Dance

Stuart Hodes, who danced with Martha Graham in the 1940s and ’50s and who for the rest of his life served the field of dance as a performer, choreographer, educator, administrator and author, died on Wednesday in Manhattan. He was 98. His daughter Martha Hodes confirmed the death, in a hospital. Mr. Hodes did not … Read more

PARIS — “Angels empty the pockets of a violinist. / A woman in red. A mound of filth.” So read lines written by Bobbi Jene Smith in a poetic evocation of her new work, “Pit,” for the Paris Opera Ballet. Created with Or Schraiber, it’s the duo’s first work for the company, and its title, … Read more

The singer-songwriter Bill Withers grew up in Slab Fork, a coal-mining camp in West Virginia. He struggled with a stutter and served as a mechanic in the Navy. These biographical facts help illuminate some of the sources of his idiosyncratic songs, homespun and soulful, simple and often profound. These facts are also heard, in recordings … Read more

LONDON — In the summer of 1891, a group of singers from the Cape in South Africa embarked on an unlikely enterprise. Calling themselves the African Choir, they sailed to England to earn money to build a school for their community. On a two-year tour, they performed traditional African songs, Christian hymns and English ballads, … Read more

LONDON — Lynn Seymour, a ballerina who was widely hailed over her long career as one of the greatest of all dance actors, died on March 7 in London. She was 83. Her death was announced by the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, where she had performed for many years as a principal, and later … Read more

New work has always been an important element of the Vail Dance Festival: Since becoming artistic director in 2007, Damian Woetzel has commissioned over 100 pieces. This year, 10 choreographers and four composers will create new works for an eclectic assortment of performers. They include the American Ballet Theater principals Calvin Royal III, Isabella Boylston … Read more