Dear Readers,

I launched Point of Contact on October 16, 2013 as a way to supplement and practice my dance writing for a course I was taking in Barnard College’s Dance Department. My original goal was to create a virtual record of my experience as an audience member, but after seeing hundreds of performances, work-in-progress showings, exhibitions, and lectures over the past two years, I am starting to realize the many ways that dance writing influences the field. I am overwhelmed by the positive responses I have received – thank you all for sharing your kind words and well wishes on Facebook, Twitter, and in person! To celebrate, here are the Top Ten most popular posts (by number of independent views, starting with the most viewed) since Point of Contact’s beginnings – your “fan favorites.” Here’s to many more years of staying in touch!

–Katherine

Starting a Dialogue: Claudia La Rocco and the virtue of good criticism

Published March 5, 2015 
This is one of my favorite things that I’ve written, mixing some reflections on the current state of dance writing and dance history with a review of Danspace Project’s PLATFORMS 2015 program Dancers, Buildings and People in the Street, curated by Claudia La Rocco.

Ailey’s Legacy, At Home in St. Louis

Published July 24, 2015
Point of Contact’s first official interview. Earlier this year, I spoke with Kelly Pollock, Executive Director of St. Louis’s Center of Creative Arts, about the Center’s exciting new faculty announcement and their goal of making the city a national hub for dance and the arts.

Marvelous Martha – Eighty-eight years later, the company is as fresh as ever

Published March 22, 2014
The title for this review really says it all – the Martha Graham Dance Company is a New York staple, and their innovative mix of classic Graham works with new commissions from prominent international choreographers makes for an exciting evening of dance. Read this to prepare yourself for the company’s landmark 90th Anniversary Season, coming up this spring at New York City Center.

Making Space Together – Strong showing from The Median Movement in Gowanus

Published April 26, 2015
Point of Contact ventured to the awesome Green Building in Gowanus to catch The Median Movement, led by Alex Springer and Xan Burley. A great example of the ambitious work coming from young choreographers, and proof that a small company can still make a big impression.

Columbia Ballet Collaborative returns to MMAC for Fall 2014 performance season

Published November 12, 2014
Young dancers are an essential part of the dance community, and Columbia Ballet Collaborative is one group that gives talented Columbia students a chance to be part of the New York City dance scene. This preview visited these next generation dancers in the final week of rehearsal before their Fall 2015 performances.

Fragmented, but still whole – DD Dorvillier’s “A catalogue of steps” at Danspace Project

Published May 30, 2014
I’ve been a fan of DD Dorvillier’s work for a while, and “A catalogue of steps” was an excellent opportunity to get inside her creative process. Part performance and part exhibition, this work played with the idea of archiving dance, and questions whether the record of crafting a dance might prove more significant than the eventual performance.

Muscle Memory: Ori Flomin and dancers premiere new work at Gibney

Published March 19, 2015
In Ori Flomin’s work First Move, the creation of a dance involves much more than just the people in the rehearsal studio. For his piece, Flomin surveyed more than 40 colleagues about their memorable dance moments, and threads these personal histories into his own story of living a life in movement.

Who is the Dancer and What is the Dance? Wayne McGregor and Random Dance begin U.S. Tour of “FAR”

Published January 16, 2014
This was Point of Contact’s first on-the-road review – while making a visit to my hometown of Minneapolis, I was able to catch this Random Dance’s performance of the evening length work FAR. Exploring the relationship between mind and body, this piece exemplifies the fast-paced, athletic-yet-balletic style of this very popular British choreographer.

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Unleashing the Rhythms of Childhood – A world premiere from Camille A. Brown & Dancers at the Joyce Theater

Published October 8, 2015
Camille A. Brown’s latest work, BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play, generated a lot of buzz. Through an intricate fusion of childhood games and dances, from stepping to double dutch, Camille A. Brown and her fellow dancers tell the stories of black girlhood and childhood joy that are all too often overlooked in modern America.