Singer-songwriter Sia and choreographer Ryan Heffington “believe that dance is underused in pop music – more that it is abused much of the time by adhering to an easy formula. ‘We established the artist and backup dancers, I believe, in the early ’80s,’ he said. ‘There has to be evolution, and there is. We’re doing it.'”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Top Posts From AJBlogs 07.20.16
“The Keeper” Sleeper: The New Museum Displays the Harrowing “Sketchbook from Auschwitz”
“Start on the fourth floor, but make sure not to miss the second floor,” New Museum director Lisa Phillips advised me when I arrived with only an hour to spare … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2016-07-20
Chicago’s free summer music cornucopia – Deutsch, PoKempner photos
It’s hard to find a comparable wealth of beautiful sounds available to all comers, at least west of the Hudson River … In how many American cities does Sunny Adé’s audience, unbidden, sing along in Yoruba? … read more
AJBlog: Jazz Beyond Jazz Published 2016-07-20
Near, Far, Wherever you are
Do communities have to be tied to geography? Locality? Your Youtube Cat Video Appreciation community might have something to say about that. … read more
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2016-07-20
Community development in the age of social media
Today, more than ever before, artists, individuals, and organizations are using social media to make connections and spark conversations with each other. … read more
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2016-07-20
The Art of Attachment
The Knight Foundation recently shared the results of a 3 year study, “Soul of the Community” (SOTC) looking at what factors played a role in ‘attaching’ residents to their communities. … read more
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2016-07-20
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Quodlibet (That’s Classical For Mashup): How To Turn 57 Famous Melodies Into One Cool Six-Minute Viral Hit
“Earlier this year, Grant Woolard, a California-based cartoonist, musician, and producer, mashed-up 57 well-known classical music themes by 33 composers. Instead of a cacophony, he created a beautifully tailored 6-minute work that has been watched by nearly 3 million people. In the Q&A below, Woolard gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his process, as well as a insight about his next project.”
How The Greeks Gradually Transformed The Idea Of The Afterlife
“What happens after death? In this, the ancients looked to Hades, god of the underworld, brother of Zeus and Poseidon. But Hades gave no reassurance. … Sympathetic interest in the human condition eventually led the Greeks to adopt new forms of religion and new cults. No longer seen as a joyless fate, the afterlife became more of a personal quest.”
Alvin Ailey Dancers – On Their Own Time – Create A Protest Dance Video To Beyoncé’s ‘Freedom’
Company member Sean Aaron Carmon, who conceived and choreographed the brief piece as a response to the recent shootings by and of police, talks about where his material came from and whether “Freedom” could become part of a larger project.
Why Come Back To Broadway To Direct A Show You Did There Decades Ago? Trevor Nunn, James Lapine, And Scott Ellis Explain
“Theater rewards the fresh take – a new work, or a new set of eyes on a familiar story. But Broadway this year is home to three shows that are being directed by men who oversaw the same shows, also on Broadway, decades ago. Why are they back? Here are edited excerpts from conversations with the directors about their experiences and expectations the second time around.”
Spencer Tunick Brought 100 Nude Women To Republican Convention HQ
“At dawn on Sunday, … Tunick posed the group in a photographic art installation where they held circular Mylar mirrors over their heads and reflected light at the city [of Cleveland] to expose what they view as the naked truth about Republicans.” (By now, of course, this is one of the less weird things to have happened there.)
Why Would 100 Women Go To Cleveland And Get Naked For The Republican Convention? Let Some Of Them Tell You
“I very much appreciate and identify with the mission of this piece. On a political level, my participation will be in contrast to many Republican ideals regarding the use of women’s bodies. My body. My body is mine and I choose how it is used, from abortion to posing nude publicly.”
The Politics Of The New ‘Ghostbusters’ (A Critics’ Roundtable)
“Even before any tickets had been sold, Ghostbusters was already surely the most argued-about movie of the year, attacked by angry male fans on the internet and hailed as a new milestone in Hollywood diversity. Wesley Morris, critic at large for The New York Times, joins its chief film critics Manohla Dargis and A. O. Scott to survey the state of the debate now that people have actually seen the movie.”
Trolls Drive One Of The New ‘Ghostbusters’ Stars Off Twitter Altogether
“Leslie Jones, one of the most visible and accessible stars in the all-female remake of the Ghostbusters movie, said that she would leave Twitter after becoming the target of online trolls who sent her a stream of pornography, racist speech and hateful memes. … ‘Ok I have been called Apes,’ she wrote on Twitter, ‘even got a pic with semen on my face. I’m tryin to figure out what human means. I’m out.'”