New York Times’ Daniel Krieger takes ‘dance to the air’ – with silks

Hello, terrestrial dancers! Even for the most ground-bound among us, it’s difficult not to wonder about gravity-defying aerial work, and Daniel Krieger is hardly an exception.

“After dancing on land and in the water,” Krieger writes (I want to hear more about that water business), “I was naturally ready for the next element. So I tried it in the air, which turned out to be no easy feat.”

True that.

The New York Times recently ran a sweet little piece about Krieger’s aerial adventures, something that many a floor-lover might be curious about. For anyone who’s tried it, it’s exhausting and fantastically playful, as Krieger discovers with help from Heather Hammond at Hype Gym in Manhattan. Read more here.

If you’re interested in taking classes in the Vegas area, Fern Adair Conservatory of the Arts is a great place to start. They offer classes in silks and lyra, a suspended metal hoop. Find the aerial schedule here.

And finally, to read about my own exploits in the air, find posts about my introduction to silks, an update after several months of classes, and this crazy thing called antigravity yoga, offered at Shine Alternative Fitness in Las Vegas.

Happy hanging!

My Seattle summer and a brief blogging intermission

Hello, folks. Just a quick note to explain the quieter airwaves on this end:

I got a sweet summer internship copy editing for the Seattle Times, something of a dream job (or almost-job) for nit-picky grammar nuts like myself. Fortunately, my summer internship has expanded into fall as well: if all goes as planned, I’ll be sticking around Seattle through the end of September.

I’m digging being in the Northwest and putting my journalism degree to good use, but I miss the passionate, sometimes quirky and always inspiring performing-arts scene in Vegas. I implore you: Keep in touch. Keep reading, if you like; I’ll continue updating periodically. If you’d like to get the word out about an upcoming show, give me a holler. Likely as not, I’ll give you a shout-out.

So this isn’t a last post before my blog disintegrates. Think of it as intermission. Head out to the lobby for a bit, stretch your legs, powder your nose, get some popcorn and check your phone. This blog will still be here, warming up in the wings for Act II.

NBT to bestow ‘Jewels’ upon the Smith Center Oct. 13-14

Nevada Ballet Theatre is set to begin its 2012-2013 season in bedazzling style: joined by Pacific Northwest Ballet and Ballet West, the company will perform George Balanchine’s “Jewels” at the Smith Center on October 13 and 14.

Comprising three movements, one each for emeralds, rubies and diamonds (and named accordingly), Balanchine’s work is a truly classical neo-classical piece if there ever was one. Ballet West will be taking on “Emeralds,” the first movement, with NBT undertaking “Rubies” and PNB tackling “Diamonds.”

And, to crown a show featuring three vibrant companies with a history of collaborating with one another, the performance will be set to live music. The performance will – appropriately – be set in the lovely jewel box that is Reynolds Hall.

If you’re interested in seeing the show, call the Smith Center Box Office at 702-749-2000 or click here. Season subscribers can purchase tickets now; single tickets can be purchased beginning Aug. 16. “Jewels” will be performed Saturday, October 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 14 at 1 p.m. at Reynolds Hall at the Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave. Tickets ring in at $35-$128, plus fees.

Huffington Post: ‘Dirty Dancing’ remake’s final spin

Kenny Ortega, one of the creative brains behinds the Michael Jackson movie “This Is It,” the “High School Musical” series, and the original “Dirty Dancing,” broke difficult news to some of his biggest fans. And they weren’t just fans: they composed what was, until a few days ago, the cast of a remake of “Dirty Dancing,” a truly classic dance film if there ever was one. Lionsgate had decided to postpone the project, and, for the cast and creative team alike, a new reality needed to be addressed.

Ben Toth, a vocal coach, composer and musical director, wrote a great little piece about the moment when the dancers found out they didn’t need to come to rehearsal the next day – he was a vocal coach for the film and was on hand when Ortega made the announcement – and the immediate aftermath. The biggest takeaway? Dance it out. If you’re in this business, and even if you were just informed that a dream job has evaporated, it will probably make you feel better.

For the rest of the story, visit the Huffington Post page.

TEDTalk’s ‘Quixotic’ video: Playing with dancers, aerialists and light

TEDTalks have become something of a cultural meme, seeming to be a mix of motivational speaking, new ideas and those oddly addictive cat videos. So what could go wrong when they bring dancers and aerialists into the mix? Below is a video called “Quixotic,” a lovely exploration of dance, aerial acro, theater, film, music and light. Check it out!

Traveling circus: Allison Williams on circus props in carry-ons and delighting the T.S.A.

If you’ve ever tried to get through an airport security checkpoint with an undeclared tube of toothpaste or a half-empty bottle of soda, you’re likely already familiar with the look of ire that flashes acros the Transportation Security Administration agent’s face.

What do you think happens when you pack a 25-foot trapeze setup in your carry-on bag?

The TSA might slip sticky notes with smiley-faces on them into your bag, apparently. Take it from Allison Williams, who owns a circus company and travels with her gear — including, that’s right, massive bullwhips.

Interested in reading more? Check out the delightful and insightful New York Times story!

‘Bunheads,’ a bright spot in the TV-dance-show universe?

In a television sphere with its fair share of dance dramas of sometimes questionable realism (“So You Think You Can Dance,” “Glee,” “Smash,” the short series featuring Ballet West …), Sarah Kaufman, writing for the Washington Post, has found a bright spot: “Bunheads,” a show about a Vegas showgirl teaching ballet to a gaggle of dancers in the sticks.

Kaufman picked up on little details that might rankle some (“In one scene, [Michelle] Simms [the showgirl-turned-ballet-instructor] strides across the gleaming wood floor of the ballet studio and begins energetically tutoring the kids in how to audition, while wearing her stiletto heels. Nobody wears street shoes in the studio! Imagine the scratches! Dance floors are sacred.”) All-in-all, though, the show earned two thumbs up from a writer who has seen her share of less-than-stellar television series devoted to bunheads.

Interested in watching the show? Sweet: find it on the ABC Family site!