The Top 5 Moments from the Career Transition for Dancers Gala
Every year, Career Transition for Dancers—that fantastic organization that helps pro dancers figure out their post-dance lives—puts on a wonderfully over-the-top, star-studded gala. Attending it has become one of my favorite DS editor perks, because it’s always so darn joyful—it’s all about dancers celebrating dancers. Last night’s gala show was a smorgasbord of awesome performances and touching tributes. Here are my top five highlights:
5. A ton of people did a delightfully schmancy take on the
Shim Sham. To kick (or tap, rather) off last night’s festivities, the American Tap Dance Foundation gathered a stageful of tappers, young and old, to perform a dressed-up version of the classic routine. It was really moving, actually—a tradition being passed from one generation to the next, right before our eyes.
4. The Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers proved they could get down—in pointe shoes.
The company’s gorgeous classical dancers got in touch with their funkier sides in an excerpt from Robert Garland’s Return, set to the music of James Brown. The only thing better than beautiful ballet technique is beautiful ballet technique mixed with the Mashed Potato.
3
. There was a Rockette alumni kickline, and it was glorious.
14 lovely former Rockettes reunited to accompany Broadway legend Karen Ziemba’s performance of “I Wanna Be a Rockette.” (The group included our friend Amanda Kloots-Larsen.) Naturally, it was leg heaven. Once a Rockette, always a Rockette!
2. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Kirven Douthit-Boyd showed off his insane body control.
He performed Takademe, choreographed by Robert Battle—a tour-de-force solo that’s basically a visual illustration of its intricate, spoken-word Indian Kathak score, matching every single syllable with a gesture. And, um, there are a LOT of syllables. Douthit-Boyd had the audience erupting in spontaneous cheers throughout his performance—he was that unbelievable.
Douthit-Boyd in Takademe (photo by Paul Kolnik)
1. Angela Lansbury received the Rolex Dance Award, and we all decided to be Angela Lansbury when we grow up.
Mrs. Potts is, unsurprisingly, the class act to end all class acts. Though she isn’t really known for her dance skills per se, her acceptance speech was a lovely, heartfelt tribute to dancers and former dancers. And then she gave us some Fosse kick action on her way offstage, and our hearts melted into happy little puddles. (Also, fellow theater legend James Earl Jones presented her award, which, THAT VOICE.)
