BY ED BRUCE edbrucevegas@yahoo.com
UNLV annualy puts together a schedule of extraordinary performances of the top cultural arts events in the world...this season no different.
The Vanda Masters Series Saturday certainly topped its own history with COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET.....this an offspring of Alvin Ailey dance New York.
It is world class first rate stuff....with Dwight Rhodes and Desmond Richardson founding artistic directors...modern dance with mechanics from the classics.
Richardson was here to dance and rates among the worlds best....I THOUGHT SO ON THIS NIGHT...what a body....what speed...what expression...what timing....it is always grest to see people perform who are truly exception at what they do....this the message sent here. With Richardsons influence present...the 14 dancers exhibited this high level of energy and expression.
The company brought their own sound board (most of the music too loud and not classical enough for me) high tech lighting for the still great Ham Hall on UNLV campus....everything works on this stage and I pray these events will continue.
Maybe 200 on this night...lots of competition as always in Las Vegas with the strip and UNLV-BOISE STATE football...the arts need our support.
The program like all started late and included two too many intermissions...Richardson danced.... SOLO....as the title implies with choreography from Rhoden....this piece the example of all the postives I mentioned about Richardson...actually too brief.
The entire company concluded with RISE....also choreographed by Rhoden who did the entire program...high speed mechanics in perfect red costumes for a great finale.
I LOVE THE DANCE.
Next in the UNLV series Ingrid Fliter, Piano....Julian Schwarz, Cello November 22 at 8 pm at Ham....count me in...702 895 2787 for you...support the arts !
98 A+
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1 comment:
I have been reading you blogs for the past few months. and it seems to me, you really have no understanding about the arts. You seem to keep comparing apples, to oranges, to lemons, to watermelons.
How can you compare Classical ballet, to Modern Dance to Contemporary Dance to Irish Stepping, and judge it by Sammy Davis Jr.
But first off lets just get the intermission thing out of the way, so you can understand the reason behind it. For as long as the fine arts has been in existence organizations have always had intermissions at their performances because the dancers or singer or actor need to change their costumes fix their hair, take a moment to breathe.
There is also set changes and lighting changes. setting of props. The normal intermission is 15 minutes in classical ballet and Opera and Broadway it can go to 20 depending on how elaborate the set is and how long it takes a ballerina to get into a corset or costume. A Opera singer in to her next costume etc etc.
There are some organizations that go with a 10 minute intermission rarely will you see a five min intermission.
Also it's for you the patron as well to go get a drink or snack from the concession stand or go to the bathroom. So can you please stop writing about how long intermissions are it's pointless.
Now lets go to the grading system you use. It really is rude to grade performances like you are grading a third grade paper A b+ C- really? What it shows is that you have no real concept about the arts and it shows a lack of writing skills, when you have to have the same formula and use it for every piece you write.
People will probably take you more seriously if you actually do a interview with a director or dancer or artist before hand, so you know what it is your going to see and what to expect. Then you can be more informed about the piece of work or ballet that you are going to see.
We all understand that it is one persons opinion, but if your going to claim to be a writer then know how to inform people, so they can see your point of view not just whether you like something or not. have the basic knowledge about what it is that your writing about and please stop (JUDGING) especially judging when your suppose to be giving constructive, well informed criticism on each individual performance. Not comparing a performance you just saw to a performance you saw over 20 years ago if not longer of Sammy Davis Jr.
Although he was a great entertainer and he has a place in history. He was not the only pioneer and you cant judge a company off a man who has been dead for over 21 years. Advice LET IT GO!! I hope to see more interesting things to read about other than long intermissions and a grading system and if the performance was late. get the story behind what you don't understand before you say you don't like something. Then I as a reader will feel more confident in what it is you are passionate about.
Sincerely and with the upmost respect,
A fellow reader.
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