I've been your Guide to Gotham for eight years as of this writing, and I'm back with another annual update on the goings-on not only in the dance world but in the city in general. The most impressive news of recent months came from a ground-breaking study called "The Economic Activity of Dance in New York City," commissioned by Dance/NYC.  Results showed that dance had a whopping $415.72 million dollar yearly impact on the New York City economy, with the public buying over a million tickets to dance events and another quarter million attending dance classes, dance lecture demonstrations, in-school programs, and residencies. Kate Levin, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, while noting that the effect of the arts "cannot be reduced to spreadsheets," nonetheless acknowledged that "if the cultural field is to communicate its unique and essential influence on the city's growth and quality of life, then we must. . .develop methodologies to quantity that influence." She concluded by saying, "To that end, Dance/NYC has produced a milestone."

Indeed it has. How nice to have statistics showing that all those plies and time steps and tilts and switch leaps add up to a substantial amount of money in the coffers of the city so often referred to as the Dance Capitol of the World. 

Speaking of milestones, there have been several important anniversaries celebrated here in the past year along with numerous notable news events. Here they are, in chronological order:

Mme. Nathalie Gleboff Retires from
the School of American Ballet
Spring, 2004

Mme. Gleboff joined the administrative staff of the School of American Ballet in the 1960's when George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirsten, with the help of Ford Foundation grants, were reinventing the school as a true professional training ground for students from all over the country and the world. Over forty years later, after having risen to the post of Executive Director, she stepped down in the spring of 2004 amid accolades and fond farewells from students and alums. As an article in the SAB newsletter put it, "She will be sorely missed."  A cliché, but in this case so very true!

Times Square, 100th Anniversary
April 8th, 2004

At the turn of the 20th Century, a New York City neighborhood in decline called Long Acre Square was the unlikely predecessor of what has come to be called the Crossroads of the World. The place was officially renamed Times Square when the New York Times built the offices for the newspaper there. A hundred years later, the intersection of 42nd Street and Broadway is the hub of the theater district, and the site of the annual New Year's Eve event that draws an estimated half million people every year and fascinates millions more who watch the ball drop on television.  The Times Square Centennial was celebrated with street festivals and performances throughout the year. But then, Times Square is always a celebration -- day and night every year and all year long!

I missed the gala celebration of BDC's 20th anniversary, but CEO Allison Ellner gave me a video of the event. An amazing roster of dance luminaries was there, including Finis Jhung, Frank Hatchett, and David Howard. Video clips of the late Richard Ellner, Allison's father and the founder of BDC, add a touching and memorable note to the occasion. Also, in a beautifully written history of BDC on the studio's web site, Allison pays tribute to her father and offers a fascinating account of the evolution of the big studios in New York City. (I touched on this subject myself in April of 1997.)

Warm congratulations to BDC. Keep up the good work so that we can all keep dancing!

Harkness Dance Center of the 92nd St. Y,
130th Anniversary and a New Director
May 24th, 2004

A gala performance marked the 130th anniversary of the place Agnes de Mille once called "the veritable cradle of modern dance." Then in August, after 13 years at the helm of Dance Center at the Y, Joan Finkelstein moved on to the post of Dance Director in the Office of Arts and Special Projects at the New York City Department of Education. During her tenure at the Y, she brought the center back to its former glory with free performances and other innovations. In her new job, she is spear-heading the creation of the innovative "Dance Blueprint" for dance education in the city's public schools.  Joan's successor at the Y is Renata Celichowska, a dancer, choreographer and author who taught most recently at New York University.

A personal wave to Joan, who was the director while I was on the faculty of the Harkness Dance Center: Congratulations on your current post as well as deep appreciation for all that you did for the Y!

"Fall for Dance Festival" at City Center
September 28th - October 3rd, 2004

Last fall, New York dance lovers were able to see top notch dance performances for about the price of a movie ticket. Every seat for every performance at City Center's "Fall for Dance Festival" went for a mere $10. (Yes, that's how much a movie ticket goes for in NYC!) In addition, ticket holders got a New York Dance Card that entitled them to at least a 10% discount, if not an even steeper one, to participating venues throughout the city for dance performances. Not only that, but the public atrium between 55th and 56th Streets near the theater was turned into a "Festival Lounge" with donated furnishings. It was open from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. every evening of the festival for drinks, snacks, and convivial conversation about the performances. The idea behind all of this was to create a new generation of dance devotees in the city while also giving long-time aficionados a chance to see their favorites at an affordable price. Every performance was sold out, and a good time was had by all! Here's the lists of the dance companies that participated:

Dance Theatre of Harlem, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, STREB, Trisha Brown Dance Company, PEARSONWIDRIG DANCETHEATER, Martha Graham Dance Company, Ballet Hispanico, Noche Flamenca, Boston Ballet, Susan Marshall and Company, American Ballet Theatre, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Garth Fagan Dance, Peter Boal, Parul Shah & Dancers, David Neumann, Rubberbandance Group, Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group, Eiko and Koma, Yin Mei Dance, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, Desmond Richardson, Rennie Harris Puremovement, Tamango & Roxane Butterfly, Batoto Yetu, Big Dance Theater, PARADIGM, Sidi Goma and LAVA.

"Fall for Dance" promises to become an annual event at City Center. Put it on your agenda if you'll be in NYC in September and October of 2005!

John Rockwell Appointed Chief Dance Critic
at The New York Times 
October 15th, 2004

The jury is still out on whether or not John Rockwell was the right choice to succeed Anna Kisselgoff as chief dance critic of the New York Times. Kisselgoff, who started at the paper in 1968 and held the post of chief dance critic from 1977 to 2005, continues to write occasional reviews for the paper. Rockwell has been with the paper since 1972, serving variously as chief rock critic, classical music critic, European cultural correspondent, and Arts & Leisure editor. He was also the first director of the Lincoln Center Festival.

I have found Rockwell's reviews and essays thus far to be much less well-informed than Kiseelgoff's, or for that matter than those of Jennifer Dunning and Jack Anderson. For example, in a review of Susan Stroman's "Double Feature," which I discussed in my March 2004 Update, Rockwell wrote simply that "even the child dancers are good" -- not exactly trenchant dance criticism -- and then he went on to get all excited about the unremarkable fact that 12-year-old Tara Sorine was "made up to look like" the adult ballerina playing her mother.

Also, regarding the plot of the ballet, Rockwell wrote: "The trouble is, every key dramatic moment is interrupted by a long dance in the ballet idiom." Excuse me, Mr. Rockwell (and I do hope you're reading this), but you were reviewing a story ballet -- a story ballet in the tradition of  "Swan Lake," "The Nutcracker," "Sleeping Beauty," and all the rest. I'm mystified by your assertion that ballet dancing "interrupts " a ballet!

Stranger still, in an essay about the New York City Ballet entitled "Today It's Dance 10, Looks 3," Rockwell wrote: "But some of the company's biggest female stars now are spectacular dancers without being spectacular beauties. Is it merely sexist to lament that the current roster is not 'a company of beautiful girl dancers?'. . .Surely the beauty of so many great. . . Balanchine dancers (Vera Zorina, Tanaquil LeClerc, Diana Adams, Patricia McBride, Allegra Kent, Gelsey Kirkland and Ms. Farrell, to name just a few) gave them an image that reached beyond their excellence as dancers. . . City Ballet might try cultivating a few more gorgeous hothouse flowers like those that graced its stage in decades gone by." For one thing, the current company does indeed have plenty of "gorgeous hothouse flowers" including Jenifer Ringer (who was once dubbed "Vivien Leigh in pointe shoes"), Janie Taylor, Alexandra Ansinelli, Maria Kowrowski, and Ashley Bouder, to mention only those who come immediately to mind. But far more important, is Rockwell's focus on the ballerinas' looks worthy of the chief dance critic of the New York Times, arguably the most exalted post of its kind in the country? I obviously don't think so. I'll give Rockwell a few more months on the job and then I'll report back here to see whether he's managed to become any more knowledgeable or any more profound. I also wonder whether he'll become, in answer to his own rhetorical question, less "sexist."  

The First Season of "Jazz at Lincoln Center"
October 21-November 5th

In my March 2004 update, I mentioned that the new Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle (West 59th Street) would house the new facility called Jazz at Lincoln Center. JALC opened its doors and presented a premiere season in October and November of 2004 entitled "Welcome." The facility has been specifically designed for the acoustics of jazz and includes a 100,000 square foot performing arts complex that can accommodate dance, theater, opera, and, music. The three main stage performance spaces are The Allen Room, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and Rose Theater. The very first dance offering at JALC, "Jazz in Motion," was accompanied by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and ran from November 3 through 5th 2004 with performances by the New York City Ballet, Garth Fagan Dance, Savion Glover, and STREB in collaboration with Joe Chambers and his Percussion Ensemble. A Jazz Talk by the program’s choreographers preceded the series.

Many more dance events will be scheduled for seasons to come. Put JALC on your must-see list when you visit the Big Apple!
 

New York City Subway, 100th Anniversary
October 27th, 2004

New York City's underground rapid transit system began operating a century ago and it remains one of the 20th Century's most remarkable feats of engineering. True, many of the switches and other aspects of the system are in dire need of refurbishing or replacement, but somehow the trains snake along under the city day and night, transporting millions of straphangers to their destinations. (We still call ourselves "straphangers" even though the straps are long gone.)

To kick off the centennial celebration, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg -- who actually does ride the subway daily despite his wealth and status -- and Gov. George E. Pataki rode around town in a restored subway train dating from 1917. There were several other restored trains pressed back into service throughout the year. I rode on one by chance one day when I was taking the Shuttle from Times Square to Grand Central. Like all the other commuters, I was startled at first when I boarded what turned out to be a car of 1948 vintage with its brown leather seats and, yes, straps intact. Even the original ads were still up, including one for the "Miss Subways" contest. When we all figured out what was going on, we started chatting and pointing out the ads to one another. A wonderful New York moment!
 

Alvin Ailey School and Company Move to Impressive New Headquarters
November, 2004

Back in October of 2002, Ailey students danced down Ninth Avenue in flowing white dresses to the groundbreaking ceremony for what was to be the new home of Ailey company and school, the Joan Weill Center for Dance. Now that home is a reality. It's a grand structure of steel and glass on Ninth Avenue and 55th Street, the largest dance facility in the United States with 77,000 square feet on eight floors. There are 12 spacious and well-appointed studios and a performance space. The floors are all sprung, there are floor-to-ceiling windows, and the acoustics are excellent. There is also a physical therapy room with a whirlpool, barre, Pilates exercise equipment and a treadmill, and a media center where dancers can watch videos of dances. The company's Artistic Director, Judith Jamison, was quoted in the New York Times as saying that if Ailey were looking down at his company's new home, he would laugh ''from sheer joy and from the impossibility of the art that makes all things possible.'' She added, ''I think I can hear him laughing now.''

MoMA Back from Queens
November 20th

After two and half years in a temporary location in Queens, the Museum of Modern Art in back home in Manhattan on 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue in a magnificent new building expanded and redesigned by architect Yoshio Taniguchi. A grand lobby now connects 53rd Street and 54th Street, and an atrium soars 110 feet above street level. Glass walls allow unobstructed views of the Sculpture Garden which will once again be the site of free concerts on summer evenings. There are also numerous new galleries, plus a cafe that feels like a scene out of Star Wars and serves gourmet fare. The entrance fee is $20, but well worth it. Those with valid student ID's get a discount. Don't miss the MoMA when you're in town!

George Balanchine's first production of the "Nutcracker" did not take place during the holidays. It opened in February of 1954 at City Center, then the home of the New York City Ballet. Vanessa Laws, a member of my company, was trained at the Bolshoi and she tells me that in Russia they do the "Nutcracker" any old time of year just as they do any other ballet, so that may have been Mr. B's thinking. Still, even people who know nothing else  about dance in America now know that the "Nutcracker" has become a holiday tradition all over the country. Actually Balanchine's "Nutcracker was not the first in America. On Christmas Eve in 1944, the San Francisco Ballet premiered William Christensen's "Nutcracker." Even so, the 50th anniversary of the Balanchine "Nutcracker" is a momentous occasion, and the company received rave reviews throughout the season.  

Maybe, like many ballet dancers, you're weary of doing the "Nutcracker" back home -- but don't miss the chance to see the Balanchine production if you're in NYC during the 2005-2006 season! The special effects alone are worth the price of admission, and this is a piece of dance history that you'll be glad you've experienced.

Dance Theatre of Harlem School, Back from the Brink
December 1st, 2004

On October 17th, 2004, the New York dance world was saddened but not shocked to hear that the Dance Theater of Harlem School, founded by Arthur Mitchell in 1969, was closing.  The school and company had been struggling financially for some time. Then on December 1st, with $1.6 million in donations -- nearly a third of which is said to be from Mayor Bloomberg -- the school reopened. New board members have been recruited, and Laveen Naidu, who had been the director of the school, has been named Executive Director. In an interview in the New York Times, he said that his duties involve overseeing the company's finances and fund-raising. Mr. Mitchell remains the company's Artistic Director. From all reports, the new arrangement is going well, and both the school and the company are no longer in danger of extinction. Applause, applause!

Steps on Broadway, 25th Anniversary
Saturday, December 11th, 2004

As former members of the faculty of The School at Steps, my daughter, Stacey Forsyth Mahan, and I were privileged to attend the Steps 25th Anniversary Party. Founder and Artistic Director Carol Paumgarten transformed Landmark on the Park, an enormous church on the corner of 76th and Central Park West, into a performance space, a museum of Steps history, and a welcoming place to mingle with colleagues and friends from over the years. The invitation promised "guest performances, cocktails, buffet, and dancing" and requested "seasonally festive attire." The attendees complied with the fashion request with great style -- lots of red velvet and sparkly jewelry and other head-turning outfits were on view -- and the first promise was gratifyingly fulfilled with performances by Buglisi/Foreman Dance; Desmond Richardson, formerly of ABT and "Movin' Out"; Matt Williams, a tap teacher at the School at Steps and his little prodigy of a student, Kellyanna Polk;  Gerd Tord of "Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo; and Marianna Parma and Carlos Acuna of "La Yumba." The rest of the promises were fulfilled with good food and drink, and with improvised dancing by just about everybody at the party following the meal and performances. As you might imagine, the dancing was as much fun to watch as to do!

Also, throughout the evening there were many special moments when living legends of the dance world reconnected and reminisced. At one point, David Howard, Wilhelm Burmann and Nancy Bielski, calling themselves "The Three Musketeers," presented Carol Paumgarten with a congratulatory plaque that now hangs in the main lobby of the studio. Beyond that, I'm sure I wasn't alone when I got teary-eyed during Carol's heart-felt speech about the humble beginnings and phenomenal growth of Steps over the years. On a personal note, one of the large blown-up photographs that lined the walls was of Stacey's students. When she saw it she gasped and said, "Oh, I feel important. I mean, young and important! I'm here with people like David Howard who are already in dance history books!" Awww.

Congratulations, Carol. Here's to an even grander future for the studio that started small but has gone on to become a pre-eminent place for classes for all ages, all levels, and all dance disciplines. Brava!

"Classical Savion" at the Joyce Theater
January 16th-January 23rd

Tap dance legend Sauvion Glover, now 31, made his debut at the age of 12 as "The Tap Dance Kid" and went on to star in the Broadway show "Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk." He returned to the Joyce theatre in January with a program set to classical music by such composers as Vivaldi, Bach, Bartok, and Mendelssohn. In an interview with Sylvanie Gold of The New York Times, he said: ''From my generation, I don't know too many dudes who are listening to or would know about classical music. . . But I feel this is something that needs to be done.'' A cyber high five from me for that statement!

Paul Taylor, 50th Anniversary
March 1st-20th, 2005 

Paul Taylor is a modern dance pioneer who has endured and evolved over the last half century, immeasurably enriching the dance idiom and delighting audiences around the world. In March of 2005, after a highly acclaimed tour of all 50 states, he will bring his company home to New York City for a three-week "Season of Solid Gold" at City Center. He has chosen his 17 all-time favorite dances from his repertory of over 120 works, including "3 Epitaphs" (1956), and "Promethean Fire" (2002). Mr. Taylor will also present two New York premieres, "Dante Variations" and "Klezmerbluegrass." On the final Sunday of the season, Taylor dancers from every decade since the 1950's will participate in a panel discussion before the performance. If you're here during March, don't miss this chance to attend the panel and to see performances of the very best works of one of the very best American choreographers by some of America's very best dancers.
 

 
That wraps up my news for the past year. As I write this, snow is falling outside my window and I'm planning to indulge in the grand New York tradition of "ordering in" dinner rather bothering to cook or to bundle up and venture out to a restaurant. However, very soon the snow will give way to warm weather and with it the annual influx of dancers during spring break. If you plan to be among them, have a look at my newly updated list of places to stay in NYC. And if you happen to recognize me in class or around town, be sure to say hello!

Coming full circle, let me share with you a quote that adds weight to Kate Levin's statement in the beginning of this column that the effect of the arts "cannot be reduced to spreadsheets."

All the ills of mankind,
All the tragic misfortunes that fill the history books,
All the political blunders,
All the failures of the great leaders,
Have arisen merely from a lack of skill at dancing.
             --from a Molière play

Sondra