Bernstein at 100: Marina Del Rey Symphony Ballet at Burton Chase Park
There is so much love in the review from Broadway World, written by Valerie-Jean Miller. Here is a paragraph on West Side Story Suites, but check out the whole review here.
"The grand finale was a perfect last piece. The Orchestra played the bejesus out of "Symphonic Dances from 'West Side Story, '" the iconic genius combination of Leonard Bernstein's music and Jerome Robbin's Choreography. The dancers were on their toes, in the air, on the ground, double-pirouetting and acting out in movement, the story of two New York gangs in the 1960s, what life was like and the tragedy that befalls them. ..... They took us through the "Prologue," the Adagio of "Somewhere" with beautiful partner work, clean and lovingly executed, the gym dance, or "Mambo" which was pure fun to watch, as they mixed balletic dancing with playful antics, interesting lifts and break out in a feverish mambo challenge and group section that made the musical notes seem to dance off the page and come to life. Followed by the Meeting Scene, and the famous "Cool" jazz sequence, the Rumble, and then the soaringly exquisite "Finale," each section was cleverly a mixture of an homage to Mr. Robbins and some inventive, substantial choreography.
I loved the dance sections where acrobatics and tumbling, the knee spins, double and triple pirouettes, and a few flick-kick jumps that I've never quite seen before were used to accent the urgency, intertwined with strong balletic movements that swept you away. All perfectly aligned and placed and performed excellently."
There is so much love in the review from Broadway World, written by Valerie-Jean Miller. Here is a paragraph on West Side Story Suites, but check out the whole review here.
"The grand finale was a perfect last piece. The Orchestra played the bejesus out of "Symphonic Dances from 'West Side Story, '" the iconic genius combination of Leonard Bernstein's music and Jerome Robbin's Choreography. The dancers were on their toes, in the air, on the ground, double-pirouetting and acting out in movement, the story of two New York gangs in the 1960s, what life was like and the tragedy that befalls them. ..... They took us through the "Prologue," the Adagio of "Somewhere" with beautiful partner work, clean and lovingly executed, the gym dance, or "Mambo" which was pure fun to watch, as they mixed balletic dancing with playful antics, interesting lifts and break out in a feverish mambo challenge and group section that made the musical notes seem to dance off the page and come to life. Followed by the Meeting Scene, and the famous "Cool" jazz sequence, the Rumble, and then the soaringly exquisite "Finale," each section was cleverly a mixture of an homage to Mr. Robbins and some inventive, substantial choreography.
I loved the dance sections where acrobatics and tumbling, the knee spins, double and triple pirouettes, and a few flick-kick jumps that I've never quite seen before were used to accent the urgency, intertwined with strong balletic movements that swept you away. All perfectly aligned and placed and performed excellently."
F_ckYourPolitics
We won our first (of many we hope) film festivals as Best Experimental Film at the Oniros Film Awards based out of Italy. We are so proud of our collaborative team of artists and dancers and look forward to the possibility of many more festival accolades.
Welcome To The White Room
-and dance choreographer Nancy Dobbs Owen's highly original take on the tango and you’ve got one of Theatre Of NOTE’s best designed and choreographed productions ever.
*StageSceneLA
-Marcks and Gardner, and then Marcks and Uy, dance seductive tangos thanks to dance choreography by Nancy Dobbs Owen
*BroadwayWorld
-Dancing a very hot, almost violent tango by Nancy Dobbs Owen....
*Los Angeles Beat
Scenie Winner: Outstanding Choreography
-and dance choreographer Nancy Dobbs Owen's highly original take on the tango and you’ve got one of Theatre Of NOTE’s best designed and choreographed productions ever.
*StageSceneLA
-Marcks and Gardner, and then Marcks and Uy, dance seductive tangos thanks to dance choreography by Nancy Dobbs Owen
*BroadwayWorld
-Dancing a very hot, almost violent tango by Nancy Dobbs Owen....
*Los Angeles Beat
Scenie Winner: Outstanding Choreography
Enron
-Add to all of the above a song-and-dance number to accompany a commodities-trading sequence and a thrilling eight-combatant Star Wars-style light saber duel to illustrate California’s electricity deregulation and Enron simply could not be more theatrical....
Owen’s inventive choreography (which her cast execute quite splendidly with Yoder as dance captain) and.....exhilarating fight choreography both deserve thumbs up as does Daniel Halden’s vocal direction of barbershop foursome Buis, Jones, McClure, and Nazemetz.
*StageSceneLA
-... and choreography by Nancy Dobbs Owen enliven this ambitious undertaking.
*Frontiers Media
-Director August Viverito, with help from choreographer Nancy Dobbs Owen, has injected as much energy and spunk into the evening as possible and the dedicated cast goes at it full bore
*Haines His Way
Scenie Winner: Outstanding Choreography
-Add to all of the above a song-and-dance number to accompany a commodities-trading sequence and a thrilling eight-combatant Star Wars-style light saber duel to illustrate California’s electricity deregulation and Enron simply could not be more theatrical....
Owen’s inventive choreography (which her cast execute quite splendidly with Yoder as dance captain) and.....exhilarating fight choreography both deserve thumbs up as does Daniel Halden’s vocal direction of barbershop foursome Buis, Jones, McClure, and Nazemetz.
*StageSceneLA
-... and choreography by Nancy Dobbs Owen enliven this ambitious undertaking.
*Frontiers Media
-Director August Viverito, with help from choreographer Nancy Dobbs Owen, has injected as much energy and spunk into the evening as possible and the dedicated cast goes at it full bore
*Haines His Way
Scenie Winner: Outstanding Choreography
Where's Charley?
-Pinto dances some nicely athletic choreography by Nancy Dobbs Owen that’s certainly fun to watch.
*SF Examiner
-Choreographer Nancy Dobbs Owen manages to find some lively dance moves that don't push the cast beyond its limits.
*Bay Area Reporter Online
-overall, the big numbers are fun and well choreographed (Nancy Dobbs Owen)
*Theatre Eddys
-Pinto dances some nicely athletic choreography by Nancy Dobbs Owen that’s certainly fun to watch.
*SF Examiner
-Choreographer Nancy Dobbs Owen manages to find some lively dance moves that don't push the cast beyond its limits.
*Bay Area Reporter Online
-overall, the big numbers are fun and well choreographed (Nancy Dobbs Owen)
*Theatre Eddys
*War Bride
-Macher and director Nancy Dobbs Owen have a field day skewering a gamut of melodramatic tropes by slathering them with a rich sauce of Sirkian irony and J-Horror.
*LA Weekly (Note: this was a positive review. We asked)
War Bride, now getting its World Premiere production by SkyPilot Theatre, astutely directed and imaginatively choreographed by Nancy Dobbs Owen.
*StageSceneLA
-“War Bride” is a wonderfully written play and cleverly directed with some of the most intense stage performances you will see. It is a moving and passionate play that you will remember long after you see it.
*NOHO Arts
-Director Nancy Dobbs Owen creates a moving piece of theater through the combination of fine acting, production work, and symbolism. She inspires moving performances from her actors.
*Tolucan Times
-Director-choreographer Nancy Dobbs Owen furthers the mounting dread with a Butoh-inspired chorus of writhing ghosts depicting Yumi’s inner torment
*LA Times
*Numerous Scenies: Direction, Acting, Writing, Choreography
-Macher and director Nancy Dobbs Owen have a field day skewering a gamut of melodramatic tropes by slathering them with a rich sauce of Sirkian irony and J-Horror.
*LA Weekly (Note: this was a positive review. We asked)
War Bride, now getting its World Premiere production by SkyPilot Theatre, astutely directed and imaginatively choreographed by Nancy Dobbs Owen.
*StageSceneLA
-“War Bride” is a wonderfully written play and cleverly directed with some of the most intense stage performances you will see. It is a moving and passionate play that you will remember long after you see it.
*NOHO Arts
-Director Nancy Dobbs Owen creates a moving piece of theater through the combination of fine acting, production work, and symbolism. She inspires moving performances from her actors.
*Tolucan Times
-Director-choreographer Nancy Dobbs Owen furthers the mounting dread with a Butoh-inspired chorus of writhing ghosts depicting Yumi’s inner torment
*LA Times
*Numerous Scenies: Direction, Acting, Writing, Choreography
Working
It’s Working’s musical numbers, however, that make it such a crowd-pleaser, especially as directed by August Viverito (on top of his game) and choreographed by Nancy Dobbs Owen (seamlessly integrating movement and dance into Viverito-directed scenes).
*StageSceneLA
Scenie Winner: Outstanding Choreography
It’s Working’s musical numbers, however, that make it such a crowd-pleaser, especially as directed by August Viverito (on top of his game) and choreographed by Nancy Dobbs Owen (seamlessly integrating movement and dance into Viverito-directed scenes).
*StageSceneLA
Scenie Winner: Outstanding Choreography
Skeleton Stories
-When mother and daughter unite, their simple and beautiful pas de deux, choreographed by Nancy Dobbs Owen, suffuses the reunion with tenderness.
*StageRaw
BWW: Best Choreography
-When mother and daughter unite, their simple and beautiful pas de deux, choreographed by Nancy Dobbs Owen, suffuses the reunion with tenderness.
*StageRaw
BWW: Best Choreography