“Tumultuous times have returned to the Boston Ballet, which said on Thursday that the number of dancers in its main company will shrink by nearly 20 percent.” The cuts include at least two principal dancers, and come just days after the company announced the departure of its executive director.
Author: sbergman
A Critic’s Struggle, Behind The Words
Tim Page has been one of America’s most prominent music critics for more than a decade, working primarily for the Washington Post and earning a reputation as a tough but fair writer. Few of his readers would guess that he has suffered his whole life from Asperger’s Syndrome. In fact, Page himself didn’t recognize his affliction until quite late in life…
City Funding For Scottish Performing Arts Slashed
The city of Edinburgh has cut its funding for Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet to zero, leaving the companies furious but helpless. The city council wants the companies to apply for funding on a per-project basis rather than expecting an annual subsidy.
Non-Profits Not Struggling In Down Economy
“Despite the economic downturn and fears of recession, major charities say their fund-raising has not fallen off… In fact, some 64 percent of the organizations that have responded so far to the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ annual survey on fund-raising have reported bringing in more money in 2007 than the year before.”
An Orchestra On The Brink Of Disaster?
“Nearly broke and still short of solutions, the Columbus Symphony could fold as early as next month, the president of the symphony board says.” Of course, that same board president is pushing a plan to “save” the orchestra by laying off 22 full-time musicians and shaving 12 weeks off the season, so the musicians aren’t necessarily buying into the doomsday scenario. Who to believe?
Hollywood Still Picking Up The Pieces
The writers’ strike may have ended, but don’t think that means that television is back to normal. “At a time in the year when the networks would normally be getting ready to roll out season finales, March and April are instead being seen as a crucial window to win back audiences for next year, and to soothe jittery advertisers.”
Big Move, Bigger Hopes
Philadelphia’s Please Touch Museum is preparing to make a major move into its stately new home in Fairmount Park, and with the move will come other big changes. “Its annual budget will go from $4 million to $9 million, its exhibition space more than tripling to 38,000 square feet… All this, while pinning its hopes on nearly tripling attendance – to an average of 476,000 from 180,000 visitors per year.”
Swear Less, Make More Money
“A new study by The Nielsen Co. has found that the PG-rated movies with the least profanity made the most money at the U.S. box office. Sexuality or violence in those films had less to do with success than the language.”
Prolific Hartnett Snares Children’s Lit Award
“Australian author Sonya Hartnett is the winner of the $818,000 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for Literature, the largest children’s book award in the world. Hartnett, 39, published her first novel, Trouble All the Way, at the age of 15 and since then has written 18 novels for children, young people and adults.”
Jazz Dance Pioneer Dies
“Gus Giordano, an early and tireless popularizer of American jazz dance who organized the first Jazz Dance World Congress, died on March 9 in Chicago. He was 84.”