Pop Culture

Now he’s back, in a big way, with two major debuts that place him right at the center of our cultural moment. On Showtime, he has a lead role acting in a dark, dramatic series called “American Rust,” which debuted in Sep­tember.­ This month he will be coming to a movie theater near you in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story, the pioneering 1957 musical (and 1961 film) about warring gangs in New York City. He plays Bernardo, the charismatic, proud and sometimes violent leader of the Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks.

It’s a lot for a 27-year-old who just two years ago was an undergraduate with no plans to return to the stage. But when I ask whether working on two high-profile projects back-to-back was intimidating, he gives a characteristically low-key, thoughtful response: “You know, it’s almost as if I’ve been making sure that I’m ready and prepared for the things that are thrown at me.”

He wasn’t planning to audition for West Side Story, he says. One day, out of the blue, the casting director Cindy Tolan reached out to him on social media. “I was so confused by it,” says Alvarez. “I couldn’t understand why she was messaging me after I had disappeared from the face of the earth for the last six years.” But it turned out that she, too, remembered him from Billy Elliot.

Justin Peck created the choreography for the new film; the original was famously choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Peck recalls the audition: “He just had a spark, and this real edge to the way he moves, despite the fact that he was a little rusty.” The two worked together closely, honing Bernardo’s movement style. For his part, Alvarez was deeply impressed by Peck’s grasp of the cinematic effect of the choreography. “Everything interconnects and weaves together beautifully,” Alvarez says. “He’s choreographing for how you look within the group and how the group looks within the picture. He’s always a step ahead of where you think he is.”

Though Alvarez had to get back into dancing shape, he says the process felt natural, “almost like riding a bike.” In fact, Peck explains, the quality of his dancing helped to shape the role. “We really embraced his sense of athletic classicism,” he says. “There are some moments of virtuosity that I maybe wouldn’t have choreographed otherwise.”

What impressed everyone on set even more was his ability to go deep, in a very quiet, direct way. “He has this ability to express a total spectrum of emotions just through his eyes,” says Peck. It’s something that comes through in his performance in “American Rust,” as well, a role in which he projects a deep vulnerability, verging on woundedness. And not only in his eyes. The way he moves reveals volumes about his character’s inner life. He’s not dancing, but he’s using his body to express what’s happening inside of him.

Ariana DeBose and David Alvarez as Anita and Bernardo in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story Niko Tavernise, Courtesy 20th Century Studios

This is a quality he has always had, certainly in Billy Elliot, but also when he was a promising young ballet student at American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. “He was like a little adult,” remembers Franco De Vita, who was then artistic director of the school. “Incredibly focused, quiet, reserved.” And intensely talented. It was clear to his teachers that he could have become a ballet star. “We thought he was going to be the next Fernando Bujones,” says De Vita, referring to the great Cuban-American dancer of the ’70s and ’80s.

Interestingly, both of Alvarez’s recent breakout roles depict working-class men of Latin-American heritage. Bernardo is Puerto Rican, and his character on “American Rust” is half Mexican. Alvarez himself is the son of Cuban immigrants, a cancer researcher and a former actress. He says his background helped him connect to these characters’ struggles. “I’ve heard so many stories from my aunts and uncles about what it’s like to come to a new country, start from zero, with no foundation, no context, having to create that for yourself.”

It helps that, according to both Alvarez and Peck, the Bernardo character in this adaptation of West Side Story is a more complex figure than he was in the 1961 film. The new screenplay is by the playwright Tony Kushner, writer of both Angels in America, a play about the AIDS crisis, and the screenplay for the movie Lincoln.

This time, it seems David Alvarez is here to stay. He says he’s open to anything, dancing roles, nondancing roles—it’s all about translating something that comes from inside. For years, he says, he was searching for something. But recently, he has realized that it’s okay to just follow his inclinations. “There really is nothing to search for,” he says, “because everything you’re looking for is right here, right now.”

Cloud & Victory The Sleep Eye Mask, $18

For the dancer as obsessed as we are with Cloud & Victory’s Instagram feed (and its endless laugh-out-loud memes), consider this clever sleep mask. Embroidered with the phrase ‘Visualising the Choreography,’ the satin sleep mask is perfect for catching a quick pre-performance power nap or settling in at home for an uninterrupted night’s sleep with a side of humor. The small, woman-owned business has plenty of other fun accessories, dancewear and, even, clothes to choose from, too (may we recommend The Tired Dancer Club Hoodie?).

Apartment No. 3 Lucky Charms Notebook, $20

A dance journal can be a helpful tool for keeping track of corrections, setting goals and staying inspired. The Lucky Charms Notebook is the perfect space for this with a mix of daily task pages, lined sheets for notes and art pages filled with words of encouragement. The notebook comes from Apartment No. 3, a home decor and accessories company that was founded by Diana Albrecht, a former professional dancer with The Washington Ballet and Boston Ballet. You can feel good about your purchase knowing that the company works directly with artisans around the world, focusing on ethical sourcing and sustainable practices.

Tiler Peck Virtual Master Classes, $150 per class

We might be biased, but it doesn’t get much better than having the opportunity to learn from New York City Ballet principal Tiler Peck. For Dance Media Live!, Peck is hosting hour-long Zoom lessons live from New York City Center. Covering everything from musicality and speed to teaching pantomime from story ballets like The Nutcracker, Peck will be giving dancers individual corrections throughout each session as well as offering a post-class Q&A with her students. You can gift a single class or purchase access to multiple sessions at a discounted rate.

True Botanicals Nature Bathing Forest Bath Soak, $38

Taking time to recover and relax is an essential part of training. And while that rest time looks different for everyone, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a dancer who doesn’t enjoy a warm bath to relieve their sore muscles. True Botanicals’ new Nature Bathing Forest Soak creates a spa-like experience at home with a blend of soothing ingredients to condition the skin and essential oils like lemon eucalyptus to promote relaxation. Because it uses multiple moisturizing ingredients like jojoba seed oil and aloe vera extract, it leaves skin feeling soft, even after an extra-long soak. True Botanicals works with the nonprofit organization MADE SAFE to ensure all of the brand’s products are made with ingredients that are nontoxic and nonirritating.

Nappytabs x Rhythm Jewellery Hoop Dream Earrings, $65–$189

Husband and wife choreographic duo Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo (better known as “Nappytabs”) teamed up with Canadian jewelry company Rhythm Jewellery for a new collection that’s available just in time for the holidays. Nappytabs’ Evolution collection features versatile pieces inspired by the diversity of the couple’s own artistic journey, which spans world tours, award shows and, of course, their Emmy Award–winning work on “So You Think You Can Dance.” The Hoop Dream Earrings can be worn three different ways to take you from the studio to a night out. Choose the hoop style on its own for a classic accessory, or attach the 14-karat rose-gold accent chain (either directly onto the hoop or along the stopper at the back of your earlobe) for something more statement-making. The hoops are available in two sizes in sterling silver, 10-karat yellow gold and 10-karat white gold.

RolflexPRO, $69.95

An upgrade from your average foam roller, the RolflexPRO utilizes leverage (instead of gravity) to roll out sore muscles more easily and with more control over the pressure used. The lightweight and portable design is small enough to store in a dance bag. And because it’s adjustable, you can use it to massage your hips as easily as your calves and feet. With a yellow foam roller on one side and double rollers on the opposite side, the device allows you to roll over joints without causing pain while deeply massaging the muscles.

Fenty Beauty Diamond Bomb All-Over Diamond Veil, $39

We’re of the firm belief that when it comes to onstage makeup, the more glitter, the better. If the dancer on your gift list has approximately 100 shows of The Nutcracker over the holiday season, this Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Diamond Bomb highlighter will keep them glowing. Available in platinum, copper and pink/gold shades, the highlighter has a unique jelly-powder formula that melts into the skin. Using a powder brush, it can be dusted along the high points of the face or swept all over the body (or both, if you’re like us).

BodyWrappers Ripstop Pants, $18.40

Warm-ups are always welcome in a dancer’s wardrobe, and the BodyWrappers Ripstop Pants (also known as the “trash bag pant” in the dance world) have been a longtime go-to for dancers of all levels and techniques. Designed to get dancers warmer faster, the pants come in black, deep teal and plum, and they feature elastic at the waist and the heels so that you can wear them long or roll them up.

Pivo Pod Lite, $100

For the dancer who is always filming combos from workshops, taking virtual classes or recording audition clips, the Pivo Pod Lite makes the whole thing more seamless. Designed for hands-free tracking as you move, Pivo includes an auto-zoom feature that allows you to film up close or from a distance. Available in six colors, it’s compact enough to bring with you wherever you go. While you can use the device as is, Pivo also offers tripods to give your filming more height and stability, and a remote control so you can stop and start on command.

Moondance Sculpture by Gina Klawitter, $320–$450

Fine artist Gina Klawitter combined sculpting and painting to develop her Figures In Fabric Sculptures technique. For her piece entitled Moondance, Klawitter worked with Philadelphia Ballet dancer Fernanda Oliveira as her model, molding fabric to capture her posed feet. Now, she’s offering smaller sculpture reproductions, in resin and perma-stone, that can be displayed on your wall or coffee table.

Gaynor Minden Studio Bag, $65.99

This versatile bag looks like a traditional backpack, but it also features top handles so you can carry it multiple ways. The Gaynor Minden Studio Bag is water-resistant with an easy-to-clean lining, and, most importantly, it was designed with multiple pockets (on the outside and the inside!) to organize an endless collection of warm-ups, shoes and hair ties.

Herbivore Botanicals Coco Rose Luxe Hydration Trio, $39

This Herbivore Botanicals beauty set comes with a perfect combination of products that dancers can store in their bag for studio use and at home. The Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist works for a mid-rehearsal pick-me-up, with its refreshing blend of moisture-binding hyaluronic acid, organic rose water and coconut water. The Coco Rose Lip Conditioner is another dance-bag staple that’s packed with smoothing and softening ingredients, like coconut oil and Moroccan rose oil, while the Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish can amp up your shower routine with its soft rose scent and mix of moisturizers and gentle exfoliators, like pink clay, coconut oil and shea butter.

Then Mark S. Hoebee, who danced in a touring production of Sweet Charity and is now the producing artistic director of Papermill Playhouse, did a duet with Pierre-Emile. Of course, then everyone wanted to duet with Mark.

Others jumped in, adding their own twists. Here are a few of our favorites:

This pastor, who took Fosse to the altar. Where the technique is lacking, the incense and the offertory make up for it.

The Rockettes, who traded kick lines for “All That Jazz,” employing their signature synchronicity

This burlesque hoop performer, who’s all of us who can’t wait to perform for live audiences again

This couple, who found the best way to pass time while baking a pie

Disabled dancer Kate Stanforth, who adapted the choreography

These flamingos with surprisingly good technique

Still, no one can do it better than the original Aloof dancer, Suzanne Charney.

What is copyrightable?

The Copyright Act of 1790 introduced a sense of ownership for creators, but did not incorporate choreography until its revision in 1976. Prior to this, the Copyright Act of 1909 could technically protect choreography as long as it fell under the category of drama. To be considered a “dramatic work,” the dance had to “tell a story, develop a character or express a theme or emotion by means of specific dance movements and physical actions.”

Under the Copyright Act of 1976, choreography is directly addressed and—once registered—protected as long as it is “fixed.” Attorney and former dancer Gregory DeSantis, who focuses his work on trademark and copyright law, says the definition of “fixed” choreography lies in the difference between something imagined and something tangible. “Thinking something in your head—not protectable,” he says. “Once you write it down somewhere, once you teach it to the dancers and you’ve fixed the choreographic work on a company, then there is something protectable.”

The United States Copyright Office defines a “fixation” in choreography or pantomime as something that allows movement to be performed in a “consistent and uniform manner.” Choreographers can fix their work through dance notation, video recording or textual descriptions or photographs. But to solely teach the choreography isn’t enough. It needs to be on paper or video, or documented somehow so it can be shared.

It seems simple, but there are exceptions. Common movements or activities, like yoga positions, line dances and exercise routines, are not copyrightable, even when they are unique. This even applies to the positions of ballet, like a tendu or an attitude.

Think of Balanchine’s work, for instance. While deep pliés and a specific articulation of the hands may be a recognizable hallmark of his style, the movements themselves are uncopyrightable. However, those elements did serve as building blocks for Balanchine’s ballets, which were fixed and copyrighted. Today, The George Balanchine Trust owns his ballets and licenses them for use.

How do you register your work?

Although a work is considered copyrighted when it is created, you can’t enforce rights, such as suing for infringement in Federal court, until that work is registered with the Copyright Office. “A copyright exists from the moment the picture is taken, the dance is made, the artwork drawn,” DeSantis says. But, he continues, “the enforcement of those rights, however, only happens once registration of that right occurs.” The effective date of registration is not assigned by the Copyright Office until it has received all components of your application and applicable fees correct and in full.

The registration process is extensive, so DeSantis advises choreographers to register their work before the premiere—or even during the creative process—to avoid a lag between when the dance is finished and when their work is registered. According to the Copyright Office, confirmation can take on average between six and 13 months but can be expedited for an additional fee.

Creators can register their work through the electronic Copyright Office (eCO) or through the mail. The process includes submitting a form with details about the work, those who created it and limitations to the claim. The limitations section is where all previous iterations of the work are noted—for example, if the choreography is based on another piece, a book or anything else that could be considered copyrightable material. Then a copy of the work (such as a video recording, dance notation score, or textual description, photographs or drawings) also needs to be provided. Filing a registration costs $45 for a single author or $65 for all other filings.

Without a registration, DeSantis says, you can otherwise enforce your rights by using the “©” symbol or sending a cease-and-desist letter.

The work is registered. Now what?

Once registered, if a choreographer’s work is copied or infringed upon in any way, the creator can now take legal action to protect it. Even then, instances of litigation are limited, says DeSantis.

“What we’re really missing, I think, is the amount of litigation required to fully understand what the elements of copyright infringement for choreography are,” he says. There simply aren’t a lot of cases to base litigation off of. In court, lawyers will base many of their arguments on previous case results. Because dance has very few cases in copyright, it is difficult to take to court.

DeSantis says that a contributing factor to the rarity of litigation is the cost. Choreographers and dancers don’t have the same financial backing as, say, a music corporation like Sony Music or Warner Music Group.

Where does the Digital Millennium Copyright Act fit in?

Choreographers should also be aware of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), established in 1998. For content creators and artists, DMCA made it easier to protect their work on places like Facebook and YouTube, while protecting the platforms themselves, DeSantis says.

The best example of this is when you upload a video to YouTube. In the background the audio is being checked to see if it matches any copyrighted music. If it does, YouTube will notify the user, and in most cases, the video will be removed or will lose its audio. This is the DMCA at work.

What does this mean for choreographers? Those who want to show their work online have to be careful about uploading movement set to music. The best recommendation is to use an original score, says DeSantis. Alternatively, you can use something in the public domain or creative commons. Some choreographers even reach out to independent artists who are willing to let them use their music for a video, but DeSantis notes that even this can be risky. “We generally recommend communicating through legal counsel unless there is some preexisting relationship between the parties,” he says. As much as you’d like to use your favorite song, you need permission to choreograph to it and post it online.

What more can be done to protect choreography?

Entertainment lawyer Robin Russell, former senior executive vice president of business and legal affairs for Sony Pictures Entertainment, believes the DMCA and the Copyright Act are outdated and lack support for dance creation.

“There’s nobody in Congress or the Senate who feels it’s important enough to spend any time or money on [dance copyright], and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is so outdated, but that’s where the work has to be done,” Russell says.

She suggests that dance needs to be treated similarly to music composition, and that choreographers could benefit from something akin to a music synchronization license. When a group requests to use a song in a media project, such as a film or video game, the copyright holder must first grant them permission.

In terms of dance, this may look like a license provided to media groups requesting to use pieces of the copyright holder’s choreography in a music video or film.

Although dance has a long way to go in copyright law, DeSantis says this should not inhibit the desire to create. “We don’t want people to not share their great ideas because they’re afraid someone is going to steal them,” he says. “Intellectual property rights, in general, are a give and take with the public.”

Depending on a dancemaker’s specific situation, advice may vary, and general legal knowledge, as shared in this article, should not be substituted for obtaining legal counsel.

Cannella’s dance is just one example of what has, in the past couple of years, emerged as a new genre of digital performance: the TikTok dance challenge. Dance has always found an audience on social media, but TikTok, more so than other platforms, has given rise to its own highly recognizable, easily reproducible style. Drawing from a lexicon of hip-hop–inspired moves—like the Dougie, the Dice Roll and Throw It Back, to name just a few—the micro-dances of TikTok are typically front-facing and most animated from the hips up, tailored to the vertical frame of a smartphone screen. Governed by time limits of 15 or 60 seconds, they also tend to stay in one place; you can do them pretty much anywhere.

While these TikTok dances might seem purely fun and frivolous, there’s an art to creating and performing them in such a way that gets attention, in the form of views, likes, follows, shares, downloads and comments. And that attention can translate into financial opportunities for dancers, especially precious at a time when so much in-person performance remains on hold.

So what’s behind the broad appeal of TikTok dances? And what determines whether a dance gets seen, or lost in an endless sea of other videos?

“Everyone Can Do It”

While plenty of professional dancers show­case their hard-earned skills on TikTok, the app, which was released globally in 2018, has become known as a space where dance is for everyone.

“It’s not about having the perfect body for dance; it doesn’t matter if you’re a pro,” says Alessandro Bogliari, CEO of the Influencer Marketing Factory, a company that specializes in social media marketing campaigns. “It’s about having fun and re-creating certain moves.”

When Cannella choreographs a TikTok dance, she keeps that in mind. “I try to make something creative and different,” she says, “and also simple and easy, so that everyone can do it.”

For new TikTok users, a simple, catchy dance challenge can offer a way into the app. Maya Man, 24, an artist and computer programmer who trains in commercial dance styles, notes that TikTok dances provide structure in a digital space full of creative options.

“Constraints are the key to participation,” says Man. “It’s pretty intimidating, getting on a short-form video platform—the fact that you can make anything. It’s so open-world that you almost don’t know where to start. But the dances act kind of as trend templates for you to know what to do. You have a sound to use, and you can take this short-form choreography, and remix it, and make something yourself.”

Standing Out

What does it take to get noticed as a dancer on TikTok? Ultimately, dancers are at the whim of the app’s complex, cryptic algorithm, which feeds content to each user’s “For You Page,” an infinite, individually customized stream of new videos.

Jennifer Mika Nelson, 25, achieved sudden TikTok fame last spring, while quarantining with her parents in Virginia, when she began doing dance challenges with her mom. While Nelson is a professional dancer with a background in classical ballet, Graham, modern and jazz, her mom, she says, had “never danced in her life.” Her videos of them dancing together—Nelson’s exuberance offsetting her mom’s earnest focus—drew millions of views. “People love parents trying things,” Nelson says.

Nelson mostly learns existing TikTok dances, rather than making her own. At first, she recalls, “I was really awkward. It was honestly like learning a new style.” One hallmark of that style, she discovered, is exaggerated facial expressions. “That, in and of itself, is a crucial step in the dancing,” she observes. “I get more likes and engagement if I smile more.” Cannella, too, has found that a high-energy approach gets more attention. “I have to be 10 times more enthusiastic with my TikTok dancing,” she says.

Jarred Manista, 19, a member of the (on-hiatus) cast of West Side Story on Broadway, who has about 350,000 TikTok followers, notes that lighting and scenery are also crucial. “If I film a video in front of a white wall, versus outside in front of a blue sky, maybe a lake, the prettier background will tend to do better,” he says.

A Biased Algorithm?

The TikTok algorithm also operates in more nefarious ways. Sydney Skybetter, director of undergraduate studies in Theatre Arts & Performance Studies at Brown University, says that TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, is unique among video-sharing apps because of how it prioritizes artificial intelligence—technologies like pose estimation and facial recognition, which are thought to drive the algorithm.

“I think that TikTok, and specifically the artificial intelligence that powers TikTok, is the most sophisticated dance curator on the planet,” says Skybetter, who researches intersections of dance and technology. “It is a computational and curatorial marvel, and it should be viewed with awe and terror accordingly.”

With respect to terror, Skybetter points to the revelation, in 2019, that TikTok had suppressed videos by creators who it identified as disabled, fat and queer, under the guise of protecting those who might be “vulnerable” to cyberbullying. Discoveries like this, he says, suggest “that not only is TikTok trying to suppress certain kinds of bodily appearances, but it’s actively trying to serve up other kinds of bodily appearances.”

It’s notable that while many TikTok dances are rooted in Black social dances, and often originated by Black creators, the app’s top two most-followed accounts belong to young, white, female dancers, who are also slender and nondisabled. (For further reading on algorithmic bias, Skybetter recommends Safiya Noble’s Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism.)

TikTok also has no built-in mechanism for crediting dance creators. The issue of unattributed dances came into the public spotlight early in 2020, when The New York Times published a story on the then–14-year-old creator of the viral “Renegade” dance, Jalaiah Harmon.

“It wasn’t just Jalaiah,” says Trevor Boffone, author of the forthcoming book Renegades: Digital Dance Cultures from Dubsmash to TikTok. “There were other instances where you had these Black teens who were not getting credit for their dance, and you had white teens profiting off of the same dance, which replicated hundreds of years of imbalances in the U.S., and especially in the dance world.” Cannella says that ever since the “Renegade” story, dance credits—abbreviated “dc” in captions—have become more common, but not as widespread as they should be.

Even with these darker implications, dance on TikTok has developed into an irrepressible online phenomenon. Skybetter posits that for those who still see dance as tied to the setting of a theater, the app may have lessons to teach. At a time when live performance remains largely on hold, he says, “we ignore platforms like TikTok to our own risk and detriment.”

Join Stroman, a decorated Tony winner, December 10 from 1 to 3 pm Eastern, as her work leaps from the silver screen to your Zoom room. She’ll be accompanied by her associate, James Gray, and a bevy of Broadway dancers: Afra Hines (Hadestown), Robyn Hurder (Moulin Rouge!), Clyde Alves (On The Town), Ahmad Simmons (West Side Story) and Joshua Buscher (Big Fish).

After the master class, hang around for a Q&A with Stroman and Center Stage cast members Sascha Radetsky (Charlie), Debra Monk (Maureen’s mother) and Priscilla Lopez (who led the movie’s jazz class).

Register here
for $25, and start practicing your pirouette drills so that you can “just forget about the steps” and “just dance the sh*t out of it!”