The Black Swan

Dada Masilo is a South African choreographer and dancer who has studied both classical ballet and modern dance but who actively integrates traditional African dance into the mix. Her rendition of Swan Lake as well as Carmen and Romeo and Juliet, have caused quite a stir in South Africa - for disturbing not only racial but also gender stereotypes. Masilo herself plays the lead swan in this version, with her male friend Boysie Dikobe playing Odile.


Umfula Wa Ma Dada (Swan Lake) | Dada Masilo

Michelle 2012

Mission accomplished Michelle, now I totally want to exercise!

Girl Fight

Settle it on the dance floor ladies.

I See Your Conservatism And I Raise You a Booty Pop

Both of these people have the right to free speech.... its just that one is a way better dancer than the other.




In the words of Emma Goldman "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution."

Also... God Bless punk boys...

Hula Girl in a Hula World

I was lucky enough to spend Christmas this past year in Hawaii with my bf's family. While Hawaii can often times seem like a crazy tourist extravaganza there are also a ton of really amazing things about the islands that I didn't know. Settled by Polynesians who arrived 1,500 years ago and Tahitians that arrived 1,000 years ago, the islands have some of the oldest cultural traditions I've ever witnessed. The history itself of Hawaii is really interesting - strict social hierarchies that had been brought by the Tahitians were dissembled in 1810 when King Kamehameha united all the islands into one royal kingdom and then his son Liholiho abolished the old social hierarchies altogether in 1819. Their royal Iolani Palace had electricity and telephone before the White House or Buckingham palace. However the art of Hula and sport of surfing had been developing for centuries already and even when the islands became a territory of and then a state of the U.S. the culture of Hawaii continued.

The hula dancing is one of the most amazing ways to watch history alive in Hawaii right now. I know that seems corny to say but it was honestly one of the most beautiful forms of dance I've ever seen. It was amazing to think that not only was it developing hundreds, possibly thousands of years ago.... but you can also see moves now and then that are totally used in dance these days - like I swear Ciara copped some of these moves in her most recent video. Its awesome that a dance that it so old and traditional can also be so sexy and relevant.

I didn't take these videos but they're from the Old Lahaina Luau that was the one I went to....



This was one of my favorite dances




I really love the outfits in the second half of this



And a few others from other places....

Miss Jacqueline from Nonahere


Old footage from 1965

Manor Field

Manor Field from SENS Production on Vimeo.

Manor Field is a study on topography, translating the curves and lines of the land into the motion of bodies through space. Based on a series of rules to determine choreographic choices, the dancers created in each of the performances a new path and sequence while maintaining an overall decrease of speed, from running, to skipping, to walking with interwoven stillness. Manor Field was developed in collaboration with the participant dancers of "Dance Across Borders" at the Fisher Center.

Choreography: Noémie Lafrance

Live Piano Music Composition and Performance: David Arner

Dancers: Michael Caban, Grace Converse, Maggie Gillis Cornell, Isabel Cottingham, Musetta Durkee, Abbey Hart, Charlotte Hendrickson, Gabrielle Herbst, Pedro Jimenez, Dages Keates, Laura Kvelstein, Rob Mihalko, Shannon Murphy, Rain Saukas, Emma Skove-Epes, Alexis Steeves, Tiffany Watson

Costumes: Mary Grusak

Site: Manor Field at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY

Sculpture: "Stargon" by Robert Perless

Dates: June 14, 15, 16, 2007

Presenter Partner: Dance Across Borders at the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College