At the beginning of "Sylvia," one of Sir Frederick Ashton's most beloved full-lengths, Sylvia stands as the commander that she is. The audience's first glimpse, as she enters on a bridge in the distance, is of strength, authority and confidence. She is a huntress and a leader, this is certainly clear. A nymph of Diana the huntress, we would expect nothing else, but as the ballet progresses we see her caught between Diana and Eros, and therefore power and love.

In American Ballet Theatre's performance of "Sylvia" on Thursday night, this clash is apparent, but Gillian Murphy's Sylvia meets love without ever losing her glimmer of strength. She carries it with her throughout the entire ballet. Our huntress is there, she's just in love.

The elaborate and layered scenery and opulent costumes, a trademark of ABT's full-lengths, set such a rich setting for the story, but it was Leo Delibes' brilliant score that gave the ballet such depth. The music had a balance between tender and powerful (much like our heroine Sylvia) with the sweet trills of the violin to the intensity of the horns and brass instruments.

Hi there,
I hope you that are doing well. My review this week is of WEST SIDE STORY on Broadway.

WOW, what a show ! I suppose how can one go wrong with the classic choreography of Jerome Robbins ? This is the stand out for me. We have been conditioned with these iconic movements for years on film and now to see it live on stage delivered with such originality, poise and attack left me breathless.

The wonderful tunes of Bernstein and lyrics of Sodenheim keep the production flowing and have the audience welling up with emotion throughout the show. The orchestra is simply SPOT ON !

Pina Bausch, one of the most influential dance makers of the 20th Century, died in Wuppertal on Tuesday at age 68. Her work, called Tanztheater (Dance Theater), inspired so many of us in the fields of modern dance, theater, film and more.

The Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar, who included Bausch's work in his 2002 movie "Talk to Her," said the choreographer was an inspiration to him.  She "was a constant source of pleasure. She sparked very diverse emotions in me and always inspired me," he said in an interview recently published by international news agency AFP.

As Almodovar described her personality, so was her work: inspirational to many, sparking multiple emotions, often in the same inexplicable moment. I saw her "Bamboo Blues" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music this past December. As usual, her special blend of dance, text and props produced a dreamscape that did not resemble the reality we see around us, but replicated in our hearts the reality that we feel. It is such a rare gift to be able to do that for an audience once, let alone year after year.

More after the jump.

The German modern dance choreographer Pina Bausch died this morning, 5 days after being diagnosed with cancer. Bausch was the artistic director of the Tanztheater Wuppertal, which she founded in 1973. Video after the jump.

I first met Michael back when I was around 12 years old. The entire Jackson crew spent a few precious minutes with me and my family after a fantastic show in Vegas that is still etched on my mind ("Dancing Machine!", oh-my-goodness!). It was the first time our family saw other people wear full sweat suits like normal clothes. Funny how I remember that, it seemed so weird at the time. (LOL).

l went to Michael's concerts as I grew up. I remember the BAD tour with that ridiculously enormous mind-blowing lighted screen! First you heard thunderous footsteps, then you saw these GIANT feet walk out, do the backslide, spin, and rise up on their toes as lights exploded everywhere! Then, there he was alone, doing his thing. Just awesome. And of course I fondly recall our family and friends gathered around the TV watching The Motown 25th Anniversary Special where, after rocking with his brothers, Michael did the solo performance of a lifetime that launched him into the stratosphere, backsliding himself into history. (Whoa! - just got chills:)

Show up on time choreographers! This is one thing that makes me despise the L.A dance scene. It makes me MAD. For dancers, it is hard enough to endure the endless charade of maintaining a look, a body, a wardrobe, headshots, you name it! I see people  wearing sunglasses in class, wearing skinny jeans to jazz, and my favorite, the people huddling around the water fountain name dropping a little louder so people can hear who they have worked with; and these people are my age! (not that i am by any means old, but seasoned and experienced, right??)  Come on, really? I teach at a studio in L.A , I walk in, teach my jazz class in my Target brand sweat pants, and leave quietly and quickly. But it is what it is.

The stars of "Gotta Dance" have more in common than their love for dance; they are all members of the first ever New Jersey Nets senior hip-hop team. That's right... they are all over the age of 60!

This award-winning documentary, directed by Dori Berinstein, chronicles the experiences of each member of the NETSational Seniors, from audition through performance. Berinstein captures their journeys with the utmost sincerity and sensitivity; she gives viewers a sneak peak into their lives, revealing both the joys and difficulties associated with aging. She also proves that dance doesn't have an age limit, and perhaps most importantly, that people don't have an expiration date.

Each team member is more lovable than the next....

Meet them after the jump!