Kokyat loaned me this unusual film which is sort of a fantasy-view of how Diane Arbus found her path as a photographer. The first interesting thing I learned was that Arbus was always referred to as dee-ahnwhereas I'd never heard her called anything butdye-ann.
The film by Steven Shainberg
is loosely based on Patricia Bosworth's
1984 biography of Arbus. But FUR is not your usual
bio-pic. While depicting elements of Arbus' life and
work, the film also invents characters and situations which might have
been Arbus' inner experience and source of inspiration. Usually viewed
as a doomed depressive, Arbus is here seen as a fairy tale innocent who
finds escape from her life as a repressed housewife via a timely
encounter with a
warm-hearted beast: Lionel, who opens the doors
of the Arbus imagination and awakens her sexuality.
Robert Downey Jr gives quite an amazing performance as Lionel. On first sight, his character makes you think that Chewbacca from STAR WARS has moved in upstairs. Lionel suffers from an extreme case of hypertrichosis, a syndrome which leaves the entire body covered with thick hair. Downey's gentle way of speaking and the vulnerability of this human-creature are touching.
The real-lives of Diane Arbus and Lionel Sweeney did not overlap; in the film Lionel is the symbol of the 'freak-show' world that Arbus found so intriguing. The film ends touchingly when Arbus shaves Lionel's body and face; together they then drive to the ocean shore where they part forever. Thereafter Diane will pursue her own artistic vision; Lionel has given her the courage to do so and unlocked for her the world she will capture in images.
Kidman beautifully portrays Arbus' timidity and her slow awakening to a bizarre and captivating world where the ugly and grotesque seem beautiful and moving to her. The actress expresses the sense of wonder in seeing the world anew and she beautifully underscores the photographer's hesitant journey to emotional expressiveness. As she rebels against the straight-laced scenario of being a dutiful wife and mother, Diane's artistic imagination leaps beyond the stylized prettiness of the photos her husband produces (with her assistance) and into a realm where the ordinary or the offbeat become meaningful in themselves.
Kidman as Diane with Ty Burrell as Allan Arbus. Allan's parents were high-end New York City retailers and furriers; Allan spent much time in photoshoots with fur-clad models creating ads for the family business. Allan and Diane have two children and while they still obviously care about one another, the film seems to suggest that Allan is gay and in his one sex scene with Diane that implication is clear. Diane's relationship with Lionel causes her marriage to further disintegrate.
Another attraction of the film is the somewhat Glassian score, composed by Carter Burwell. Burwell also penned the score for the popular vampire film TWILIGHT.
FUR will not be a movie to everyone's taste but I thought it was visually striking - with some dazzling colour-elements - and that the performances by Kidman and Downey were really impressive. The film should certainly not be taken literally as a depiction of events in the photographer's life.
A quote from Diane Arbus: "A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less
you know." She committed suicide in 1971.
San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Davit Karapetyan has captured a remarkable series of images of the ballerina Vanessa Zahorian. When I saw the pictures on Facebook I was captivated and so I contacted Vanessa and asked if I could share some of them on my blog.
Click on each photo for an enhanced view.
Dancers often take the most extraordinary photos of other dancers: here in New York City we have Matt Murphy, Erin Baiano and Kyle Froman each producing great dance photography. Davit Karapetyan's imaginative settings - and his beautiful subject - make these among the best.
When San Francisco Ballet visited New York City in October 2008, Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan were among the many outstanding dancers on the Company's roster. Originally planning to only see one performance I ended up going four times and wishing I'd gone more. SFB brought a very rich repertoire, and their international roster of dancers immediately served notice of not only high technical merit but fascinating dance personalities, right down to those in the corps. This was one of my favorite experiences with SFB. I felt blue after they left and I actually missed the dancers; I really wish they would come back!
Soon to open in San Francisco: a mixed bill including Ratmansky's RUSSIAN SEASONS. How I would love to see the SFB dancers in that!
My thanks to Vanessa and Davit for letting me post these photographs. I wish them and their colleagues a successful continuation of their season.
Above: a photo of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg that Edwaard Liang has sent me. Edwaard is at that famous home of ballet and opera creating a new work for the Kirov which premieres on April 24th as part of the Mariinsky Festival. (Dmitry tells me that the banner on the front of the building alludes to the Mariinsky's performances of the Shchedrin concert-opera The Enchanted
Wanderer of which there is a newly-released recording.)
Click on each image to enlarge.
Edwaard recently made a side trip to Novosibirsk where he is brushing up his ballet IMMORTAL BELOVED which is nominated for three Golden Mask awards: one for best new choreography, one for best new production and a third for its star: Igor Zelensky. Above: Edwaard with the ballerinas who appear in IMMORTAL BELOVED.
Above: The ballet boys of Novosibirsk who dance in Edwaard's IMMORTAL BELOVED. The Golden Mask competition will be held in Moscow March 27th - April 15th with the concluding awards ceremony on April 17th. Watch excerpts from IMMORTAL BELOVEDhere; the Philip Glass score is so haunting.
Back to St. Petersburg: Edwaard reports that his ballet is nearly finished. Above, his principal dancers Leonid Sarafanov and Olesya Novikova in rehearsal. Edwaard is using music of Marin Marais ('La Folia') and John Tavener ('Song for Athene'); in one of those odd coincidences, I was listening to the Tavener earlier this week. The source of inspiration for the new work is THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE.
Oleysa Novikova taking a break. Edwaard is thrilled with his principal dancers; in addition to Oleysa and Leonid, the works calls for a corps of four couples.
Above: the Tsar's box at the Mariinsky.
Here in New York City, we can see a new work by Edwaard Liang when ABT II play at the Joyce in April.
Just before the cold front swept in, Kokyat and I noticed this magnolia stellata tree down in SoHo. I'm wondering if these fragile blossoms survived the cold snap.
The star-like blossom...
...the blue hour in SoHo.
On the nearby corner, the Camper shoe store with lighting design by Ingo Maurer.
Here are a few more of Kokyat's images from Emery LeCrone's rehearsal on March 21, 2010 in preparation for the upcoming Columbia Ballet Collaborative performances. Emery's new work, set to excerpts from Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, features CBC Artistic Director Victoria North and a quartet of young dancers. Photo at the top: Erin Arbuckle & Victoria North.
Left to right: Nicole Cerrutti, Alexandra Ignatius, Victoria North, Erin Arbuckle (back to camera) and Jen Barrer-Gall. Click on the images immediately above and below to enlarge.
Jen Barrer-Gall.
Emery LeCrone and dancers.
Columbia Ballet Collaborative will present a program of
contemporary ballet works at the Miller Theatre, Columbia University on April 9th & 10th, 2010. The
program features works from choreographers Justin Peck, Emery LeCrone, Monique
Meunier, Lauren Birnbaum, Claudia Schreier, and John-Mark Owen. Guest
artists include Teresa Reichlen and Justin Peck
of the New York City Ballet.
Tickets
are $12 (or $7 with Columbia
University ID). Tickets are available
online or at the box office:
Miller
Theatre Box Office 2960 Broadway (at 116th street) 212-854-7799
Friday March 26, 2010 - Marking their tenth anniversary with a season at Ailey Citigroup, Amy Marshall Dance Company presented a celebratory programme with three world premieres and revivals of three earlier works. The Company dancers were joined by four guests: former AMDC members Laura Halzack & James Samson (both now with Paul Taylor), Amanda Whitworth and Jared Wootan. In addition, six young dancers joined the Company for the evening's finale and made strong individual contributions to the show's success. Above: dancers Alexandra Karigan, Chad Levy and Amy Marshall (photo by Paula Lobo/Lois Greenfield Studio).
The opening ENGLISH SUITE (created in 2005) is danced to a thoroughly delightful score by a nearly-forgotten British composer Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry. With the bare-chested men (Chad Levy, Louis Acquisto and Jared Wootan) in sleek tights and the Company's beautiful and well-contrasted women (Alex Karigan, Natasha Czarniewy and Aileen Roehl joined by Amanda Whitworth) in Ms. Roehl's gossamer gold tunics, this work has an air of Springtime about it. The joyous outer movements bookend a slyly elegant Minuet danced by Amanda and Chad, a gorgeous trio for Alexandra, Natasha and Aileen, and a sporty, slap-happy duet for Louis and Jared. ENGLISH SUITE is wonderfully crafted and serves as a perfect 'calling card' for the Company dancers.
Amy, expecting a baby in June, danced the solo A GIFT in which a score by Gabrielle Roth is under-pinned by the sound of a beating heart. Moving calmly about the beautifully-lit stage, Amy's dancing radiated the serenity of an expectant mother. Kokyat photographed Amy rehearsing this work, above.
Aileen Roehl designed all the costumes for the evening's works and her black and deep purple creations for the premiere RIDING THE PURPLE TWILIGHT were especially effective (the girls are wearing them in the above rehearsal photo). The six dancers - Aileen, Alexandra, Natasha, Chad, Louis and Jared Wootan - took to the Kevin Keller score with unabashed energy, the opening movement relentlessly paced. Athleticism and fearless partnering combinations are Amy Marshall signatures when the tempo is fast. Her dancers take all the demands in stride and seem totally unfazed by the most arduous physical demands: the faster the pace the more they seem to thrive. And they all look so good!
After the intermission, the same six dancers appeared in one of Amy Marshall's earliest works, ASKEW. Here the shifting group dynamic sometimes shows antagonisms and private dramas, giving the work an edgy quality. Shifting allegiances come into play and the energy seems coiled, sometimes releasing in bursts of motion.
In a duet from Amy's TWO DUETS AND A QUARTET, the Company welcomed back former members Laura Halzack and James Samson, both presently on Paul Taylor's roster. Last week Kokyat and I had the pleasure of watching Laura and James at close range working on their duet in the studio (photo above). Seeing them in performance was nothing short of spectacular; Aileen Roehl's lovely violet dress set off Laura Halzack's beauty to perfection while James - all in black - is the most assured and protective of partners. The duet shows a couple in a long-enduring relationship dancing in their own sphere; whatever momentary troubles they may have faced, nothing can infringe on their steadfast love. In the end, Laura comes to rest in James's arms. Danced to Bach, this duet is deeply moving and was luminously performed by the two magnificent artists.
Above: Kokyat's rehearsal photo from the grand finale of tonight's performance: GOING FOR THE GOLD, Amy Marshall's high-energy salute to Olympic competition. We've seen this piece in the building process at Amy's Intensive last Summer when a 'cast of thousands' provided one grand splash after another while the romping score Hooked on Classics spurred the dancers onward and upward. Swimming, diving, fencing, hurdles, relay races and other references to Olympic glory abound, and a 'new' section to Viennese waltzes alludes joyously to pairs skating or ballroom competition.
Joining the AMDC home team in this medal quest were Amanda Whitworth, Katherine Schultz, Jared Wootan and five more super 'guest' dancers - Jamison Goodnight, Danielle Betchel, Kelly Bangs, Yon Burke and Michael Wright - who won their onstage spots at Amy's audition day earlier this year. These eight dancers gave the Company members a run for their money; energy levels hit new highs, and as wave after wave of dancers swept across the floor in Busby Berkeley-style patterns it suddenly seemed there were far more than fourteen people on the stage.
During the applause, Sophie, Tonya and I remarked how exhausted we were, and all we had done was watch. But it's the good kind of exhaustion - the kind that results from elation. Talking to the dancers afterward they all seemed fresh as daisies and all of them said they could go right out and do the whole show again. For once the word 'amazing' seemed completely appropriate.
So nice to meet Karla Wolfangle tonight and to see Marlon Cherry again.
Cast of characters: an after-the-opening-night photo with (from left) Yon, Louis, Natasha, Alexandra, Aileen, Kelly, Amy, Chad, Jamison, Dani, Michael, Katie, Jared and Amanda. Click image to enlarge.
The eyes have it: Yon Burke, Dani Betchel & Jamison Goodnight....
People you should get to know: Michael Wright, Dani, Louis Acquisto. Post-performance photos courtesy of Dani Betchel.
Thursday March 25, 2010 - Sydney Skybetter opened his sold-out run (*) at Joyce SoHo tonight. Recently Kokyat and I were at Sky's rehearsal when he ran the full programme entitled The Laws of Falling Bodies for the first time. It looked good then, but seeing it tonight in its theatrical context - beautifully lit - it looked sensational. Sky has a top-flight troupe of dancers to work with and he is wonderfully astute in his choice of music.
The programme is one of the best-constructed evenings of dance I've ever seen; I very much admire Sydney's musical choices and the way he has woven them into a symphony of dance highlighted by three exquisite solos, a Spring-like scherzo and ending with a contemporary feel. Playing a major part in the evening's success was the simple and effective lighting by Kate Ashton which ideally illuminated the dancers and cast dreamlike shadows around the space.
The heart-tugging music of Dvorak (from his American quartet/Opus 96) evoked richly emotional dancing from Kristen Arnold, Jennifer Jones, Sydney Skybetter and Bergen Wheeler. Clad in simple dark trousers and shirts the dancers - who we've gotten to know in the studio - move with quiet intensity thru Sydney's vividly musical combinations; each dancer seems to be in his or her own world yet always observing one another. In the end they each withdraw to a corner of the stage but then step back into the lighted space as if they might start up dancing again. Instead the scene gently fades away.
Dancing in a pool of light to the plaintive sound of Fritz Wunderlich singing Schumann, Kirsten Arnold in her solo from THE PERSONAL remains on her mark while using her arms, hands and back to mesmerize the viewer. The tall dancer makes a slow backbend as the light fades: the perfect final touch to a luminous performance.
The stark accents of the opening measures of Gorecki's Quasi una fantasia set the tone for COLD HOUSE YOU KEPT, a dark yet oddly touching work with nightmarish undercurrents and some rather rough handling in the partnering. Danced by Kristen Arnold, Cat DeAngelis, Jennifer Jones, Bergen Wheeler, Elliott Reiland, Gary Schaufeld and Sydney Skybetter, COLD HOUSE seems to show a breakdown of communication; the withdrawal of each dancer as the piece nears its end leaves only a lone figure onstage as darkness falls.
In Sydney Skybetter's solo from THE PERSONAL the hauntingly pure beauty of Fritz Wunderlich's voice singing 'Im wunderschonen Monat Mai" from the Dichterliebe is achingly expressed in the silken arm and hand movements and the muscular but vulnerable beauty of Sky's torso: "In the beautiful May, when the buds sprang, love sprang up in my heart. In the beautiful May, when the birds all sang, I told you of my suffering and
longing."
The light-hearted FUGUE STATE is set to the scherzo from Shostakovich's Piano Quintet Opus 67. The two girls (Kristen Arnold and Jennifer Jones) in pale blue dresses and their suitors Elliott Reiland and Gary Schaufeld seem to be romping in an open field on a late-Summer afternoon. The dance has a folk-like feeling and an abrupt ending which took the audience by surprise - including myself, even though I'd seen it in rehearsal.
The voice of Fritz Wunderlich is heard again singing from Schubert'sSchwanengesang as Bergen Wheeler dances her solo from THE PERSONAL. A keenly expressive dancer with an enigmatic expression, Bergen's entire body responds to the music - right to her fingertips. Totally self-immersed, Bergen seems almost unaware of being watched until the end when her eyes suddenly focus on the audience - a captivating moment.
The three solos of THE PERSONAL are small masterpieces not only in their meshing of music and movement but in inviting us into the private world of each of the three dancers. Using the voice of Fritz Wunderlich with its unmatched tenderness and clarity just makes each solo all the more poignant.
With the stage bathed in a golden, shadowy twilight and the dancers all in white, Jonny Greenwood's music used in THE LAWS OF FALLING BODIES at first seems to echo distant sirens. The work has a desolate beauty redolent of the atmosphere of the film THERE WILL BE BLOOD for which Greenwood wrote the score. Danced by Kristen Arnold, Cat DeAngelis, Jennifer Jones, Dana Thomas, Elliott
Reiland, Gary Schaufeld and Sydney Skybetter, the piece is indeed filled with images of falling and rising, catching and saving, and of slow lifts and intricate coilings of bodies in motion.
Kokyat's photo of Skybetter thanking his dancers at the end of the performance.
So nice to see the folks from TAKE DANCE (Take, Jill, Nicole and Damian )
and then on the train to run into Russell Janzen of New York City
Ballet.
Sydney Skybetter photographed by Tom Caravaglia.
Some of my favorite Kokyat images from the day we first met skybetter & associateshere.
A reader has sent me this photograph of a work by Theyre Lee Elliott which hangs on her wall. It's such a lovely painting.
I have really enjoyed the ever-expanding tale of Theyre Lee Elliott and his work here on my blog which began with this story and has continued here, here and here as readers have sent personal recollections of the artist and samples of his work.
If a search has brought you to this page and you have a recollection of Theyre Lee Elliott or any of his work in your collection, please help keep the story evolving. E-mail me at:
Sunday March 21, 2010 - Emery LeCrone invited Kokyat and me to a rehearsal for her new work being created for the Columbia Ballet Collaborative's upcoming performances at the Miller Theater on April 9th & 10th.
Emery's work is entitled Five Songs for Piano and is set to selections from Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, Opus 19, #2 - 6. Click on the first two images for a closer look.
Victoria North, who is Artistic Director of the Collaborative, dances a soloist role in the new ballet and she is joined by an ensemble of four young Columbia students:
Erin Arbuckle...
...Jen Barrer-Gall...
...Nicole Cerutti...
...and Alexandra Ignatius.
The work has been set and now Emery is polishing up the details and sometimes adding, discarding or altering moves and gestures. The music is sometimes plaintive and sometimes vivacious. The girls worked smoothly together to produce the look Emery wants; counts and spacing were discussed and Victoria's solo passages were worked into the framework of the quartet.
After Emery broke down and spruced up individual segments, she suggested technical corrections and got the girls thinking about expressive nuances. Then they tried a full run-thru during which the shape of the ballet became clear and the detail work paid off. It's a really attractive, lyrical piece - I've always thought so much of Mendelssohn's music truly begs to be danced to - and the girls responded well to the score and to Emery's style of movement.
Here are more of Kokyat's images from the rehearsal:
Nicole and Victoria.
Nicole (in front).
Jen.
Erin.
Alexandra.
Performance details:
Columbia Ballet Collaborative proudly presents an engaging program of contemporary ballet works in its return to Miller Theatre. The program includes choreography by Justin Peck, Emery LeCrone, Monique Meunier, Lauren Birnbaum, Claudia Schreier, and John-Mark Owen. Guest artists include Teresa Reichlen and Justin Peck of the New York City Ballet.
Tickets are just $12 (or $7 with Columbia University ID). Tickets are available online or at the box office:
Miller Theatre Box Office 2960 Broadway (at 116th street) 212-854-7799
Here are a few more of Kokyat's images from Avi Scher's March 21st rehearsal of the duet from his ballet TOUCH; the dancers are Veronika Part and Arron Scott. The piece will be part of Avi's upcoming performances at the Ailey Citigroup Theater April 3rd - 5th.
Avi Scher with Veronika and Arron. Scroll down the blog for more images from this rehearsal.