Brooklyn Bob

Last night I went to a see Russia’s fabulous Moiseyev Dance Company at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts located on the campus of Brooklyn College. Most would agree that Moiseyev is the world’s premier folk ballet dance company. They certainly lived up to that billing last evening. Their performance was simply spectacular. Bravo!

Maybe you remember their Partisans dance from a while back. This current program certainly wasn’t lacking anything, but it would have been great to see them perform it once again. Perhaps they will in a future appearance. I’ll be there of they do.

This acknowledged masterpiece of stagecraft – considered by many his signature work – was created by Moiseyev as a tribute to the mountaineers of various nationalities who banded together to fight against Nazis in the region of the north Caucasus. The scouting party appears first in the scene, followed by the Partisan unit, which engages the enemy. It is impossible not to believe that these partisans are actually riding horses through the mountain passes.

The video does little justice to their excellence. This review in the Washington Post about their Thursday performance does a much better job. In the final analysis, however, you must see them in a live performance.

It was a packed house and my Goldstar discounted balcony seat was a major bargain at $19. The view was just fine with lots of Russian language conversation going on around me. It could just as well have been Moscow. What a legacy Igor Aleksandrovich left to the world. Long live Moiseyev!

That’s what I do…lots of “Walk it Out in the Big Apple” even though my knees are screaming at me. I’m trying (not very successfully) to deal with the 185 tabs I have open in Firefox and found this video. It’s a trip!

I saw Damn Yankees on Broadway back in the ’50s but Gretchen Wyler had already replaced Gwen Verdon. Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse epitomize Broadway dancing for me…and millions of others. All That Jazz is one of my favorite all-time movies.

Paint me stupid, but when I surfed into this video I thought it was an original sound track. Duh! Hey it could have been. She was a hip lady and I’m sure she’s smiling up there.

I’m not a rap fan, but I really connected with hip-hop dancing back in 2005. Check out this hip-hop photo set from the 2005 Celebrate Dance Festival in Balboa Park. Those kids were great. I really enjoyed them.

Incidentally, folks in San Diego should hang their heads in shame for allowing this festival to fade to dark after 10 years back in 2006. The fees in Balboa Park were raised so much that Eveoke Dance could no longer afford to stage it. Evidently, it’s going to be revived this year in August. Wake up San Diego! Life is not all about beautiful weather and…money, money, money.

So, have a look. It’s a great sync job. I smile every time I watch it and hope you do too.