There’s a chance you’ve never heard of jookin’, a Memphis-grown form of street dance. But if you have, chances are it’s because of Charles Riley, or Lil Buck. Buck began pursuing jookin’ seriously at age 13, when he realized his dream of becoming a backup dancer. Little did he know that one day, he would […]
Patrick Fraser was a widely respected portrait and lifestyle photographer when he met his now-wife, ballerina Carla Körbes. Through Körbes, he discovered the visual richness of dance. Soon, he was shooting world-class dancers in promotional campaigns for Pacific Northwest Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Fraser also became a regular at the Vail Dance Festival, where […]
The wait for Disney’s reimagining of The Nutcracker is over. Although The Nutcracker and The Four Realms is not a full-length ballet, woven into the plot is a five-minute performance by megastars Misty Copeland and Sergei Polunin alongside 18 supporting dancers, with a CGI Mouse King moved by jookin sensation Lil Buck (aka Charles Riley). […]
As the traditional Nutcracker hits ballet company stages across the country this month, Disney presents an updated take with the film The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. A fusion of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by E.T.A. Hoffmann, and The Nutcracker ballet, the movie follows Clara as she unlocks a box from her late […]
When we first heard about Disney’s live-action film The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, we honestly weren’t sure what to expect. Would it bear any resemblance to the ballet story we know alllllllll too well? Would it be light and fun, or dark and dramatic? Most importantly, would it involve dancing? Well, the first trailer […]
“If we’re serious about correcting the imbalance created by decades of inequality, we have to do more than just be silent.” That’s how lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson frames the problem of racial injustice in America, especially in the prison system. And dance artists Jon Boogz and Lil Buck have responded to his call to […]
Dancers (including director Damian Woetzel, right) rocking out at the Vail International Dance Festival. Photo by Caitie Kakigi. National Dance Day is this Saturday, July 27—and the town of Vail, Colorado, home of the awesome Vail International Dance Festival, is celebrating in style with a three-hour dance-a-thon fundraiser. (It’ll benefit four dance-y organizations, including the […]
Gap has featured plenty of mainstream celebrities in past ads. (Remember that adorable Claire Danes khaki commercial?) But we’re especially excited about its fall ad campaign this year, because it highlights a couple of familiar dance faces: “jookin’” star Lil’ Buck and San Francisco Ballet’s Yuan Yuan Tan. Called Shine, the marketing campaign recognizes “emerging […]