The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball

Last updated
The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball
GenreR&B, hip hop, funk, modern, rock
DatesMonthly showcase
Location(s) Hollywood, New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo
Years active2000–present
Founders Carey Ysais, Paulette Azizian
Website Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

"The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball" show is the longest-running dance show in Southern California, United States, and a popular monthly showcase of the top/elite choreographers in the world (video, music, and film). The show is run in Hollywood, with satellite choreographer's balls in Chicago, New York, Sydney, London, and Tokyo.

Contents

The show is considered the dance community's ultimate competitive venue for choreographers to perform or display their work. [1] [2] [3] [ failed verification ]

Origin

The show was created by Los Angeles choreographers Carey Ysais and Paulette Azizian in 1998 to give working choreographers and dancers a venue where they could have free artistic expression without the constraints of an artist, a director, or a script. [4] Ysais modeled the show after a similar choreographer showcase that had run at Prince's Glam Slam nightclub in Los Angeles in the 1990s. The first venue was the Key Club on the Sunset Strip, and was promoted in partnership with DMK Entertainment.

Shows and performance types

In order to be on the show, choreographers have to submit video tapes of their work in advance and/or audition, with established and elite choreographers given free access.

Performances include street dance, popping, funk, hip hop, tap dancing, modern, ballet, lyrical dance, spoken word, and performance art. Each show has up to 14 choreographers and/or their dancers who are given up to "five minutes of freedom" to work artistically and perform before their peers.

Each performance (i.e., "piece") in the show is similar to a mini-musical, with an overall theme, props, costumes, and dance styles. Virtually any kind of dance music might be played or various music styles combined. However, many pieces are known for being edgy and provocative.

Some choreographers use the show for dance experimentation.

The first show of the year is usually an anniversary show, the latest "The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball 14th Anniversary Show," where the dance community celebrates the year in review. Choreographer awards and/or tributes are presented to their peers, or a person or group is recognized for outstanding achievement in the field of dance or choreography, including Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Success

Talent agents for movie, music, and television productions regularly attend "The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball" shows searching for talent. Many dancers get industry work after performing at the show. It is estimated that up to "30 percent of participating dancers get bookings" as a result of being in a Choreographer Ball show. [5] [6]

The show often includes special guests and appearances by many of the top dancers and choreographers including Paula Abdul, Travis Payne, Kenny Ortega, and Wade Robson. The audience is usually populated with many of the top songwriters and musical acts in the entertainment business. [7] [8]

Regular hosts include:

Anniversary shows and achievement awards

The following gala award shows were celebrated by the dance community where awards and/or tributes were given to their peers for excellence or outstanding achievement in the field of choreography.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paula Abdul</span> American singer (born 1962)

Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographer for the Laker Girls, where she was discovered by the Jacksons. After choreographing music videos for Janet Jackson, Abdul became a choreographer at the height of the music video era and soon thereafter she was signed to Virgin Records. Her debut studio album Forever Your Girl (1988) became one of the most successful debut albums at that time, selling seven million copies in the United States and setting a record for the most number-one singles from a debut album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", and "Opposites Attract". Her second album Spellbound (1991) scored her two more chart-toppers – "Rush Rush" and "The Promise of a New Day". With six number-one singles on Hot 100, Abdul tied Diana Ross for the third-most chart-toppers among female solo artists at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbie Allen</span> American actress (born 1950)

Deborah Kaye Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards. She has won a Golden Globe Award, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Stroman</span> American theatre director and choreographer

Susan P. Stroman is an American theatre director, choreographer, and performer. Her notable theater productions include Oklahoma!, The Music Man, Crazy for You, Contact, The Producers, The Frogs, The Scottsboro Boys, Bullets Over Broadway, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, and New York, New York.

Gawain Garth Fagan, CD is a Jamaican modern dance choreographer. He is the founder and artistic director of Garth Fagan Dance, a modern dance company based in Rochester, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Klapow</span> American choreographer

Charles "Chucky" Klapow is an American choreographer and dance instructor who has performed and choreographed for various performers and several television and stage productions. He is also known for his teachings on the mental approach to dance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Antin</span> American dancer

Robin Antin is an American dancer and choreographer. In 1995, she founded the modern burlesque troupe the Pussycat Dolls. By 2005, she diversified into various media including a pop recording group with international hits, a Las Vegas nightclub venue and floor show, various merchandise, and a reality television series. Since then, she has gone on to create other girl groups, including G.R.L., Girlicious and Paradiso Girls.

The Electric Boogaloos are a street dance crew responsible for the spread of popping and electric boogaloo. The name "Boogaloo" came from a song called "Do a Boogaloo" by James Brown, which was also adapted as a Boogaloo street dance done from Oakland, CA. They were founded by Boogaloo Sam in Fresno, California in 1977. Their original name was the Electronic Boogaloo Lockers but "Lockers" was dropped the following year.

Brian L. Friedman is an American dancer and choreographer.

Audrey Wood Breaux, better known as Dee Dee Wood, was an American choreographer. She was best known for her work on musical films of the 1960s and 1970s, especially for The Sound of Music, one of the highest-grossing musicals of all time.

Graciela Daniele is an Argentine-American dancer, choreographer, and theatre director.

The American Choreography Awards was a ceremony and show that honored outstanding choreographers in the fields of feature film, television, music videos, and commercials. They were first known as the L.A. Dance Awards (1994–95), then as Bob Fosse Awards, and a.k.a. Fosse’s (1996–97), and eventually the American Choreography Awards (1998-'04). Each year in the fall, they were held at a different location in Los Angeles, California. These include places such as the Orpheum Theatre, El Capitan Theatre, Alex Theatre, Wilshire Ebell Theatre, The Hollywood Palace, The Museum of Flying, The Century Club, and Club Tatou.

Alexandre Magno is a Brazilian born choreographer and director. His dance styles include hip-hop, jazz, ballet, samba, flamenco, tango, salsa, and martial arts. He has performed with Madonna, Yanni, Britney Spears, the Lido La Tourné, Ballet Hispanico, the Ringling Brothers Circus, and the Academy Awards. He also works with his own dance company, “Personna Dance Theatre".

Tyce Diorio is an American dancer and choreographer. He is best known for his work as a choreographer and guest judge on the Fox television series So You Think You Can Dance. He has choreographed and performed with Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, and Taylor Swift. He won an Emmy Award in 2009 for Outstanding Choreography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travis Payne</span> American choreographer, director and producer

Travis Payne is an American choreographer, director, and producer. He was the choreographer for Michael Jackson's This Is It until Jackson's death. Payne also served as the associate producer for This Is It and along with the director, Kenny Ortega, was extensively and intimately involved in the making of the film. To date, This Is It worldwide gross revenue totaled $261.3 million during its theatrical run, making it the highest-grossing documentary or concert movie of all time.

Margo Sappington is an American choreographer and dancer. She was nominated in 1975 for both a Tony Award as Best Choreographer and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography for her work on the play Where's Charley?. In 1988, her ballet Virgin Forest was the subject of an award-winning documentary by PBS. In 2005 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award for choreography from the Joffrey Ballet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toni Basil</span> American singer (born 1943)

Antonia Christina Basilotta, better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer, choreographer, dancer, actress, and director. Her cover of the song "Mickey" topped the charts in the US, Canada and Australia and hit the top ten in several other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Joann Thompson</span> American actress (born 1969)

Lisa Joann Thompson is an American dancer, choreographer, actress, and model involved in multiple areas of show business. She was a Warrior Girl, Laker Girl, Fly Girl, Motown Live Dancer, and Backup dancer to some of the most prominent artists in the music industry. She starred in the hit television show In Living Color as a Fly Girl during seasons 4 and 5, and was assistant choreographer during season 5.

Julie McDonald is a talent agent and co-founder of McDonald Selznick Associates (MSA), an agency headquartered in Hollywood, California, that represents dancers, choreographers, stage directors, and production designers. She is best known for being the first dance agent i.e. the first talent agent to offer commercial representation for dancers.

Carey Ysais is an American dancer and choreographer. He is best known as the co-founder, director, and executive producer of a popular monthly show called The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball, which is also the longest running dance show in Los Angeles California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography</span>

The Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography celebrate outstanding dance and choreography in theatre, both on Broadway and Off-Broadway and in film at an annual ceremony in New York City at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. Now carrying the namesake of two-time Tony-winning dance icon Chita Rivera, The Rivera Awards will be presented under the auspices of American Dance Machine, an organization dedicated to the preservation of great musical-theater choreography.

References

  1. "Carnival News". The Carnival. Archived from the original on September 30, 2008.
  2. Carey; Paulette; Kimo; DMK. "The official Choreographer". The Carnival. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011.
  3. "West Hollywood, CA – Events, News, Schools and Restaurants: Carnival – Choreographer's Ball". American Towns.
  4. "Carnival Choreographers Ball 2010 – Carey Ysais & Paulette Azizian". Dance Plug. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012.
  5. Wanberg, Katrin. "Carnival: A Choreographer's Ball". Carnival News. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009.
  6. Jones, Jen. "Bright Lights, Big Talent". CBS. Archived from the original on July 22, 2009.
  7. "The Carnival Choreographer Ball 11th yr anniversary show". KTLA . Archived from the original on September 17, 2012.
  8. Los Angeles Events. "The Carnival "Choreographer's Ball". Going LA.[ dead link ]
  9. Carey Paulette Kimco. "January 2013 14th Yr Anniversary". The Carnival: Choreographers' Ball.
  10. DeSocio, Jeffrey Thomas. "Bust a Move! The Choreographers Ball has come to town". KTTV . Archived from the original on January 30, 2013.
  11. Perry, Aliya (February 22, 2012). "Carnival Celebrates Its 13th Anniversary". TIV Awards. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013.
  12. PacificRimVideoPress. "Choreographers Carnival Founder Carey Yasis at the 12 yr Anniversary". YouTube.
  13. DancePlug (February 1, 2010). "Carnival Choreographer's Ball 11th Anniversary". Dance Bloggers. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  14. "The Carnival: Getting The "Groove On" For 10 Years". Hollywire.com. February 2, 2009. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  15. Segal, Lewis (February 1, 2008). "Dance Review: At least dancers had a 'Ball'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 5, 2012.