Ballet in NYC: Complexions Contemporary Ballet at the Joyce Theater

January 21, 2020January 21, 2020 arts-NY 1 Comment

Ballet in NYC: Complexions Contemporary Ballet at the Joyce Theater

Complexions Contemporary Ballet presents three dynamic programs for its 26th season at The Joyce Theater from January 21-February 2, 2020

Scene from Bach 25 by Complexions Contemporary Ballet — Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Bach 25; photo credit Sharen Bradford

Under the artistic direction of Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, the company presents three dynamic programs over two weeks combining new and already established works. Filled with a roster of some of the most diverse and exciting young stars, Complexions fills the Joyce Theater stage with their signature style of athleticism, virtuosity, and passion.

In the first week’s program (Program A), Complexions will present the world premiere of “Love Rocks” a full-company ballet set to works by the iconic GRAMMY Award-winning singer and songwriter, Lenny Kravitz. Inspired by his vision and eclectic musicianship, this piece will follow Kravitz’s musical exploration where his lush melodies and retro musical style lay a foundation for passionate storytelling through edgy, athletic and theatrical movement as we examine our humanity and its vulnerability.

Returning this season due to popular demand is “BACH 25.” Set to the music of Johann Sebastian and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the work features the full company in continuous movement to the Baroque composers’ dramatic compositions. A festive, athletic, neo-classical work in the signature style of Complexions; this romantic, playful, and intensely physical piece celebrates the union of music and movement.

Shanna Irwin, Jared Brunson in Bach 25; photo credit Sharen Bradford

In the second week (Program B), the company will reprise “WOKE,” a physical reaction to the daily news. A bold and dynamic socially conscious one-act ballet featuring the full company that examines our humanity in conjunction with today’s political climate. Set to an eclectic musical track that runs the gamut from electronica to rap, this work is inspired by the enlightened awareness and challenging moral compass of today’s generation. “BACH 25” will also be a part of this program.

All matinee programs (Matinee) will feature “Love Rocks” and “Essential Parts,” a compilation of audience favorites spanning the 26-year history of the company along with a new world premiere solo. Highlights will include excerpts from classics such as “Rise” featuring the music of U2 (2008), and “Choke”(2006) among other audience favorites.

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Music in NYC: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra & Vadim Gluzman, Violin at Carnegie Hall

January 16, 2020January 20, 2020 arts-NY 1 Comment

Music in NYC: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra & Vadim Gluzman, Violin at Carnegie Hall

World premiere arrangement for chamber orchestra of Tchaikovsky’s beloved collection of piano vignettes The Seasons and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons will be performed at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, January 25, 7PM

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; Violinist Vadim Gluzman — Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, photo credit Neda Navaee; Violinist Vadim Gluzman, photo credit Marco Borggreve

Jessie Montgomery and Jannina Norpoth’s world premiere arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s endearing collection of piano miniatures The Seasons is paired with Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, performed by violinist Vadim Gluzman with the insight and warmth that make him one of Orpheus’ favorite collaborators.

Program:

TCHAIKOVSKY arr. Jessie Montgomery and Jannina Norpoth: The Seasons, Op. 37a

VIVALDI: The Four Seasons

Tickets start at $25 | Student tickets are $15 | Groups of 8 or more save 25%

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Art in NYC: Hans Haacke at the New Museum

November 30, 2019November 30, 2019 arts-NY 1 Comment

Art in NYC: Hans Haacke at the New Museum

Hans Haacke: All Connected, an exhibition of artworks from the 1960s to the present is on view at the New Museum until January 26, 2020

Hans Haacke, Gift Horse, 2014. Commissioned by the Mayor of London’s Fourth Plinth Program. © Hans Haacke / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Courtesy the artist and Paula Cooper Gallery, New York. Photo: Gautier Deblonde

A retrospective of works by conceptual artist Hans Haacke at the New Museum is the first major survey of the artist’s works in 30 years. It presents the artist’s oeuvre from the 1960s to the present.

Renown in the art world for his interest in the systems, from mechanical to environmental to social, Haacke’s explorations in the field of investigative art made a splashy headlines in 1971 when his exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum was canceled because it included Shapolsky et al Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, a Real-Time Social System which probed the real estate dealings of the landlords of Manhattan’s slums. This time Shapolsky et al is on view at the New Museum.

The exhibition also includes Haacke’s kinetic and mechanical art which was created at the start of his career in Germany in the early 1960s. It progresses throughout the years to the recent Make Mar-a-Lago Great Again arrangement from 2019.

Spread over the four floors and the lobby, there are loaded installations that cover such topics as the troubled corporate sponsorship of the arts, the duplicity of business culture, and the societal biases in how the public values and appreciates the art. Haacke’s famous entry for the Fourth Plinth project was Gift Horse, 2014. Conceived in 1998, the project selects artwork for a temporary exhibition on the unoccupied corner on the Trafalgar Square in London. A tribute to Scottish economist Adam Smith, the bronze skeleton of the thoroughbred with the electronic ribbon which displayed the ticker feed from the London Stock exchange (for the exhibit at the New Museum it displays a feed from the New York Stock exchange) was commissioned by the Mayor of London to stand alongside the permanent sculptures of King George IV and the two generals Henry Havelock and Charles James Napier.

The exhibition is a strong reminder about the societal disharmonies of the past and current times. Stroll through the galleries, ponder over the peculiar physics of wave formation or condensation process which are the subjects of Haacke’s early period, participate in the museum visiter’s survey as a participatory piece of art, and get deep into an uneasy relationship between the business and the art.

Hans Haacke: All Connected exhibit is on view at the New Museum from October 24, 2019 – January 26, 2020.

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Beyond NYC: Mark Dion Follies at Storm King Art Center

September 20, 2019September 20, 2019 arts-NY 1 Comment

Beyond NYC: Mark Dion Follies at Storm King Art Center

Storm King Art Center presents a survey of works by an American conceptual artist Mark Dion titled Follies; on view until November 11, 2019

Mark Dion, Hunting Blind (The Dandy Rococo), 2008/2019; photo by Jeffrey Jenkins / Courtesy the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York/Los Angeles

The rolling hills and wooded greenery of the Storm King Art Center make a perfect site to display the architectural follies created by the conceptual artists Mark Dion. Known for his scientific installations and exploration into momentous obsessions, Dion’s follies which are presented as self-contained thematic stations, can be found on the vest outdoor grounds of the park and at its museum galleries.

The peculiar structures by Dion are situated around the North Woods, Meadows, and South fields sections of the park. They fit so perfectly to the surrounding nature that they require some effort to be found. Rewarding those who are brave enough to venture into the woods and to the far parts of the center, the art tells stories about various traits of human behavior and life circumstances. Some of the installations are created for interactive use. Others can only be observed from afar. But a unifying theme for the art is its gentle nudge to look at the conventional objects in a new light as symbols and symptoms of affection.

Mark Dion, Dana Sherwood, Conservatory for Confectionery Curiosities, 2008/2019; photo by Jeffrey Jenkins / Courtesy the artists and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York/Los Angeles

The 9 pieces positioned outdoors explore a human interest in nature, environments, scientific observation, and even confectionary temptation. The works housed indoors closely scrutinize the dark sides of life choices. Both mellow and sharp, the artworks emphasize the disruptive nature of even simple action. The exhibition review in the FT notes that “hunting, finding, collecting, measuring, preserving — these activities common to art, sport and science merge in Dion’s work”. This kaleidoscope of objects makes a parallel to the prior centuries personal collections of curiosities. It fascinates and makes one pause to rethink humans’ relationship with the environment. Look around, contemplate, and wonder about a way to bring more harmony into everyday life. Visit the Storm King Art Center and enjoy Mark Dion: Follies exhibit!

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Theater in NYC: Bunin / Berberova – In Paris / The Waiter and the Slut

November 24, 2019November 24, 2019 arts-NY 1 Comment

Theater in NYC: Bunin / Berberova – In Paris / The Waiter and the Slut

RETURNING for an ENCORE RUN in DECEMBER, 2019

The Russian Arts Theater & Studio presents an elegant and subtle parable of the life in exile based on Ivan Bunin’s and Nina Berbersova’s stories; at Pushkin Hall from December 18 – 28, 2019

Theater poster for Bunin/Berberova: In Paris / The Waiter and the Slut / Image courtesy of The Russian Arts Theater & Studio

This summer, The Russian Arts Theater and Studio presents two gripping love stories by Russian émigré writers: Nobel Prize winner Ivan Bunin and the provocative Nina Berberova.

Driven to exile following the revolution, former Russian aristocrats now find themselves isolated as new immigrants in Paris. Their new lives are spent battling sickness, searching for affordable apartments and waiting in pawn shops. Ivan Bunin’s In Paris tells the brief and bittersweet story about the encounter of an ex-general of the old imperial army and Olga Alexandrovna, a young woman now working as a waitress in a Russian restaurant. Upon a chance meeting, they momentarily find a sense of home in each other’s arms. In Nina Berberova’s raw and searing The Waiter And The Slut, Tania, the daughter of a St. Petersburg big-shot, now finds herself in Paris, where her husband dies in a mental hospital and she is reduced to surviving on meals paid for by male admirers. As she ages, her admirers grow more grotesque, and she soon finds herself trapped in a devastating affair with a waiter—a man she soon grows to hate.

Directed by Aleksey Burago, the company’s artistic director, with the set design by Natalia Danilova, the production skillfully incorporates Edith Piaf’s songs and vintage film rolls and photographs of Paris in the 1930s to set the mood for a seemingly simple yet deeply disturbing tales. The choice of contrasting colors for the stage decor, airy and light for In Paris and gloomy and dark for The Waiter and the Slut, accentuates the pain and desperation. The nuanced read of Berberova’s prose by the director leaves aside the extreme misery of the characters’ situation which could make an opening for another play. Genuine acting by the cast of Roman Freud, Luisa Menzen, Tom Schubert, and Di Zhu keeps the spectators on edge and delivers a terrific theater night for every theater and literature lover!

Directed by Aleksey Burago

Based on the short stories of Ivan Bunin and Nina Berberova; performed in English

Adapted by Fred Pezzulli

Set Design by Natalia Danilova

Featuring: Roman Freud, Luisa Menzen, Tom Schubert & Di Zhu

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Dates: December 18 – 28, 2019

Venue: Pushkin Hall, 165 W 86th St, New York, NY 10024

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Category: Blog post