TAYLOR-ED. The planets obviously aligned to bring together a favorite Alloy mix, when five former members showed up at the company’s Alloy on Alloy program to lend support to Gwen Hunter Ritchie’s sneak preview of her premiere for the company. Former artistic director Mark Taylor (on the right) was joined by (right to left) Andre Koslowski, Jennifer Keller, Gillian Beauchamp and, of course, Hunter Ritchie. Together they have continued to give back to Pittsburgh. Taylor continues his work with Body Mind Centering and teaching, while Koslowski is artistic director of Pennsylvania Dance Theatre in State College and recently assisted in the Pittsburgh Playhouse production of “The Queens.” Keller is on the dance faculty at Slippery Rock University and Beauchamp is in the final stages of becoming a doctor. Hunter Ritchie is currently teaching at SRU and pursuing independent projects.
PBT ON TOUR. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will be downplaying the Pittsburgh traditions built into Terrence Orr’s “Nutcracker” production when it hits the stage in Baltimore this coming weekend at the Hippodrome Theater for four performances. But it still works in the land of the National Aquarium, Camden Yards and Francis Scott Key. For more information, see Listings.
BILLY’S BACK. The stars are coming out in area studios. Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh will feature Pittsburgh native Stephen Hanna as the Cavalier in its “Nutcracker.” Hanna recently completed a run as the adult Billy Elliot on Broadway and will be returning to New York City Ballet as a principal dancer. For more information, see Listings.
PAUL’S BACK. Rising star Paul McGill (of the movie remake of “Fame”) is also back in town for the holidays to visit his family. While he’s here he will give a master class at Karen Prunzik’s Broadway Dance Studio in Robinson Township Dec. 21 from 4 – 6 p.m. For those in the know, McGill made his Broadway debut at the age of 17 in the revival of “La Cages aux Folles” and immediately backed that up in the revival of “A Chorus Line” while still only a senior at Bethel Park High School. He has also appeared in the award-winning documentary “Man on a Wire” as the young daredevil Philippe Petit. For more information, call 412-920-1841 or email at prunziksbroadwaydance@gmail.com.
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