Diaghilev days

The Ballets Russes come to town
By DEBRA CASH  |  March 19, 2009

090320_Ballet_main
LEGACY This poster for a 1916 American tour (from the Harvard Theatre Collection) will be part of a citywide Ballets Russe celebration. 


DIAGHILEV'S BALLETS RUSSES took Paris by storm in 1909, changing the face of the performing arts forever. This spring, Harvard, BU, the MFA, and Boston Ballet are all reconsidering the Ballets Russes legacy. A major Harvard symposium will includes an exhibition of rare documents and artworks, an interdisciplinary conference, Basil Twist's magical puppet version of Petrushka, and Jaime Blanc's Le sacre du printemps (April 15-17; 617.495.2445). "BALLETS RUSSES 2009" opens with an Esplanade parade and continues with a scholarly conference, films, exhibitions, musical performances, and even a fashion show (May 16-23; www.ballets-russes.com). And Boston Ballet performs classical Ballets Russes works plus Jorma Elo's new Sacre (May 14-17; 866.348.9738).

Australia's provocative CHUNKY MOVE mashes up documentary film and dance in IWant To Dance Better at Parties at the ICA (March 27-29; 617.876.4275).DANIEL MCCUSKER DANCE PROJECTS presents miniature dances and other works by Adriane Brayton, Caitlin Corbett, Edison Dupree, Phania Exavier, John Kramer, John McDonald, Nicole Pierce, and Megan Schenk at Green Street (March 27-28; 617.864.3191).

DANCE CURRENTS performs works by José Limon and Kathy Hassinger at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy March 28 and Brookline Tai Chi April 5 (617.965.1569.) The classics — Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty — come with the MOISEEV RUSSIAN CLASSICAL BALLET at the Cutler Majestic (April 3-5; 800.233.3123). LES BALLETS JAZZ DE MONTRÉAL bring works by hot choreographers Azure Barton and Mauro Bigonzetti to the ICA (April 16–19; 617.876.4275). If you loved Boston Ballet's Black & White, you'll thrill when NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER 2 comes to the Tsai Performance Center with works by Jirí Kylián and Lightfoot Leon (April 16-17; 617.482-6661).

DANCERS VIEWPOINTE 9 includes special guest Christine Dakin at Harvard's New College Theatre (April 16-18; 617.496.2222). IPSWICH MOVING COMPANY brings the surrealist Dreaming Head to the BU Dance Theatre (April 17-18; 617.358.2500).

The BOSTON CYBERARTS FESTIVAL features an "open source" version of Merce Cunningham's Loops, Elise Knudson's dance for the MIT lawn, and Dawn Kramer's multimedia Dancing with Mathematica in collaboration with the Cambridge Science Festival (April 24-26; www.bostoncyberarts.org). DANNY SWAIN DANCE COMPANY includes live music by Jane Wang at the Dance Complex in Cambridge (April 24-26; www.dannyswaindance.org). BOSTON UNIVERSITY'S DANCE THEATRE GROUP performs at the BU Dance Theatre (April 24-25; 617.358.2500). And BOSTON BALLET revives Sleeping Beauty (April 23–May 3; 866.348.9738).

Gimp, HEIDI LATSKY's work for both disabled and able-bodied dancers, is at the ICA (April 24-25; www.icaboston.org). The 50th anniversary of ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER is celebrated at the Opera House (April 28–May 3; 617.482.6661). URBANITY DANCE PROJECT mixes modern dance with the fashion runway at BU Dance Theatre (May 1-2; 617.358.2500). SIDI GOMA, Sufi dancers of African origin from India, appear at Somerville Theatre (May 2; 617.876.4275). RENAISSONICS hold a benefit at Cambridge's First Congregational Church (May 3; 617.661.3353). EIFMAN BALLET dances its version of Eugene Onegin at the Cutler Majestic (May 7-10; 800.233.3123).

AVANT GARDE COLLABORATION CO. debuts at the Lily Pad in Cambridge (May 8-17; 857.998.8200). DANCE COMPLEX faculty members Margot Parsons, Ricardo Foster Jr., Derrick Davis, Anita Havel, Danny Swain, and Rozann Kraus show their stuff in a shared concert (May 9-10; 617.547.9363). PROMETHEUS DANCE takes the ICA stage (May 15-16; 617.876.4275), and WEBER DANCE sprouts at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center (May 28-30; 617.577.1400).

  Topics: Dance , Entertainment, Harvard University, Basil Twist,  More more >
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