“National Youth Orchestra 2, formed this year under the auspices of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, has teenagers from around the country learning their professional craft with some of the busiest members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.” David Patrick Stearns watches them at work.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Talking To A Ballerina Just Minutes After She Danced Sleeping Beauty For The First Time
Cassandra Trenary of American Ballet Theater: “I had so much fun. There were moments that didn’t go so well, but I was able to get to a place mentally where they didn’t freak me out. It didn’t ruin anything. I was able to move past it and breathe.”
Who Taught The Latest Tarzan How To Move? A Ballet Choreographer
“For The Legend of Tarzan, … director David Yates wanted his leading man Alexander Skarsgård to be the most authentic and instinctive Tarzan ever seen. Whom did he task with making it happen? Step forward, Royal Ballet choreographer Wayne McGregor. Getting English ballet’s most respected choreographer to train the lord of the apes may not seem an obvious move. But director Yates knew exactly what he was doing.”
Black Chicago, The MacArthur Foundation, And the Ethics Of Cultural Philanthropy
Stating “The children of Chicago are demanding that $100 million of the $7 billion MacArthur Foundation has in assets be used to invest in Black communities and help Black children in Chicago survive violence in their communities,” the city’s Black Star Project staged a march last week on the foundation’s headquarters. Zoe Mendelson writes, “Of course foundations can have their own funding priorities, but at what point does an emergency in their hometown merit special intervention? … MacArthur’s basic stance is that it’s already doing its part. The impossible question becomes: When are you helping enough?”
Diversity And Inclusion In British Arts – How Much Progress In 25 Years?
Arts Council England’s National Council member David Bryan considers what has happened in the quarter-century since he first wrote a major article on the subject and offers five possible actions for the future.
Top Posts From AJBlogs 06.30.16
Beware the volunteer sentence
It can be comforting when a solution or a path presents itself to you as the obvious choice. When you feel comfortable moving to the next problem or question without even thinking much about the one at hand. … read more
AJBlog: The Artful Manager Published 2016-06-30
A problem with classical music publicists
I’ve said these things before. But they need to be said again, following up on my last post, about a quick way to improve almost any publicity pitch. … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2016-06-30
Changing Color
Susan Marshall, Jason Treuting, and Suzanne Bocanegra explore our perception of color. Is this the coolest ever lecture on color theory? Yes and no. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2016-06-30
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Let’s Just Stop Reviving The Tarzan Franchise, It’s Embarrassing
“In the DNA of the character is the idea that a clever white man can bring order to the ‘dark continent’ through his own brand of clearly delineated, culturally specific morality. That’s not exactly the most modern idea of a hero.”
How Do You Make A Really Tiny Apartment Livable? These Hong Kong Architects Have Some Ideas
“A group of architects from one of the world’s most densely populated cities has created the kind of convertible spaces that make it possible for two humans and three cats to reside in the same 309-square-foot area.” (video)
Vote For The Best Illusion Of The Year!
“Most of us love perceptual illusions, and … from 4 p.m. EDT on June 29 to 4 p.m. EST on June 30, participants around the world are invited to visit illusionoftheyear.com to check out this year’s top 10 finalists and cast their votes.” (includes video)
Suspect Arrested In Case Of Stolen Trailer With Matisses And Chagalls Inside
“Robert Michael Slayton was taken into custody Thursday on suspicion of grand theft, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. … Detectives found the stolen trailer in Slayton’s backyard … But not all of the stolen art has been recovered.”