On Stage: Stepping Out!!!

There seems to be a plethora of exclamation points associated with step dance. Like tap, it’s all about the sound — both use shoes that have metal cleats attached. But unlike tap, step dance doesn’t yet have the range of dynamics that would make it a...

On Stage: King of the World

These days dance aficionados are questioning, “Is it ballet or contemporary dance?” With true blue ballet choreographers at a premium — I’m referring to hot commodities like Alexei Ratmansky and Christopher Wheeldon, although neither might...

On Stage: A Well-Deserved Bow (Or Curtsy)

I first wrote an introduction to Dancing Classrooms on CrossCurrents in September and started visiting six Pittsburgh elementary schools in October. It was undeniably seductive as the students moved from barely being able to touch and interact to a level of...

On Stage: Five Go-o-olden Years

They were selling Christmas trees outside Construction Junction, but The Pillow Project already had its own, a remnant from its “Sophisticated Junk” concert in October. It was a Charlie Brown tree, decorated with electrical cords and computer odds and...

On Stage: The Pillow at Five

Pearlann Porter is, without a doubt, the busiest choreographer on the holiday scene. (If you missed it, she was part of Dance Alloy’s concert at the New Hazlett Theatre, which appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.)After four months of the outdoors Urban...