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 […]
The year 2011 was filled with show-stopping onstage moments and exciting offstage drama. Whether you were captivated by New York City Ballet star Sara Mearns’ 32 fouettés in Swan Lake or danced along in your seat as Sutton Foster led the Broadway cast of Anything Goes through a series of time steps, there’s no doubt […]
If you haven’t heard of Lil’ Buck, you are a) behind on your DS reading! Check him out in our “Most Influential People of 2011” feature; and b) MISSING OUT. The talented dancer is spreading the gospel of “jookin’,” a hip hop style that originated in his hometown of Memphis, TN. Jookin’ is awesome—and almost […]