’re performing in the name and respect of the first African-American president.’”With these substantial career highlights in tow, Grimes still has a lot of ideas ahead. After all, he is only 25. He is currently choreographing a Cirque du Soleil show, which opens at the Beacon Theatre in New York City in 2010. A show catered to virtuosity, it features tap dancers that can sing, act and perform comedy.”I set out to bring the industry to me when I came to New York, and it’s a perfect example of how, if you work hard and you stay strong in a certain direction things will actually present themselves,” he says of his newest endeavor.A style all his own and the dedication to match, Grimes has set out to blaze new trails. Individuality has always been the difference between good and great. “I remember sitting in my apartment and I was like, ‘By the time I’m 23 something big is going to happen.’ Then, I remember five minutes later being like, “˜Ok maybe 25.’ I’m 25 now and I’m on schedule. I’m trying to put tap dance back on top.”

Origional Link: www.dance.com

There is perhaps no male dancer more significant, more celebrated, and more influential than Rudolf Nureyev. There was nothing particularly special about Nureyev’s humble beginnings in Ufa, the capital of the Soviet Republic of Bashkir. But as he grew, he developed a talent so immense and a spirit so full of passion that he touched the lives of millions around the world. From his controversial defection from the U.S.S.R. to his courageous battle against AIDS, Nureyev did everything with character, nonconformity, and incomparable charm.

Nureyev was born on March 17, 1938 aboard the Trans-Siberian Express Railway, near Lake Baikal. He was the youngest of four children and the only boy in the family. When he was 3, Germany invaded the U.S.S.R. and his father was called to service until 1946. His mother Farida struggled to keep the family healthy, but food and resources were scarce. His ticket out was ballet; he saw a performance in 1945 and decided he was going to become a dancer.

He began taking folk dancing lessons in school and later studied ballet under Anna Udeltsova and Elena Vaitovich, both of whom had danced professionally. They noticed young Nureyev’s potential and urged him to study in Leningrad. Although he was accepted to the Bolshoi Ballet School, he ultimately decided to study at the Vaganova Academy (Kirov Ballet School) in 1955 at the age of 17, where he trained under Alexander Pushkin.

Nureyev spent two years at the Kirov school and upon graduation received a contract to dance with the company. During his three years with the Kirov, he partnered all of the company’s ballerinas and performed lead roles in “Don Quixote,” “Giselle,” “La Bayadère,” “The Sleeping Beauty” and “Swan Lake.” Nureyev had gained a reputation not only as a gifted performer, but also as a troublemaker. He danced to his own rhythm, quite literally, and often walked out of the studio or rehearsal during arguments with directors and choreographers.

When the company went on tour in Paris in 1961, Nureyev did something that went down in history. He “defected,” or in other words he refused to return to Moscow despite orders from the KGB. French officials granted him permission to stay, and Nureyev began his new life in the West where he was free.

In 1961, he made his London debut and received an offer from the Royal Ballet to dance “Giselle” with Margot Fonteyn, and so began another chapter in Nureyev’s life. His partnership with Fonteyn was epic; not only were they brilliant together on stage as artists, but they maintained a meaningful friendship even after the curtain fell. Although the age difference was great (Nureyev was 23 and Fonteyn was 42 when they began working together), the two remained lifelong friends.

Nureyev danced throughout Europe and the U.S., taking over a hundred roles by more than 40 choreographers, including Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Kenneth MacMillan and Paul Taylor. His range as a performer was unprecedented—from contemporary to classical, melancholy to humorous, there was nothing Nureyev couldn’t do, including choreograph.

In 1983, he became the ballet director at the Paris Opera, a position he held for six years. His contract allowed him to continue guest performing with other companies while handling his responsibilities by phone. During this time, his health and stamina began to decline after learning he was HIV positive. Nureyev shifted his career goals and began dabbling in film and later in music, still determined to work as much as possible despite his weakening condition.

Although he had planned to continue working, he succumbed to the illness and died of AIDS related complications on Jan. 6, 1993. He was 54. Perhaps the most technically proficient and charismatic performer of all time, Rudolf Nureyev changed the perception of and raised the standard for male dancers. His brilliant legacy will live on indefinitely.

World AIDS day is Dec. 1. To get involved, visit http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/. For more information on Nureyev, visit http://www.nureyev.org/.

Origional Link: http://www.dance.com/mag/december-2009/121/rudolf-nureyev-one-of-ballet0146s-most-influential-male-dancers/4078/

As much as dancers look forward to the holidays for rest and recuperation, changes in routines and social pressures can tug at their well-established lifestyles. Food preferences, regimented meal schedules, and early bedtimes can seem impossible during the season when bountiful buffets and late night celebrations are in full swing.

 Meet three dancers with a commitment to step into 2010, rested, happy, and in great shape. They share their challenges and solutions to managing the health challenges of the holidays.

 Nikiya Palombi, 22, a film and stage dancer in Philadelphia, PA, says, “I know the decisions I make in December effect how hard I have to work in January.” Coming from a large Italian family where the kitchen is the center of socialization, Palombi has a clear strategy to offset pressures to overeat: “I ask for a doggy bag!”

 Palombi also chooses whole foods at parties and prefers to eat frequent smaller meals to manage blood sugar fluctuations. She is also conscientious about her dessert selections. Dark chocolate’s lower sugar content catches her attention.

 This year, Palombi is highly motivated to remain the same weight and body shape. Being cast in a film as a dancer demands that she looks the same when shooting reconvenes in January. She is also shopping for her wedding gown early next year!

 Although losing weight is not hard for Palombi, she prefers to put forth the effort to stay slim and fit with a less defined but effective regime. “It’s easy when I know where I stand.”

 Palombi’s Holiday Plan: Daily morning exercise. Increase water consumption. Take extra vitamins. Eat whole foods frequently.

 Nikki Holck, 20, a student of Canada’s National Ballet School, travels home to Hawaii after holiday performances. She asserts that being an aspiring professional demands she stay strong and healthy. During the season Holck prepares meals and packs food for long hours at the studio. Her dietary routine includes organic foods, small frequent meals, and limited wheat due to a sensitivity.

 “I am very specific about how I cook, what I eat, and when I eat. If I eat out of my routine, I feel tired the next day. It shows in my dancing. I know what keeps me happy and feeling amazing.”

 Breaks pose a challenge for Holck because she is less scheduled and exposed to more complicated fare. She is very attentive to her indulgences and has no qualms about saying no.

 Although she exercises regularly during breaks, it’s not the same intensity as ballet training. “I know rest is important, but I function better when I am physically active and involved in some activity.” She swims or hikes every day.

 Holck snacks on almonds, raisins, and apples instead of high sugar desserts. Eating natural foods keeps her lean and strong all year round.

 Holck’s Holiday Plan: Exercise every day. Smaller daily meals. Eat raw fruits and veggies and more proteins.

 Adrienne Bot, 14, a student at Ballet Arts Academy, Spokane WA, has a conceptualized approach. “The holidays only come once a year. I have pretty good control so I don’t worry.” She spoke with the certainty of a seasoned professional. Bot recognizes the difference between what she eats and how she performs in class. “I’m a dancer and eating right is a part of what I do. I get off the ground easier when I eat less and follow my routine plan.”

 With seven brothers and sisters and supportive parents, Bot’s holiday plan allows her to rest, have fun, and not feel deprived. “I have to try a bite of my brother’s holiday baking!”

 Bot’s Holiday Plan: Increase water consumption. Eat a salad before big meals. Eat small amounts of treats.

 Honoring this holiday season of life gives us pause to catch our breath and to gently reflect on the rest of life.

 Recommendations:

* Remember holiday parties and most social gathering will never align with your conditioned lifestyle. Family and friends may not understand your decisions. If appropriate, conversation can inform people about the various aspects of dance training. The more confident and certain you are with your decisions, the better you model strength and discipline for others.

 * Food is one aspect of social events. Creating activities around events or taking the time to get to know someone new will shift the focus toward other ways to feel satisfied.

 * Saying yes and no are conditioned responses of childhood. We believe we must please and avoid conflict, or that we could be rejected for our assertions. If you feel guilt or anger after a yes or no, then you may have given up your power of choice. Make your decisions from a point of balance. Ask yourself, What are my options?

 * End Result Visualization helps you to construct in your mind how you would like to feel after the event, before you go to the event. Decide what behaviors would create that End Result. View each event as one unit and decide accordingly.

 Ask yourself: What would I have to do to leave the event feeling happy and guilt free? Gently reflect on your purpose for attending. Is it catching up with friends, watching a movie, or baking with family? Visualize what you will do and then do it!

 * If reduced sugar desserts are important to you, then bake a flourless dark chocolate cake and bring it to the party. Hosts will appreciate the gesture and you’ll have your dessert of choice.

 * Social gatherings are important places to let your hair down, reconnect, laugh and play. Never forgo an event due to worry; look to your plan and decide where you can be a little more flexible and giving. There is always room for an adjustment. You will feel happier, more satisfied, and be stronger when you return to the studio in January with your holiday plans well accomplished.

 SIDEBAR:

Enjoy Dessert! (And other foods you love too much!)

 A mindful approach to holiday eating keeps you in charge.

1. Approach the food and literally STOP yourself; Breathe.
2. ASK yourself, “Am I hungry?” If you aren’t hungry, ask, “What do I really need?”
3. If YOU decide to eat, select something. Dole out the portion that you can ‘enjoy.’
4. Experience the food with all your senses.
5. After each small bite, put the fork down. Chew slowly. Notice the layers of taste. Listen to chewing sounds and feel the temperature changes. When food lingers in your mouth, you feel more satisfied because each bite of food is different.
6. Linger with the after taste before you eat anymore.
7. Experience the food you eat!

Origional Link: www.dance.com