News

For its 35th season, Pittsburgh Dance Council executive director Paul Organisak cast a wide cultural net. The 2004-05 season includes five Pittsburgh premieres and the return of favorites Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Savion Glover.

"I view it as this palate of colors," Organisak says. "You just have to find the right mix of companies to put together."

Pennsylvania Ballet, Oct 1., Benedum Center

Program: Christopher Wheeldon's full-length "Swan Lake." Co-produced by Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

Why you should go: Wheeldon is regarded by many as the successor to the late, great Kenneth MacMillan. The first-ever resident choreographer for New York City Ballet, the 30-something Wheeldon is notable for his fidelity to classical ballet and his ability to make it say something new. He is also one of the few choreographers in this post-modern age who won't run screaming from the idea of creating a traditional story ballet. He choreographed the $1 million production of "Swan Lake" for Pennsylvania Ballet's 40th anniversary season.

Pappa Tarahumara, Oct. 8 and 9, Byham Theater

Program: The U.S. premiere of "Ship in a View."

Why you should go: Pappa Tarahumara is a highly theatrical Japanese collective that affords equal importance to set design, video, architecture and music as well as dance. They have an "object designer" who populates the stage with brightly colored bits of installation art. Imagine if an exhibit at the Three Rivers Arts Festival developed sentient intelligence, ate its creator and broke loose and commandeered the Byham stage, and you might have some inkling of Pappa Tarahumara and its eerie, hallucinatory stage show. Plus, you'll get to see a robot onstage.

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, Nov. 6, Benedum Center

Program: Ohad Naharin's "Minus One"

Why you should go: If you've ever dreamt of being onstage with an internationally acclaimed ballet company, this could be your chance to secure bragging rights. Choreographer Naharin, who is also artistic director of Israel's Batsheva Ballet, has a reputation as a gifted smart-aleck who mixes the solemn with the silly. In the case of "Minus One," this cheekiness includes selecting 20 audience members to come up onstage.

Doug Varone & Dancers, Nov. 20, Byham Theater

Program: The Pittsburgh premiere of Varone's "Castles."

Why you should go: "Castles" which premiered at the Joyce Theater in New York City earlier this year, impressed critics with its combination of old-world ballroom grandeur and romantic intimacy. The former comes from Sergei Prokofiev's "Waltz Suite Opus 110," which most will know from "Cinderella." The latter is created through Varone's eloquent duets, two of which serve as the piece's center. "The fact that he's never been here is just a sin," Organisak says.

DanceBrazil, Jan. 29, Byham Theater

Program: Afro-Brazilian dance and the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira

Why you should go: DanceBrazil is one of the world's chief ambassadors for Capoeira, which was devised by African slaves working on 16th-century sugar plantations. They developed the fighting technique under the noses of their Portuguese captors by disguising it as ritual dancing. These days, Capoeira is used mainly to knock out audiences, with live musicians laying down trance-like Afro-Brazilian grooves. It's also the most popular sport in Brazil, after soccer. The show, says Organisak, is "Great family stuff. Kids will love the show. It's so high-energy. The dancers are unbelievably gorgeous."

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Feb. 15 and 16, Benedum Center

Program: To be announced.

Co-presenter: African American Cultural Center

Why you should go: One of the most accessible and charismatic dance troupes in the world continues to celebrate the legacy of the black experience, performing the works of Dwight Rhoden, Robert Battle and Francesca Harper. Things have never looked better the troupe. This fall, the group moved into its $54 million theater complex in Manhattan. And with an astonishing annual budget of $15 million, the dancers are free to focus on touring and the commissioning of new works. If the Pittsburgh Dance Council asks nicely, they might even be persuaded to perform the euphoric "Revelations," the late Mr. Ailey's signature piece.

Israel Contemporary Dance Theater, March 5, Byham Theater

Program: To be announced.

Why you should go: Artistic director Rami Be'er, raised in Israel's kibbutz culture, creates work that entwines the personal with the political. His most recent work, "Aide Memoire," examined the effect of the Holocaust on our collective memory.

Savion Glover, April 15 and 16, Byham Theater

Program: Improvography, a two-act show accompanied by a five piece band.

Why you should go: With the death of Gregory Hines, Glover essentially has the title of the world's greatest tap dancer all to himself. Having barely crested age 30, he's still in his prime, so the sky's the limit. Watch him conduct the five-piece band with his feet. Pittsburgh audiences will see a show that is definitely not "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk, Part Two," Organisak says.

• Most Read
• Most E-mailed
• Latest News