“An amateur ballerina in Brazil, whose lower left leg was amputated after a road accident, has spoken of her joy after becoming among the first people to receive a pointe foot prosthesis allowing her to dance classical ballet again.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Undergoes Surgery
“Sunday afternoon he conducted Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in Verizon Hall, and on Monday Philadelphia Orchestra music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin was at Penn Medicine for surgery.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 03.15.16
In a Risk-Averse Society, Failure is Our Way Forward
Classically trained artists and performers are typically possessed of levels of discipline, rigor and tenacity that are object lessons in the pursuit and achievement of excellence. Their training implies … read more
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2016-03-15
Scarcity, Abundance and Finding Your Own Way to Fail
“Let’s run an experiment and see what happens.” I say these words at least twice a week with complete freedom. Not just the freedom to take the risk, but … read more
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2016-03-15
Buoyant about Met Breuer: My Q&A with Metropolitan Museum President Daniel Weiss – Part I
After many months of trying to extract detailed information from the Metropolitan Museum’s press office about its operations at the Met Breuer (opening Mar. 18), my dogged persistence was rewarded last week with a brief … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2016-03-15
Hiphop footnote
Hiphop and arts organizations … Suppose the Kennedy Center, instead of naming Q-Tip as its Artistic Director for Hiphop Culture (see my last post), had named Kanye West instead. Or Jay-Z, or Dr. Dre. … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2016-03-15
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Pakistan To Host Its First Art Biennale
“Pakistan will join the roster of countries hosting contemporary art fairs with the announcement of the inaugural Lahore Biennale, which is scheduled for November 2017.”
The Power Couple Of Russian Literary Translation
“For this edition of the Fishko Files, WNYC’s Sara Fishko sat down with a husband-and-wife team of star translators to talk (as quickly as possible) about a very, very long book – War and Peace.” (audio)
The ‘Euphemism Treadmill’
“Funeral directors were once called undertakers; today’s lavatory or restroom was yesterday’s bathroom, or – in the 18th century – water closet. … Language is a slam-dance between bullies and their targets, the uncouth and the civil.”
Stephen Sondheim Says UK Audiences Listen Better Than Americans
“Of course British audiences are different from Americans: they listen. You have many centuries of being interested in the language. That’s true, and not as true as the United States. And when you care about the language like I do, it’s so much more gratifying.” (includes buried lede)
Another Sign Of Progress In Ballet: “Flesh-Colored” Tights Aren’t Automatically Beigish-Pink
Dance mom Garlia Cornelia Jones-Ly: “I had never seen ballet tights this color in person. With a palette that included Toasted Almond, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mocha and Espresso, my daughter’s dance experience began to sink in.”
The Syrian Refugee Who Conquered The Internet With Hugs
“Filmmaker Firas Alshater was imprisoned for his activism in Syria. He became a sensation on social media after blindfolding himself in a Berlin public plaza with a sign that read: ‘I am a Syrian refugee. I trust you – do you trust me?'” (audio; includes video)
What Would Douglas Adams (‘Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’) Have Made Of Politics In 2016?
As he wrote, “Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.” “It’s worth asking: Was Adams political in any orthodox – or unorthodox – way? And what would Adams make of the American political scene these days?”