Rachel Straus - Dance Writer

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Juilliard Dance

 
Published: December 6, 2013
Category: review

Famed Spanish Troupe Struggles for a Stylistic Core

By Rachel Straus

Nacho Duato

MADRID–Three years ago, former Paris Opera Ballet principal dancer José Carlos Martinez took over the decidedly un-balletic national dance company of Spain (the Compañía Nacional de Danza). Back then, the Madrid-based troupe’s identity was synonymous with the works of Nacho Duato [pictured], whose two-decade leadership and ballet-meets-modern, folk-inflected […]

Published: August 7, 2013
Category: profile

Jessica Lang Dance at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival

PillowNotes

by Rachel Straus

The PillowNotes series comprises essays commissioned from our Scholars-in-Residence and others to provide audiences with a broader context for viewing dance.

When Loie Fuller’s Chinese dancers enwound/A shining web, a floating ribbon of cloth,/It seemed that a dragon of air/Had fallen among dancers, had whirled them round/Or hurried them off on […]

Published: April 18, 2013
Category: review

Nederlands Dans Theater, sans Kylián

By Rachel Straus

Nederlands Dans Theater’s brief visit (April 12-13) to the former New York State Theater was greeted with sold-out audiences and standing ovations. This was to be expected; the company hasn’t been seen in New York since 2004, and it has been much admired for its folk-inflected, ballet-meets-modern, kinetically charged romantic works by […]

Published: April 19, 2012
Category: review

Dances in Darkness

By Rachel Straus

NEW YORK – Two recent dance events spoke more of doom and gloom than the earthly delights of cherry blossoms and daffodils that have accompanied the start of springtime in New York. In Jirí Kylián’s Last Touch First, viewed April 10 at the Joyce Theater, the Czech choreographer, known for his acclaimed […]

Published: April 13, 2004
Category: review

Performance combines dance and multimedia

By Rachel Straus

Philippe Decoufle is not your typical choreographer.

The multimedia artist skyrocketed to international recognition during the opening ceremonies of the 1992 winter Olympics with his infantry of synchronized bungee-jumpers, who moved in Rockette-style precision while dressed as human snow globes.

Friday Decoufle’s “Tricodex,” a combination of dance, aerobatics and visual effects, will […]

Published: April 11, 2003
Category: review

Now, that's Chicago: Hubbard Street Dance

By Rachel Straus

Western Europe and the Midwest now have more in common, thanks to Jim Vincent, the new artistic director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, which performed Saturday at Purchase College’s Performing Arts Center.

Since taking the helm of the 25-year-old company in 2000, American-born Vincent – who speaks four languages, got his dancing […]