For a while, many dancers and choreographers had no other outlet: The pandemic shutdowns cut them off from live audiences, so they showcased their work to online viewers on video.
One bustling summer stands between Marlana Doyle and a milestone—the 5th season for Houston Contemporary Dance Company (HCDC) and the Institute of Contemporary Dance in Houston, two organizations she founded in 2019.
Houstonians have experienced the magic of Miller Outdoor Theatre for 100 years now. What is it about this place that tugs on the heart strings, and turns shared moments into lasting memories?
It’s the start of my whirlwind tour of the Dallas Arts District. Improbably, in all the years I have lived in Houston (23) and all the time I have been an arts writer in Texas (5), I had never been to Dallas. I am here now as a first time arts tourist, eager to absorb the wonders of a new place, open to every experience that might come my way.
In 1995, South African novelist and playwright Zakes Mda wrote a book called Ways of Dying that features a character named Toloki, a professional mourner at township funerals in post-Apartheid South Africa.
PART TWO: Think about classical ballet’s signature repertoire—The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Cinderella. Each of these canonic story ballets is drawn from a European folk tale or story, and set to music by a European composer. Is it time to ask, “what other stories can ballets tell?”
Think about classical ballet’s signature repertoire—The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Cinderella. Each of these canonic story ballets is drawn from a European folk tale or story, and set to music by a European composer. Is it time to ask, “what other stories can ballets tell?”