“‘I’m very honoured to be the first [woman in the post],’ she admitted, ‘but I’m also rather shocked that we can be in this year, in this century, and there can still be ‘firsts’ for women.'”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Dancers Are Quitting English National Ballet, Citing ‘Hostile Work Environment’ And Boss’s Workplace Romance
“English National Ballet has lost a third of its dancers in two years amid claims of verbal abuse and a hostile working environment, with some former dancers claiming they felt pressured to work while injured … Sources said the dancers held Tamara Rojo, the artistic director, responsible for the company’s culture.” Adding to the problems, say some dancers, is Rojo’s relationship with dancer Isaac Hernández.
Indians Rioted Over This Movie Before It Opened – And People Who Saw It Say There’s Nothing Objectionable In It
“Moviegoers streamed out of heavily guarded movie theaters saying they liked the sets, the music and the grand Bollywood style of Padmaavat, a lavish saga about a legendary Hindu queen who may never have existed. But they couldn’t understand why so many people had violently objected to it.”
The Unknown, Gorgeous, Endangered Frescoes Of Rajasthan
“India’s Shekhawati province is in the northeastern Rajasthani desert and more than seven hours by car from Delhi. The region covers almost 5,000 square miles and hosts an estimated 2,000 frescoed buildings built from the 17th to the early 20th century. Many of them are abandoned and most are breathtakingly beautiful. Arguably the world’s largest collection of outdoor painting, Shekhawati is a treasure trove of startling architecture and adornment.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 01.29.18
See It Now–Michel Sittow, Extraordinary Painter
Hats off to Estonia, which in celebrating the 100th anniversary of its proclamation as an independent republic in 1918, following the dissolution of the Russian Empire, decided to honor its genius painter – Michel Sittow (c. 1469-1525) – with … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2018-01-29
A Japanese Company Brings a Forest to New York
Kei Takei’s Moving Earth Orient Sphere performs at New York Live Arts, January 25-27. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2018-01-28
Monday Recommendation: Crispell, MacDonald, Tremblay
Marilyn Crispell, Raymond MacDonald, Pierre Alexandre Tremblay: Two Duos, Three Trios (Bruce’s Fingers) … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2018-01-29
Jazz Congress, Winter JazzFest, shape of jazz to come
The Congress’s sessions included JALC managing and artistic director Wynton Marsalis speaking on race and jazz, women in jazz announcing “yes, we’re here,” and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar keynoting about his love of the music. … read more
AJBlog: Jazz Beyond Jazz Published 2018-01-28
Sex In The Middle Ages – There Was More Of It, And More Sophistication About It, Than You’d Think
Which is not to say that all the ideas they had about sex in medieval Europe were scientifically or medically sound, mind you. But they weren’t exactly prudes.
Guided Tours Are Tacky, Touristy, And The Best Way To Sightsee
Jeffrey Bloomer: “Friends offered stories of backdoor culinary tours in Istanbul down rickety staircases and through secret restaurants. I heard about guides whom you pay just to skip the line at overrun international museums but then charm you half to death anyway. And then there were many stories of guides like mine in Vermont, stewards of decidedly unexotic locations who know enough local chicanery to make every government building and local landmark feel like the seed of the next great American novel.”
World War I Footage Restored, Colorized By ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Director
“[Peter Jackson] admitted even he had been surprised by what was possible using the latest technology. ‘We can make this grainy, flickery, sped-up footage look like it was shot in the last week or two,’ he said. ‘It looks like it was shot with high-definition cameras … It is so sharp and clear now.'”
Why Russians Are Churning Out Dozens Of Parodies Of A 15-Year-Old Music Video
It started when just over a dozen cadets at the air transport academy, wearing very little, did a lip-synch cover of Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction.” The effect was rather Tom of Finland, which got them in trouble when the powers-that-be found the video online. Masha Gessen recounts what happened next – “a story of spontaneous solidarity, self-organization, and, ultimately, just possibly, the triumph of freedom over bureaucracy.”
Scientists, Activists Push For American Museum Of Natural History To Kick Rebekah Mercer Off Board
“This week, more than 200 scientists and other academics who have advocated policy action on climate change endorsed an open letter that calls on the museum to remove [the prominent right-wing donor] from its board and ‘end ties to anti-science propagandists and funders of climate science misinformation.'” Protesters have been demonstrating in front of the museum as well.