How did some slip of a girly boy from communist East Berlin become the internationally ignored song stylist barely standing before you?
(via triplepeel)
Perhaps the best production of Porgy and Bess anyone will ever see. Totally perfect cast! Check out why here and here. I will worship Audra forEVER!
10. Merce Cunningham Dance Company - The Legacy Tour
The man was a dance icon; a legend of the modern movement. The final company was graced with a skill unlike any other in existence. As part of the final leg of a two year legacy tour, it was thrilling to see this stellar company in an evening of extremely well-produced revivals from the expansive Cunningham repertoire. It was a rare viewing of a closing chapter in modern dance.
9. Beth Ditto - I Wrote the Book
Breaking out solo this year with a hot new single that quickly turned into a club anthem, the powerhouse Gossip vocalist holds her own in my favorite song of the year. Infectious, timeless, and loads of fun.
8. Auditorium Theater - Dance for Life 20th Anniversary (Chicago) 
My first dance experience in Chicago couldn’t have been more exciting. The crowd was joyous, loving, rapturous, and the amazing local companies on the stage were knockouts: Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, River North Chicago Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Joffrey Ballet, and Ron de Jesus Dance…. It is interesting to note how many incorporate their hometown pride in the naming of their companies. It all started with Giordano, nearly 50 years ago; a testament to the unity of this wonderful community.
Making the list again this year is the hottest company in NYC! This season, Keigwin presented his first full-length work, Exit. Enticing fans with a hot video promo leading up to the event (amazing dance marketing!), the gritty performance was a deep exploration of the complexities and superficial qualities of urban nightlife and sexual flare.
6. Trey McIntyre Project w/ the Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Ma Masion
McIntyre’s choreography is rooted in classicism but with a range that breathes new life into American choreography. With equal attention to jazz sensibility and ballet technicality, his style is entirely unique, powerful, and refreshing. His latest dance theatre piece Ma Masion was a charming and thoroughly entertaining homage to the funeral parades of the French Quarter in New Orleans.
5. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet - Uneven by Cayetano Soto
The NYC debut of Spanish choreographer, Cayetano Soto, was a “wow” moment of the season. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet proves to be one of the greatest companies of a new generation with a skillful eye for pairing superbly talented emerging choreographers with thier gorgeous company of dancers. A stunning piece of contemporary ballet! More Soto, please!
Without a doubt, my favorite album of the year was Torches by Foster the People. With their breakout summer hit Pumped up Kicks, I’ve been dancing ever since. A diverse sound, playful style, and strong social messages, every song on the album is my favorite! But my FAVORITE favorite is Call It What You Want. There is more to be heard from this hot new group!
3. Roundabout Theatre Company - ANYTHING GOES on Broadway
Finally, the Roundabout Theatre Company is back! After two lackluster seasons, the company produced the most glorious musical revival in years! Susan Stroman, a master of the vintage dance musicals, brilliantly directs this energetic cast with equal detail for great dancing and great acting. Plus, incorporating Sutton Foster as a fresh-faced, sexier version Reno Sweeney was casting genius; which of course lead to yet another Tony win for Foster. In one word, this revival is PERFECTION!
2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
The blockbuster Alexander McQueen exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum was extraordinary beyond reason! Later becoming one of the top ten sell-out exhbits in the museum’s history, the show was an outer-worldly experience that left me breathless. A spectaular labyrinth of galleries showcasing each of McQueen’s uniqe and visionary styles, the show was much more than fashion. It was a penetrating journey through the brilliant and tortured psyche of one of the greatest artists of the century.
1. Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago
My new source for creative energy and inspiration, I am thrilled to have joined the staff of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, a legendary dance company on the eve of it’s 50th Anniversary Season. The company’s performance at Dance for Life and at the Harris Theatre for Music & Dance this fall were tintilating, entertaining, and raptrously beautiful. In some instances the audience would begin to cheer before a piece was about to start; a rarity I’ve only experienced before with Alvin Aliey American Dance Theatre. This company resonates with its audience in a way that is entirely unique and completely genuine through its talented dancers, its diverse repertoire, and commitment to passion, energy, and great dancing.
For a blast from the past, click here to check out the Top Ten of 2010!
“There is no more defiant a land that I can think of than AXIS. They showed me what dance could be.” - Bill T. Jones
Mayor Rham Emanuel declares MERCE CUNNINGHAM DAY in the City of Chicago on 11/18/11 as the Company returns to the Windy City for its final engagement.
Giordano dancer, Martin Ortiz Tapia, featured in the November issue of DANCE Magazine.
Photo by KJ Heath
