Pacific Northwest Ballet struts its Jerome Robbins stuff

Droll send-ups and Bernstein-scored brio recall the exuberant, formative years of American ballet.

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A retrospective of Paul Taylor Dance at Meany

The program highlights Taylor as a droll observer and as an artist enamored of the relationships between movement and music.

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Addressing the rent crisis for Capitol Hill arts

The City Council convenes a meeting to explore special incentives, as rising rents threaten a lively arts scene on the Hill. Will a complicated Cultural Overlay District be the answer?

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Donald Byrd's new dance is one of his finest works

In recent dances he has addressed 9/11, domestic violence, the costs of war, and the vagaries of artistic fame. In his newest work, “The Theatre of Needless Talents,” Donald Byrd, artistic director of Seattle’s Spectrum Dance Theater, and one of our most fearless choreographers, has taken on the daunting task of addressing the Holocaust. He has succeeded admirably, creating an important new work that is among the finest of his career. The evening, described as “dance, theatrical vignettes, and cabaret,” is homage to the Jewish artists who, though imprisoned in Nazi death camps, managed to create, perform, and bring hope to themselves and to fellow inmates. It is a series of powerful and eloquent sequences, many introduced by brief commentary spoken by individual dancers, and drawn from the words of artists and others of the time.

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When high rents squeeze arts spaces, it's time to get creative

Seattle's real estate boom is pushing out performance spaces. A recent panel discussion on Capitol Hill showed there's lots more to do besides whining. Here are some other ideas.

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Otters come a knockin' and the house is always rockin'

Animal poop, boats and their wakes, floating trash — houseboat living is not for everyone.

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2007 in review: New Yorkers flee Young Frankenstein

Mel Brooks tried Puttin' on the Ritz on Broadway, but he didn't tap out a hit like The Producers this time. Our writer apologizes for not reviewing the whole truth when it played in Seattle.

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A disappointing show by Pilobolus Dance at Meany Hall

After 36 years, has what began as a wildly inventive dance collective now run its creative course?

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Ragamala keeps Indian culture alive for Seattle audiences

The thriving organization has been putting on performances of the rich Indian artistic traditions since 1981. Here's a review of a recent program of South Asian dance and music.

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How should Martha Graham's work be danced today?

The great revolutionary was remarkably attuned to the art movements of her time, and an appearance of the famous Martha Graham Dance Company at Seattle's Moore Theatre raises a question: Should they mirror her choreography or reinterpret it?

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An ambitious revival of West Side Story on its 50th anniversary

The celebrated musical now playing at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre still has lots of the daring touches and extraordinary Jerome Robbins choreography, even if parts of it now look dated and cartoony. But it is the work of courageous outsiders in a conservative period of American history.

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Seattle's storied Washington Hall is likely to be sold and demolished

A year shy of 100 and full of memories of Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holliday, Mark Morris, and On the Boards, the Central District landmark awaits a wrecking ball. Here's a short history of the many eras of the building — and Seattle culture.

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Brought to life in dance, Jacob Lawrence's vivid paintings

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company brings works by four choreographers to the Meany stage, paying tribute to the great Seattle painter and the African-American experience.

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Reliving the second wave of modern American dance

Pacific Northwest Ballet mounts an ambitious festival, celebrating choreographers with Northwest connections. Works by Merce Cunningham and Trisha Brown, two giants of the American avant garde, earn our critic's close attention.

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Japanense Taiko drumming hits a third wave

Seattle now has eight ensembles of this highly kinetic form of music, and a recent performance of three local groups shows how tightly choreographed they have become.

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