The Danish Ballet mounts a Bournonville Festival. “As dead geniuses go—especially those whose work, being in dance, is essentially ephemeral—August Bournonville (1805-1879) has done pretty well. The legacies of George Balanchine, Frederick Ashton, Martha Graham—all a century younger than the Danish choreographer—are eroding at an alarmingly faster rate than his, despite the fact that modern times have delivered the preservation tools of sophisticated dance notation (Bournonville used a crude—if singularly effective—personal one), film, and videotape.”
Tag: 06.04.05
Art, Innovation, & The Mysteries Of The Brain
Why do some artists continue innovating and broadening their horizons throughout their careers, while others stall out after a big hit or two, and spend their declining years living off the fumes of that momentary success? “Everyone can name artists who thrive beyond what is considered their prime: Bach, Rembrandt, Hitchcock, Stravinsky, Matisse painting from his wheelchair. But equally there are those who feel that at a certain point packing it in is the graceful thing to do.” The reasons behind such artistic progression may go deeper than one might imagine: in fact, it may have much to do with the way the human brain evolves over the course of a lifetime.
Vilar’s Tragic Fall
“Maybe he will ultimately be cleared of all charges, but for now [Alberto] Vilar appears to be perp-walking straight into that grand and storied American pantheon of Alleged Super Rich Frauds. The back story is always the same — the start-with-nothing origins, the struggle to conspicuous wealth, the strenuous social-climbing and then the spectacular run of damning headlines as creditors and feds close in… Vilar’s unique twist on this stock character is a love for classical music and opera that veered toward the obsessive, and a thirst for public recognition that only opera houses around the world could slake…. If prosecutors are correct, he was Robin Hood for the ‘La Boheme’ set, stealing from the rich to give to the Met.”
TV: New (sort of), Improved (debatable), and Stalking You
The 500-channel universe is old news. Video-on-demand? Been there, done that. TiVO is standard viewing equipment for at least a chunk of the populace. And could television be on the verge of yet another major paradigm shift? You’d better believe it: “Once upon a time, you found TV. Now TV will find you. We’re already watching in elevators, bars, airports, banks, dentist chairs, on street corners. Soon, more of us will be watching on cellphones, in cars, on newfangled wireless gadgets, and if this keeps up, on a tiny matrix implanted into our bionic retinas.”
Everyone Wants To See That Smile
It’s no secret that the Mona Lisa is the biggest art draw on the planet, with 90% of the Louvre’s visitors coming specifically to see the famous DaVinci portrait. Now, the painting has a snazzy new home, and the crowds are bigger than ever…
It’s Still Fiction, Right?
There may not be a bigger cultural controversy in the world today than the furor surrounding Dan Brown’s novel, The DaVinci Code, and the cottage industry that has grown up around it. Thus far, the book and its fans have not been fazed by the criticisms of, among others, the Catholic Church, but opponents may finally have scored their first victory, as Westminster Abbey denies permission for a film version of the book to be shot inside.
Layoffs At TV Museum
The New York-based Museum of Television and Radio has accepted the resignation of its president and laid off a dozen employees as it attempts to cope with fiscal problems that have plagued the institution for the past several years.
Boal’s Last Dance
“Tomorrow afternoon, [Peter Boal] will dance his last performance with the company before moving with his family to Seattle to become artistic director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet… Even today, as he moves into his 40’s, Mr. Boal looks ready to soar at any moment. His dancing is purely, effortlessly classical, the line of his well-proportioned body seeming to fall easily into place. He made up for a body that was relatively short and slight for hefting ballerinas into midair with calm elegance and courtesy as a partner… Some of the best and certainly the most interesting dancers have been men and women who had to overcome shortcomings, often of ‘imperfect’ ballet bodies or of training that started later than the ideal. To work harder to reach perfection is to understand the art more thoroughly and to hunger for it in a way unknown to those for whom dancing comes easily.”
Davidson Goes Out On A Strident Note
Gordon Davidson could have ended his legendary career with Los Angeles’s Center Theater Group with Shakespeare or some other classic. But that really wouldn’t have been in keeping with the Davidson the theatre world has come to know. So it shouldn’t be any real surprise that Davidson’s swan song will be the highly controversial, politically charged drama, Stuff Happens, which purports to examine the decisions that led the U.S. and U.K. into war in Iraq.
Vilar Gets Reduced Bail, With Help From His Friends
Unable to make the $10 million bail set by a Manhattan judge, disgraced philanthropist Alberto Vilar and his attorneys begged the court to consider accepting a lesser sum raised by the defendant’s friends and family. After some wrangling, Vilar was released on the promise of a $4 million bond. Vilar will also be required to turn over his extensive art collection to the court, and some friends are putting their own multi-million-dollar homes up as collateral. The judge in the case agreed to reduce bail once it became clear that prosecutors would need a significant amount of time to sort through all the documents in the case.