http://www.bobboross.com/index.htmlHot News!enen2018-06-11T13:03:59-04:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Sat, 2 Jul 2016 20:42:48 -0400Bob Boross Blog2018-06-11T13:03:59-04:00http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/2f5e97de1ab81109ed356207aa51b563-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/2f5e97de1ab81109ed356207aa51b563-7.html#unique-entry-id-7As someone who has been involved professionally in musical theatre dance for about 40 years, I've seen a lot of choreography and dance presentations come and go. One thing about Broadway choreography - in order for it to be good, and to last, it has to have integrity, ability, and ingenuity.

Which brings me to the 2018 Tony Awards - what a shambles, in terms of quality theatre choreography. Dances from SpongeBob Squarepants, and Mean Girls - so lacking in all three of the qualities I mentioned. Silly premises, lack of strong ability, and a very low level of creativity in choreography. Total oversell to the audience, and outlandish costumes that only added to the cheap appeal. Not much better than theme park choreography.

The staging from Once On This Island…better, more integrated, but still not a strong use of actual dance choreography. Nicely staged in a traditional Broadway presentation. From the Donna Summer Musical - more of the usual rock and bop dancing that is more filler than filling.

The only standout, and I mean REAL standout, was "Blow High, Blow Low" from Carousel, choreographed by Justin Peck. Here we see all of the qualities I mentioned - integrity in the rapidly changing patterns, stellar use of music, and the movement's adherence to the characters in their scene; ability in the superb quality of the dancers who were performing highly physical and technically challenging movement; and ingenuity in the masterful dance vocabulary and effortlessly unfolding sections of the piece that always was well paced yet built to a climax. Justin Peck is a choreographic master along the lines of Jerome Robbins, and with a strong hint of Balanchine aesthetics thrown in (is it just me or does BHBL bear resemblance to Balanchine's Union Jack?). He saved this Tony Awards Show, and I can vouch that the rest of his Carousel choreography was equally impressive when I recently attended a performance. I hope that he has more Broadway shows lined up in the future. His Tony Award for Best Choreography is well deserved.

Another aspect that was highly appealing about this dance was the pure masculine, athletic approach of the dancing. Which was sorely lacking in the first two show pieces mentioned. Men - dancing a stylized version of folk dancing, with movement vocabulary drawn from the movements of their work, mixed with concert dance techniques, all executed with the bravura of pure masculinity, was more than refreshing, it was a sight for sore eyes. This type of dancing has been absent for far too long from Broadway, and it is just the type that will encourage many forgotten audiences to return to attending Broadway shows. It's quality and appeal cannot be denied - please, let's have more of THIS type of dancing on Broadway!


]]>Bob Boross Blog2017-05-02T11:29:09-04:00http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/736074cd7176596c8b35e51939bda66a-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/736074cd7176596c8b35e51939bda66a-6.html#unique-entry-id-6I've been teaching dance for a long time. At this point, for about 38 years. Jazz, tap, musical theatre, modern….choreography, history….you name it, I've done it. And I'm still doing it. Six days a week during the peak season…a bit less in the off-summers.

So this multitude of daily experience I think gives me a valid viewpoint on dancing, class taking, and where a young dancer's training experience will end up. I've seen so much class taking by dancers that is dull, rote, non-productive. Only rarely, do I see…]]>Bob Boross Blog2017-03-23T11:20:41-04:00http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/f9a576b373cf52f4e05a016b97fb437f-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/f9a576b373cf52f4e05a016b97fb437f-5.html#unique-entry-id-5I posted some thoughts on teaching jazz dance in Russia, and I thought I should add some clarification. I called our American dancers on to the carpet a bit for some less-focused class attitude than a teacher would like to see. Of course there are top American dancers…]]>Bob Boross Blog2017-03-21T20:05:26-04:00http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/2bbcb3c36e7e2e9ad0bd2654a63ad8a2-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/2bbcb3c36e7e2e9ad0bd2654a63ad8a2-4.html#unique-entry-id-4Well, I just returned from my fourth time of teaching jazz dance in St Petersburg, Russia. The last two times were dual projects, at the Boris Eifman Dance Academy and the Kannon Dance company. I could write pages on this experience, and maybe someday I will, but for now I'll just put down some impressions.

First - the Russian dancers mean business…]]>Bob Boross Blog2017-02-17T20:16:23-05:00http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/a7321174e3cfb3be425c262d95e452a7-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/a7321174e3cfb3be425c262d95e452a7-3.html#unique-entry-id-3I've been involved with jazz dance as a performer, teacher, choreographer, and author for over forty years. That is one long history, and one that exceeds the career lifespan of most professionals in the field. I've found jazz dance to be the right place for my creativity, and my expression. But now, at the age of 61 years, I'm finding that jazz and theatre dance are not that hospitable to me…]]>Bob Boross Blog2016-02-15T21:10:00-05:00http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/1637671e63de236504d7ab8b44ea6c62-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/1637671e63de236504d7ab8b44ea6c62-2.html#unique-entry-id-2How do we learn?  How do we grow?  How do we best learn and grow?

I've been a teacher in a private studio setting for sixteen years, and for over twenty years in many universities, from liberal arts dance programs to conservatory training.  As a teacher of dance now for 37 years, this question has been on my mind more frequently.  I wrestle with how…]]>Bob Boross Blog2016-01-23T21:08:02-05:00http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/aad3610c6a82064255c8da6d05150f38-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/aad3610c6a82064255c8da6d05150f38-1.html#unique-entry-id-1I've been invited to teach in St Petersburg, Russia on three occasions.  First in 2005, when I created my piece Love Come Quick for the Kannon Dance Company.  Then in 2012 when I lectured at the Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art and created another lyrical jazz dance for the Kannon Dance Company.  And just now in January 2016 when I was invited to teach and choreograph for the Boris Eifman Dance Academy and the newly opened LaDuca Broadway Dance Center… ]]>Bob Boross Blog2015-12-02T20:44:39-05:00http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/d01257e529880c457eea387b0ed6704b-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.bobboross.com/bob-boross-blog/files/d01257e529880c457eea387b0ed6704b-0.html#unique-entry-id-0Here I am, working in jazz dance for 40 years now, and every day still thinking about its nature, value, and future prospects.  Each of these aspects could be a book...but maybe I'll settle for just advancing my opinions here.  What's a blog for, anyway?

Let's start with jazz dance nature.  I've published my thoughts…]]>