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    The Arthropologist

    No worries: New art & dance virgins headed to Houston

    Nancy Wozny
    Mar 25, 2010 | 9:56 pm
    • Joseph Hernandez and Ashley Lynn Gilfix of Ballet Austin in the New AmericanTalent/Dance program performing "The Whistling," choreographed by Dominic Walsh
      Photo by Tony Spielberg
    • Dancers Jaime Lynn Witts, from left, Joseph Hernandez, Christopher Swaim andMichelle Thompson in a performance choreographed by Nelly van Bommell
      Photo by Tony Spielberg

    There's more blooming in Texas than my shocking pink azaleas. This weekend, at least four new dances are born, three at Ballet Austin's New American Talent/Dance (one by hometown choreographer Dominic Walsh), and another right here in Houston at Hope Center.

    Later on this spring, Bootown's Houston Finge Festival gives local actors, playwrights and dancers a chance to strut their new stuff at numerous venues about town. DiverseWorks' residency features freshly cooked dances by Toni Valle of 6 Degrees and Amy Ell of Vault. Sara Draper of Dancepatheatre started a Young Choreographer's Mentorship Program and Danceplorations, which gives emerging artists a chance to show off some new dances on April 17.

    Making new work possible is not easy.

    It takes space, money and people who care about the next generation of artists. Structures need to exist to give artists a chance to experiment, get feedback and try out new ideas. Stepping stones need to be in place that help artists travel from idea to fully staged productions. Despite the flurry of activity, I still worry about where new work is going to come from.

    If they don't make stuff what will I write about? Beer? (It's all about me don't you know.)

     No Worries, Be Dancin'

    Jane Weiner of Hope Stone doesn't waste her time worrying, instead she set up Hopewerks, a residency program for choreographers. Artists get space, time and an informal performance opportunity.

    This weekend, Catalina Molnari presents Why do We Need Extra Buttons on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at Hope Center. Molnari, a well-known local dancer, had been suffering from a bad case of choreographer's block, and had not created much new work since leaving University of Houston.

    "Jane urged me to do it and once I signed up I wondered what I had gotten myself into," Molnari says. "But once I started, ideas just flowed, dancers appeared, and the process was really easy and painless." Molnari is convinced she would not have taken this step if Hopewerks had not existed. Next up for a residency is last week's ex-New Yorker Erin Reck.

     No Crying, Just Do It

    Just a like a baby, new art needs a little push, and that goes for more seasoned artists as well. Ballet Austin artistic director Stephen Mills places the incubation of new work central to his company's mission.

    "We are a small ensemble company and can't do everything," he says, from his sleek, relatively, new headquarters in Austin. "But we can make the creation of new work our own circle of genius." Mills is on his third round of New Talent, a leading ballet choreography competition.

    He is about the most worldly ballet guy I know. He wants to have an impact in his city and the dance world, which is keenly paying attention to his savvy competition. After Mills and his team weaned down the 75 applications to 10, three jurors culled the applicants down to a final three, Walsh, KT Nelson and Nelly van Bommel.

    This weekend, the audience will have the last word, American Idol style, selecting the winner. And it gets better, there's prize money.

    Mills enjoys watching the flourishing careers' of past winners. This season, he invited past Audience Choice Award winner Thang Dao to set a new work on Austin Ballet II.

    Walsh set Whistling, a nostaglic romp through Latin Mambos, on Ballet Austin in a week.

    "Because Stephen is a choreographer the company is used to having work set on them," Walsh says. "They have a great ability to retain information and pick up details really quickly. "Our styles are really different, but I really like what he's doing with the company."

    As for the audience voting, Walsh is on board. "If you can't beat 'em join 'em," he says. "It's really clever to use pop culture to get people jazzed about dance."

     A Chance for Dance Virgins

    Sometimes, it takes a wide-open approach to encourage an artist to take that first step. That's why Bootown's Emily Hynds runs a non-curated festival. If you can fill out the paperwork, you are in. Maybe you have a tiny dance idea and just want to get your art-making feet wet. Not a problem, in June, The Big Range Dance Festival features A Dance Gathering, an open evening of four-minute dances.

    Just sign up and the stage is yours.

    More good news is on the horizon. Should funding be secured, 12 Minutes Max and Monday Night Football, two long forgotten art ovens, will return next year thanks to Sixto Wagan of DiverseWorks and Christina Giannelli of Dance Source Houston.

    So there you have it, numerous reasons for me to quit all that worrying. I hope to see you at one of these hatchings soon — and pass the cigar!

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    Movie Review

    New Superman movie forges into the future while honoring the past

    Alex Bentley
    Jul 11, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    David Corenswet in Superman
    Photo by Jessica Miglio
    David Corenswet in Superman.

    When the character of Superman was invented in 1938, it was perhaps easier to see the world in good and bad terms. Fascism was already on the rise in Germany under Adolf Hitler, and the idea of an all-powerful superhero who stood up for people in need was a welcome one. In the nearly 90 years since, though, the world and the character have undergone multiple evolutions, and the thought of someone who is purely good is often met with cynicism or worse.

    The new Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, puts the superhero (or metahuman, as the film calls him and similar creatures) squarely in the midst of the modern world, with geopolitical conflicts, mega-corporations, and social media all combining to make the altruism of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) questionable. That skepticism even extends to his coworker/girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whose knowledge of his exploits puts her in a tricky position personally and professionally.

    Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is out to dominate the world and take down Superman, with his eponymous corporation and vast group of underlings dedicated to doing both. Superman is generally a one-man fighting crew, but he’s occasionally aided by a group calling themselves the Justice Gang, comprised of heroes many have never heard of like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a version of Green Lantern; Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), a flying metahuman; and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who knows all kinds of technology.

    One of the best things about this new version of Superman is that it mostly dispenses with introductions, putting the audience in a world where Superman is already a well-known quantity who’s adored by many and hated by some. Gunn has used his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios to honor the past of the hero and take him into the future. With the 1978 John Williams theme song echoing throughout and Corenswet giving off Christopher Reeve vibes, it’s clear Gunn wants audiences to feel nostalgia while still getting something new.

    He also appears to want viewers to fight against the negativity that the modern world can bring. The plot involves manipulation of the public, usually at the hands of Luthor, through bombastic talk shows, political theater, and social media, the latter of which — in a great joke — comes to involve hundreds of typing monkeys. The film could be read as a rebuttal of many real-world ills as, despite Luthor’s machinations, many choose to continue to believe in the goodness of Superman.

    There is a lot going on in the film, but somehow it never comes off as overly complicated. Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and Luthor’s attempts at taking him down are given the most prominence, with everything else supporting those two main things. The Justice Gang is a fun addition, with Mr. Terrific becoming the breakout hero of the group. The addition of the (CGI) dog Krypto provides levity, poignant moments, and unexpectedly great action scenes. The only part that gets somewhat short shrift is the crew of The Daily Planet, with everyone besides Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) getting little more than face time.

    Being the new Superman is a lot to live up to, but Corenswet is completely up to the job. He, like Reeve, plays the character as someone who is earnest but not naive, a quality that comes through even when he’s in the middle of fight scenes. Brosnahan is also fantastic, providing a nice balance to the relationship while also proving the character’s own worth. Hoult makes for a great new version of Luthor, and Gathegi nearly makes the case that Mr. Terrific should get a starring film of his own.

    Just as he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn has shown that success can be found through making characters people want to see. Not everyone in this Superman will be familiar to viewers, but in the end a group of people working together toward a goal that serves the common good is one worth watching and cheering for.

    ---

    Superman is now playing in theaters.

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