In the News

I remember the first time I encountered Shao-Chia Lü, in September 2010, when I attended the last four rehearsals and his inaugural pair of concerts as music director. How cleverly he programmed the first two works.

Moses Pendleton, on the other hand, has the humility and confidence to accept the existence of magic and repurpose it as his tool. In his latest work for Momix, he maneuvers the uneasiness of incredulity with earnestness and grace.

Deserts aren’t necessarily deserted — they can be crowded with fantastic flora and fauna. Moses Pendleton knows how to make theatrical deserts bloom

The French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj has been careful to clarify that his 2010 dance “And then, one thousand years of peace” is not a literal reading of the Book of Revelation. Rather, it is an impressionistic rendering of the emotions and sensations evoked by reading the New Testament’s finale.

What are the five (or any number) personal qualities you would most hope to find, instill or unlock in a young student of dance hoping for a professional career today? Before a professional career, I would want to develop the depth and voice of the artist. To embolden the vision that they see of themselves and how they want to move and be in the world.

During Compagnie Käfig’s performance at the Royal Theatre, one of nine young male dancers ripped open his shirt. The shirt opened so easily and quickly, it was surely fastened with Velcro. Certainly, there was no fumbling with buttons. At any rate, it triggered an immediate response from the woman beside me on Friday night.

King, the Georgia-born and California-raised choreographer, founded Lines Ballet in 1982 after dancing with several companies including the Dance Theater of Harlem. His awards include New York Bessie Award for Choreographer/Creator in 2005 as well as a 2005 recognition from the Kennedy Center for Master of Choreography. 

It’s all a wonder of simultaneous mastery and aspiration to witness, whether in a floor-bound ensemble piece that transforms the company into what appears to be a swarm of water-striding insects, a series of clingingly intertwined pas de deux, feverish solos or elaborate daisy chains. 

Merzouki met the 11 performers, all Brazilian and all men, in 2006 at a Lyon dance festival. It's not a stretch, of course, to link Brazilian capoeira with hip-hop, both of them rooted in the martial arts and Latin and African dance.

The celebrated Franco-Brazilian Compagnie Kafig made its Washington debut Friday at the Kennedy Center. It may be Carnival season, but this all-male company appears to dance for the sake of joy and excess energy all year. Founded in 1996 by Mourad Merzouki, a French national of North African descent, the company pivoted to another hemisphere in 2006, after Merzouki saw a Brazilian troupe perform at a dance festival in Lyon, France.