March 1, 2011 - 10:13pm
Bad Boys of Dance make ballet accessible, contemporary
BY ERIN STEELE
As much as I hate to admit it, I know that going to the ballet is not on the top of most people’s to-do list. Since the dawn of popular TV shows "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing with the Stars," most Americans have come to appreciate dance from the comfort of their living room couches and have no need to venture out and wrap their minds around more abstract performances by ballet and modern companies. However, there is a compromise, and it’s called The Bad Boys of Dance.
Founded by former American Ballet Theater principal dancer Rasta Thomas, The Bad Boys of Dance is a relatively new company comprised of dancers from multiple backgrounds, including Broadway, ballet schools and the competition circuit. The choreography combines tap, jazz, gymnastics and hip hop with its strong ballet influences to create performances that pay homage to the effortless beauty of classical ballet while delivering the more accessible "wow factor" of commercial dance.
What really makes the company interesting is its cast, which has included "SYTYCD" alums Danny Tidwell and Nick Lazzarini and now features Broadway dancers Robbie Nicholson and Chase Madigan. The company also tours with The Pretty Girls of Dance, led by Thomas’s wife Adrienne Canterna and featuring Jaimie Goodwin, who some of you may recognize from "SYTYCD" season three. As someone who grew up dancing in the competition circuit, I also enjoy watching a highly talented company comprised of many young dancers who I have met and competed against.
The Bad Boys and Pretty Girls of Dance will spend most of 2011 touring Europe with their show "Rock the Ballet"; however, I am very much looking forward to their United States tour, which is supposedly happening at the end of the year and continuing into 2012. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for this up-and-coming group. I guarantee they’ll convert you into a ballet fanatic if you’re not one already.
