Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Firebird—with choreography by John Taras, costumes and scenery by Geoffrey Holder, and a cast of more than 40 dancers—caused a sensation when it premiered in January 1982. New York Times critic Anna Kisselgoff declared the fantastical production, which relocated the Russian folktale to an enchanted forest somewhere in the Caribbean, an […]

Though Carmen de Lavallade lived to 94, news of her death last December came as a kind of shock: She seemed immortal. The most elegant of pioneers—Duke Ellington called her “one of the most ravishing women in the world”—de Lavallade was a self-possessed star of dance, theater, opera, film, and television in an era when […]

In June 1955, just months after meeting during the Broadway run of House of Flowers, Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder tied the knot. It was the start of one of dance’s longest, most celebrated on- and offstage partnerships, which lasted until Holder passed away in 2014. “She is the most beautiful woman in my […]

If you’re seeking an extra dash of inspiration to start the new season on the right—dare we say—foot, look no further than dance documentaries. Starting August 23, OVID, a streaming service dedicated to docs and art-house films, is adding eight notable dance documentaries to its library. The best part? There’s a free seven-day trail. (After […]