Kategorie: Dance

dancer, professional dancer, contemporary dance, modern dance

How do you write down a dance?

Interview with Birgit Deharde, a freelance Choreologist and expert in Benesh Movement Notation

Why do we need Movement Notation?

Similar to music, dance needs to be written down, but unlike music, dance is a fleeting art. It has taken until the 20th century to find a tool to record dance notations and preserve these choreographies. It was Rudolf Benesh who created a tool for human movement notations in 1955 and defined choreology as „The aesthetic and scientific study of all forms of human movement by movement notation“.

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The Quantum Ballerina

Congratulations to Merritt Moore for Making FORBES „30 under30“

WOW! What an achievement. Not only has Merritt Moore made it onto the Forbes list this year, but she is also the one and only active ballerina with a PhD in quantum physics from Oxford University!

Merritt shared her secrets as a physicist on pointe – “I really do think it’s made me a better dancer to have done physics and a better physicist to have done dance. You need the creative brain in the lab to think of new ideas, and you need the analytic brain in the dance studio to figure out your center of mass.”

I was lucky to get an interview with her. So enjoy these five questions for the Quantum Ballerina!

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Contemporary Dance at it‘s best!

A Sydney Dance Company Rehearsal

I was lucky to watch a rehearsal at Sydney Dance Company, one of the world‘s strongest forces in contemporary dance. It was the first run after the summer break, prior to starting their tour to South America.

I immediately noticed the amazing diversity of dancers. One young, tall, lean dancer in particular caught my attention during the warm up, doing such incredible stretches it seemed he had no bones at all.

Weiterlesen „Contemporary Dance at it‘s best!“

Weihnachtsgeschenke in letzter Minute

Bücher über Ballett, die es wert sind zu lesen!

Nachdem ich den englischsprachigen Blog „5 Christmas gifts for Ballet lovers“ – https://ballettloversblog.com/2017/11/30/5-christmas-gift-ideas-for-ballet-lovers/- geschrieben habe, wurde ich vielfach gefragt, welche deutschen Bücher ich BallettliebhaberInnen empfehlen kann.

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5 Christmas gift ideas for Ballet lovers!

It’s only 25 days until Christmas – but there is still enough time to think about Christmas gifts!

Here are my top suggestions for all ballet lovers:

 

Theatre tickets

Invite your ballet loving friend to join you for a live ballet performance and top of the evening with a nice glass of champagne. There’s nothing better than some festive bubbles to enliven your discussion of the performance. The Nutcracker or Swan Lake are perfect ballet choices to get you both in the Christmas mood.

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Spucks Nussknacker, der tief berührt und doch amüsiert!

Nussknacker und Mausekönig – Die einzigartige Neuinterpretation von Ballettdirektor Christian Spuck feierte am 14. Oktober 2017 premiere. Ab 29. Februar 2020 tanzt das Ballett Zürich sie wieder.

Warum Ballettliebhaber Spuck’s Nussknacker und Mausekönig sehen sollten?

Ein brilliant erzähltes Handlungsballett virtuos getanzt!  
Christian Spuck beweist wieder einmal, dass er ein exzellenter Geschichtenerzähler ist. Sein besonderer Clou: Die Vorgeschichte der Originalversion von E.T.A. Hoffmann wird in den Ballettklassiker integriert. Aus der gewohnten einfältigen, wenn auch geliebten Nummernrevue wird ein Thriller, der einen von der ersten bis zur letzten Sekunde fesselt. Mit tollem Tanz – ohne jeden Kitsch und Ballast – präsentieren Christian Spuck und sein Team eine grotesk düstere Handlung.

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Knackt das Ballett Zürich den Nussknacker?

Interview mit Christian Spuck über das neue Ballett NUSSKNACKER UND MAUSEKÖNIG am Opernhaus Zürich

Der NUSSKNACKER ist DAS weltberühmteste Weihnachtsballett. Warum braucht es eine Neuinszenierung?

Meine Neuinszenierung basiert auf der Original-Nouvelle von E.T.A. Hoffmann. Mich faszinierte die Idee, die Geschichte der Prinzessin Pirlipat wieder in das Ballett zu integrieren. Da lassen sich dann all die schrägen Theaterregister mit viel Ironie und Humor ziehen.

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TOP 10 Best Prima Ballerinas

Who is my favorite ballerina?

My friends often ask me about my favourite ballerina. As I have been a ballet lover for decades, it is quite difficult to answer this question, given the amount of ballerinas I have seen perform. All dancers have different strengths and weaknesses; Rudolf Nurejew, for example, while a presence onstage and reknowned as the best dancer of the 20th century, would not be considered extremely talented by todays standards. I will also not be mentioning excellent prima ballerinas who have passed their prime, such as Sylvie Gulliem and Darcy Bursell.

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Back to the barre, Tara!

Premier of Dance Academy: The Movie on 6. April 2017

I can’t wait to watch this movie – though being over 20, I probably shouldn’t be this passionate for an Australian teen drama about love, relationships and careers. But there are two understandable reasons: I love Sydney, so I enjoy the setting and scenery of Walsh Bay, Harbour Bridge and the beaches. Secondly, I adore the dance scenes which feature all the highlights of classical ballet and comtemporary dance.

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TOP Ballet SWAN LAKE interpretations

What is YOUR favorite?

If you want to see the ballet SWAN LAKE, better check first what interpretation will be shown. There are so many different versions. Almost every choreographer has done his own ballet. It is up to you. Watch youtube-Videos and accompanying descriptions.

Weiterlesen „TOP Ballet SWAN LAKE interpretations“