“The ancient house was likely undergoing a remodel when, on Jan. 18, 749, the massive earthquake struck Jerash, located in what is now Jordan … Before the earthquake, artisans were putting together mosaics for the floors of the house, but they abandoned their artwork after the natural disaster struck. This abandonment turned the house into a time capsule, allowing modern-day archaeologists a chance to see how artisans from the Umayyad – the early Islamic period – assembled these decorative mosaics.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
What’s Charlotte Ballet’s New Artistic Director Been Doing There? You Have No Idea
“In 14 months of affiliation with the company – only two as its artistic director – [Hope Muir] has hired an astonishing array of new choreographers, rehired all but two members of the first company, endeared herself to donors from Charlotte to Chautauqua, N.Y., begun to investigate national and international tours, created a choreographic lab to inspire new dancemakers, put together a collaboration for the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s Classical series in April, said goodbye to resident choreographer Dwight Rhoden and instituted family matinees for mainstage works beyond the inevitable Nutcracker.”
The Next Big Dance Technique? Countertechnique
“‘Many older techniques have a strong inner logic,’ says [Countertechnique creator Anouk] van Dijk, who now directs Melbourne-based Chunky Move. ‘But I found they didn’t prepare the body for when the dancer has to be highly versatile.’ Countertechnique equips dancers with a range of skills and teaches them to apply them within familiar movements. This gives dancers more agency, which van Dijk believes can reduce anxiety in performance and even help dancers prevent and recover from injury.”
The Book Fairies Hit Bangkok
Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. Hemingway’s Cat in the Rain. Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie. “Fairies hid copies of these books and more in public places this past weekend as a local launch of The Book Fairies project, an international initiative in which people leave texts for others to discover in cities around the world. After readers finish a book, they are supposed to pass it on to others.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber Brings His Musical Theatre Juggernaut Into The Chinese Market
“Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group has announced a new partnership with one of China’s largest live entertainment groups to develop the country’s musical theatre industry. Among the first projects to be announced are the first Chinese-language production of Tell Me on a Sunday and a training course taught in collaboration with Arts Educational Schools.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 08.16.17
Emil Viklický & Others: Trumpet Summit
It is an open secret long acknowledged nearly everywhere: the best jazz musicians in other parts of the world are in a league with top players from the United States. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2017-08-16
What’s A Snipe? If You Go To The Movies, You’ve Seen One (And You Probably Did What It Told You)
Here’s a little history of those promos and announcements that run before the trailers, like Let’s All Go to the Lobby, the classic animated short in which the singing-and-dancing popcorn, soda and candy encourage us to go buy snacks at the concession stand.
Not Enough Good Roles For Actresses? A New 36-Woman Theatre Company Is Addressing That
Following 12 months of workshops and training for the participants, the London-based project, called Dangerous Spaces, will commission half a dozen playwrights to write scripts for six actresses each. Those scripts will be produced, along with an all-female Shakespeare staging, in the 2018-19 season.
This May Be The Most Excruciating Celebrity Profile Of All Time
In which Robert Pattinson tries extremely, breathtakingly hard to get through an interview without revealing anything (except about dealing with paparazzi).
2 Friends From ABT + 1 New Festival In The Mountains = 1 New Ballet
“Isabella Boylston doesn’t remember the time, years ago, when she and Gemma Bond tried to choreograph a ballet together. Ms. Bond does, though. ‘I got so bossy,’ Ms. Bond recalled. ‘I was like, ‘Isabella, this isn’t going to work.” But now they’ve found a way to be creative together – and circumstances in which they both can act a little bossy.”