“Paris Opera has lost more than 12 million euros ($13.3 million) in a month-long strike by ballet dancers fighting to cling onto pension rights that date back to [King] Louis XIV. … While the opera has seen plenty of strikes by stagehands, it is almost unheard of to have dancers downing tutus. Their decision to take to the streets for the first time in the opera’s 350-year existence made international headlines.” – Yahoo! (AFP)
Author: Matthew Westphal
Pusillanimous Pussyfooters: Museums Object Mildly to the (unattributed) Threats to Iran’s Cultural Sites
It was disheartening to realize that almost all of the statements issued yesterday by museums and their professional organizations “condemn[ing] the targeting of cultural sites for destruction” failed to cast blame for those shameful threats directly where the blame lies — on President Trump. – Lee Rosenbaum
At Least There’s One Subgenre Of Climate-Change Fiction That’s Not Utterly Depressing
“This genre is called solarpunk. It attempts to radically reimagine the future, with technological solutions to environmental problems — think green cities, solar planes, recycle artists, biodegradable fashion wear. It’s a very global movement and it’s, well, hopeful!” – The Washington Post
400 Years Of Books Teaching You How To Draw
“Until the early 17th century, learning to draw meant entering an artist’s workshop — often as a child — copying the master’s sketches and drawing from plaster casts and live models. Students drew under the supervision and authority of the master. But all of that changed in 1608, when the Italian painter and printmaker Odoardo Fialetti published the first instructional drawing guide.” – Hyperallergic
A Nation’s History, Told On The Walls Of Its Capital City’s Subway
“Tashkent’s metro system is so much more than just a means of transportation. Over the decades of its existence, the design and names of the metro’s 29 ornate stations have changed to reflect the turbulent trends of Uzbekistan’s history. In short, a ride on the Tashkent metro tells the story of a country where nation building is still very much in process.” – Global Voices
In One Month, Twice As Many People Signed Up To Learn This Indigenous Language On An App As Actually Speak It At Home
“The Duolingo course [in Scots Gaelic], which was launched just before St. Andrew’s Day on 30 November and looks likely to be the company’s fastest-growing course ever, has garnered more than 127,000 sign-ups – 80% from Scotland itself – compared with just over 58,000 people who reported themselves as Gaelic speakers in the 2011 Scottish census.” And a similar revival is starting in the study of the country’s other indigenous language, Scots. – The Guardian
This Actor Finally Landed The Role He’d Been Waiting His Career For — But It Was In A Language He Didn’t Speak
What’s more, he triumphed, and in a production that ran for at least a year longer than anyone expected. The actor is Steven Skybell, who talks with Laura Collins-Hughes about playing Tevye in Joel Grey’s Yiddish staging of Fiddler on the Roof. – The New York Times
The Conundrum Of Alma Mahler Gropius Werfel
“Even in her lifetime, she was both adored and reviled. Was she an artist stunted by society’s restrictions on women who channeled her genius to become the inspiration for the men she consorted with? Or was she a grandiose groupie, expropriating the fame of her husbands and lovers?” (The answer is “yes.”) – The New York Review of Books
Why Wampanoags Are Looking Forward To Mayflower 400 Events
“Native Americans whose ancestors suffered at the hands of 17th-century European settlers and adventurers are hoping commemorative events marking the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s journey will reveal their story to the whole world – and even lead to the recovery of one their long-lost treasures.” – The Guardian
How Visual Effects Teams Tried (And Failed) To Save ‘Cats’
“On Dec. 20, as Cats opened in theaters domestically, Universal made an unprecedented decision to send exhibitors a new version of the film with ‘some improved visual effects.’ By then, however, it was too late.” (includes video) – The Hollywood Reporter