Story Archives of 'Dance'

Bill T. Jones is known as a provocative choreographer who tackles big questions with emotionally powerful and physically experimental dances. This year, the Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company celebrates its 25th anniversary season. That’s no mean feat in the uncertain world of performing arts. This weekend the ten-member company will perform the New England premiere of “Another Evening Serenade/The Proposition” at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in Boston.

We called Bill T. Jones yesterday to talk with him about the piece. It’s based on the life of Abraham Lincoln, but as Jones points out, it’s not a biography of the former president. Instead, Jones says he uses his art to explore his artistic, human experience.

The human response to rhythm is primal. When a song comes on, we tap our feet and bob our heads without thinking about it. Even toddlers barely on their feet move up and down to music. Aside from all those talented animated creatures in Walt Disney movies, humans are the only mammals with the instinct and the talent for what brain researchers refer to as “unconscious entrainment”. And dance is by far the most synchronized group practice; the gestures and movements might have even been a form of language in pre-verbal societies. The newest issue of Scientific American looks at research into the neural choreography behind dance, and editor-in-chief John Rennie joins us on Word of Mouth to explain it.

And if you’re in the Hanover area this week, check out Slow Dancing, a free outdoor video installation by David Michalek showing at Dartmouth College. It’s an incredible exhibit, featuring ultra-slow-motion video portraits of dancers from around the world, including ballet, breakdancing, Middle Eastern belly dancing, Beijing opera and Javanese court dance. It’s up through Saturday, and you can watch some of the film clips by clicking here.

(Photo by Trish Brunner)

This is the time of the year for college midterms.

For some at the University of New Hampshire, midterms took the form of participating in the Musical Theatre Showcase held at the Hennessy Theatre earlier this month.

Theatre and Dance students performed, directed, designed, and choreographed pieces including original works for their peers, teachers and family members.

Click here to start the slideshow

A small village in Vermont is getting a lot of attention because the police chief wants to install 16 security cameras around town. We'll talk with Bellows Falls Chief Keith Clark about his proposal and the criticism he's facing because of it.

Also, 2006 marks the 80th anniversary of the Martha Graham Dance Company, and the group is debuting a celebratory performance of the occasion in Keene. We'll talk with Artistic Director Janet Eilber about the impact Graham had on the American concept of dance.

Betty Thomson is a self-described "hoofer" who's never left the stage. She's 79 now and is currently the director of The Wicked Songs Your Mother Never Taught You that's playing in Manchester this weekend. It's an irreverent show intended to offend each audience member with large doses of humor. We'll talk with Betty about the show and her work as a director/choreographer and one-time Broadway chorus girl.