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Mon, Aug 23, 2010
Who says top ten lists need to be created at the end of year? Here is a list of KCM contributor Lee Hartman's personal favorite performances in Kansas City from last season broken into two categories: Local and Visiting.
Mon, Aug 02, 2010
August may be a slow month for classical music performances in Kansas City, but the good news is that many of our local classical music and dance performing organizations are gearing up to begin their seasons in earnest in September.
Mon, Jul 12, 2010
Tall and slender, elegant and athletic, Alicia Graf Mack moved easily and effortlessly, commanding attention - not verbally, but physically. She spoke in a moderate tone, as if conversing with a group of friends, and smiled comfortably, enjoying the moment that she was in.
Wed, Jun 30, 2010
When I walked into the Madrid Theatre several Saturday nights ago, the hazy dream-like atmosphere enveloped me immediately. Whether left over from the first show of that evening or purposely positioned to alter people’s mood, the smoke and visual surroundings set the tone for Quixotic Fusion's summer production, "Paix Reveuse."
Tue, Jun 15, 2010
Gamelan is the orchestral musical tradition of Indonesia and involves a large group of metallophones, gongs and drums that perform alone or with dance. Gamelan Genta Kasturi is an eighteen-member community ensemble that operates in partnership with the UMKC Conservatory's Community Music & Dance Academy.
Mon, Jun 14, 2010
Kansas City was treated to a kaleidoscope of colorful, multi-cultural Eastern European ethnic music and dance when the Duquesne Tamburitzans returned to perform after almost 20 years. Now in their 73rd year, the Tamburitzans are the longest running live stage show in the US, and have close ties with descendants of Eastern Europe in the Kansas City area.
Tue, May 25, 2010
Last weekend the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company presented a standout spring program. They offered up styles from modern to contemporary and even some Southern grooves. Showing off diversity and adept storytelling ability, the Company exhibited what they do best.
Wed, May 12, 2010
The Kansas City Ballet presented a fanfare last Thursday evening for the opening performance of their Spring Performance. The program consisted of four very different works; including two brand new contemporary creations, a classical pas de deux from the Ballet's earliest days, and a KC Ballet premiere of a jazzy favorite.
Tue, Apr 27, 2010
When the curtain opened last Saturday night for the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble performance at Johnson County Community College, audience members may have thought they had mistakenly stumbled into a dance class. Instead of seeing costume-clad dancers readily poised for their first dance, the audience watched as the dancers warmed up at the barre.
Tue, Apr 27, 2010
The Owen/Cox Dance Group performed in front of a full house last Saturday night at the City Stage Theater at Union Station. Although the audience was a small one, everyone gathered in the intimate theater seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. The project was certainly unique and the creative minds behind it fashioned an imaginative interpretation of an historical event falling face first into a classic story.
Tue, Apr 20, 2010
The best two works of the night were saved for the end - just like the biggest loops and scariest turns come at the end of an amusement park ride, leaving you wanting more and more...
Tue, Mar 16, 2010
For a piece that premiered more than 50 years ago, the Martha Graham Dance Company's "Clytemnestra" remains energetic, interesting and dramatic.
Mon, Mar 15, 2010
Taiko simply means "drum" in Japanese. Although its roots can be traced to ancient court music, the modern communal taiko ensembles came about in the late 1950's. Living and working together in a Dojo-like community in the country, the musicians are free to focus on their art form.
Tue, Mar 09, 2010
Using the medium of hip-hop, "Groovallo" tackled an array of difficult subjects, such as violence, inner demons, and overcoming obstacles. The dancers succeeded in pulling the audience into each storyline, and for those 90 minutes their battles were our battles, their triumphs ours.
Mon, Mar 08, 2010
The Foundation, known for its unique art gallery and architectural exhibits, hosted the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company's winter program last Friday night. The unconventional venue and alternative works were a move in a different direction for this local Company.
Wed, Mar 03, 2010
The KC Ballet covered all the bases in its winter repertoire performance Thursday night at the Lyric Theatre. The Midwestern company, which is making a national name for itself, offered selections of ballet, contemporary, African and modern in a diverse showing.
Mon, Feb 15, 2010
Think you know hip-hop? "Groovaloo," the award-winning show created by Bradley Rapier and Danny Cistone, just might make you think again.
Tue, Feb 09, 2010
In the world of dance, there is a movement to reclaim the body... and that movement was amply exhibited in "A Modern Night at the Folly." The audience experienced choreography that wrestled with breaking limits as well as choreography that challenged acquiring limits.
Tue, Feb 09, 2010
Throughout the performance, Pilobolus demonstrated great versatility and an unbelievable connection to each other. They redefined partnering with two, or more, people acting as one seamlessly and effortlessly. Overall, they lived up to the bar the company has set for itself over the years with its edgy, individual approaches and aesthetics.
Wed, Feb 03, 2010
The Heartland was treated to a colorful display of folkloric dance when the Ballet Folklórico de México performed at the Lied Center to a sold out house filled with enthusiastic patrons.
Tue, Jan 26, 2010
KC native Winston Dynamite Brown, a member of the phenomenal Pilobolus Dance Theatre, discusses the journey that brings him back next weekend to perform at the Lied Center.
Wed, Jan 20, 2010
Think of Gregory Hines and you think of tap dancing. He brought excitement, nostalgia and the itch to tap at the Carlsen Center last Saturday night. Of course, the late great hoofer was not actually there, but his legacy was close at heart.
Tue, Dec 29, 2009
A preview some of the outstanding classical music and dance performances to watch for during the rest of the 2010 season.
Tue, Dec 22, 2009
Kansas City Ballet's "The Nutcracker" is a timeless, classic production and has become a well-deserved local Christmas tradition. For the most part, the production remains the same from year to year - Tchaikovsky's score and Todd Bolender's choreography - even the scenery and costumes haven't changed much in the past several years. What makes each performance unique and exciting - or not - is the performer's interpretations. A dance review.
Wed, Dec 16, 2009
Oh Hoffmann and Tchaikovsky, thank you for writing the basis for the Owen/Cox and People's Liberation Big Band to work their deranged magic upon.
Tue, Dec 08, 2009
Once again the KC music and dance scene is overflowing with riches this weekend - and merits top billing on KCMetropolis. It is impossible to cover - or attend - everything, but here is a hearty list for your consideration.
Tue, Nov 24, 2009
Hänsel and Gretel lost in the Missouri Ozarks? It turns out that the German classic by the Gebrüder Grimm transcends time and place just fine, the Opera Department of the UMKC Conservatory superbly demonstrated this weekend in their production with four performances at White Recital Hall. In fact, Grimm has never sounded more grand.
Wed, Nov 18, 2009
Wow. Native son David Parson's Parson Dance with members of the East Village Opera Company presented an amazing evening of music and dance at the Folly Theater last Friday as part of the Harriman Jewell Series. The performance is still seared into my brain days later.
Tue, Nov 17, 2009
One might not associate basketballs, power saws and rubber work boots with tap dancing, but that is exactly what the TAP DOGS, performing at Lied Center last week, delivered. The six male dancers of the troupe continuously demonstrated their precision and strength throughout the non-stop show, eliciting gasps, laughs, and overwhelming applause from the audience.
Tue, Nov 17, 2009
Soledad Barrio took the stage again for the mother of all Flamenco forms the Soleá, a gypsy version of the word 'Soledad' meaning Solitude. A form that like her name, she truly owns. Eugenio Iglesias' guitar introduction was a lush sound of light and dark tonalities mirrored by Farrar's chiaroscuro lighting.
Tue, Nov 17, 2009
Paul Taylor dancers are known for their incredible strength and stamina. They have the ability to be completely grounded and yet remain graceful, creating signature lines and unique shapes.
Tue, Nov 10, 2009
The University of Kansas has been actively striving for more cross disciplinary collaborations, particularly between the arts and sciences. The Spencer Museum of Art and the Lied Center joined forces last year to examine climate change and global warming. "Ferocious Beauty: Genome" along with the family program "Darwin the Dinosaur" presented in September, fit nicely into the evolution exhibit at the Natural History Museum and the annual Origin of Species celebration which will kick off next week.
Mon, Oct 26, 2009
Interaction with the audience and a strong technical foundation are what made Rasta Thomas; Bad Boys of Dance a hit. There were no outrageous costumes, lighting or props and no hidden meanings or over performed full-length ballets. It was just dance – new, distinctive and interesting.
Mon, Oct 26, 2009
Trey McIntyre frequently creates works meant to be ambiguous and open-ended so audience members can finish the story he began and create personal experiences.
Tue, Oct 20, 2009
Collaborating organizations Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City, Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, and Owen/Cox Dance Group made the fairy realm come to life in their impressive staging of Purcell's Fairy Queen. Primarily known for their contemporary repertoire, it was exciting to see the Civic Opera and Owen/Cox reach back into the catalogue to pursue this Baroque masterpiece. They handled the task admirably with accompaniment provided by the KC Chamber Orchestra under Bruce Sorrell's baton.
Tue, Oct 20, 2009
Kansas City Ballet's first performance of its 52nd season offered a mix of everything - two classical excerpts, a contemporary pas de deux and a local favorite. Audience members who did their homework knew they were in for a treat because three of the four pieces were Kansas City Ballet premieres.
Thu, Oct 15, 2009
Classical guitarist Beau Bledsoe takes part in the Kansas City Ballet's production of Carmen at the Lyric Theatre on October 15-18, 2009. He will perform short solo guitar interludes between scenes and accompany the Flamenco dancer when she is on stage. Before opening night, Bledsoe shared some background on his role and the production.
Tue, Oct 13, 2009
Kansas City’s arts organizations are in full gear now, and the next two weekends offer an overabundance of excellent performances. The 200th Mendelssohn anniversary brings us Symphony concert master Kanako Ito in the master’s Violin Concerto, and The Friends of Chamber Music presents the always entrancing group Anonymous 4, and the Harriman Jewell Series features British organist David Goode. And several community orchestras take the stage for ambitious programs of their own. Whew! Don’t complain about lack of choices, Kansas City!
Mon, Sep 28, 2009
Quixotic has succeeded in exploring new dimensions of dance, music and design, but what really made that first performance unique was that it was stripped of all distractions. There were no chairs, no fancy ceilings, no stuffy surroundings. It was literally a blank canvas that was transformed before the spectators' eyes.
Tue, Sep 08, 2009
Dance in the Park, a collaboration between the city and community dance companies, invites residents to participate and pay tribute to dance on Saturday, September 12.
Mon, Jun 22, 2009
Every choreographer looks at the stage and yearns to find a creative way of dealing with the large space above the heads of the dancers. Quixotic's aerial dancing was a crowd-pleasing solution and produced some memorable moments.
Tue, Jun 16, 2009
"Baroque in Motion," the world premiere collaboration of the Bach Aria Soloists and the Owen/Cox Dance Group, fused sound to skin. Allowing the music to inform every aspect of the dance, from the individual motions to the overall design, choreographer Jennifer Owen elegantly interpreted every note. Photos by Charles Stonewall
Mon, Jun 15, 2009
KCMetropolis.org takes a look into the mechanics behind the magic during a rehearsal of the Quixotic Dance Fusion aerial team before their upcoming premiere of "Lux Esalare."
Tue, Apr 28, 2009
Audiences for upcoming Kansas City Ballet performances will have a chance to enjoy three different takes on fusion: two world premieres -- "Cantus Arcticus" by Armitage and "Salute" by Kansas City Ballet Artistic Director William Whitener -- and a reprise of "Nine Sinatra Songs" by Twyla Tharp.
Wed, Apr 22, 2009
The evening was like eating dinner in a fine new restaurant. It started with a Twyla Tharp appetizer, the entrée was prepared by Jorma Elo and the dessert was from Moses Pendelton.
Mon, Mar 23, 2009
Dance Preview: Intrinsic to Ballet Boyz’s work is the way the Company produces and presents dance using film and video clips that show behind-the-scene activities of dancers mixed with onstage performances.
Wed, Feb 25, 2009
Dance Review: The ballet community turned out in force for the latest performance of the Kansas City Ballet to see the immortal Firebird.
Wed, Dec 17, 2008
The Christmas Story – a Medieval Mystery Play has now been performed for three years, but it began its life strictly as a concert music piece. This is the first year that Jennifer Owen has incorporated choreography. While the addition of dance has resulted in some changes to the phrasing and structure of the piece, by and large the musical work has remained intact.
Fri, Dec 05, 2008
The Christmas season heralds the Kansas City Ballet's annual production of the classic ballet, The Nutcracker. This charming family-oriented ballet is one of those events that everyone should see at least once, and if you have children, it is probably something you should take your children to often... simply for the pure enjoyment of it.
Tue, Dec 02, 2008
KCMetropolis.org contributor Scott Easterday interviewed Jennifer Owen of the Owen/Cox Dance Group about her career as a dancer and choreographer.
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