The Philadelphia company’s response to the pandemic was to try to develop online dance compelling enough that people would pay for it. The result is BalletX Beyond, which streams three new concert dance videos every second month on a subscription basis. One of the latest to create work for BalletX Beyond is former NYCB principal and Broadway star Robbie Fairchild, whose The Cycle was inspired by, and filmed at, Longwood Gardens. – Harper’s Bazaar
Tag: 12.28.20
David Medalla, Sculptor Who Created ‘Cloud Canyons’, Dead At 78
“[He] was something of a cult figure until recently, with his pioneering sculptures of the 1960s mainly known to European curators and historians, who have featured them in major biennials and surveys over the past decade. But a growing fan base has also come to recognize the artist, who … is [now] best known for his Cloud Canyons sculptures, which feature looping organic-looking forms that emit soap bubbles. Medalla labeled these works ‘auto-creative art’.” – ARTnews
What “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” Teaches Us About Copyright Failings
The composer of the catchy tune, South African Solomon Linda, died destitute in 1962. While US artists were at loggerheads over the lucrative melody, he had been in and out of hospitals and suffering from kidney failure. – BBC
Lamenting All The Wacky, Creative Stuff We’re Losing With The End Of Flash Animation
Yes, it isn’t really viable as software anymore: it’s been superseded technically and has too many security vulnerabilities. But a lot of delightfully oddball things were created with Flash, Carolina Miranda reminds us, and they’re worth celebrating and (where possible) saving. – Los Angeles Times
Knoxville Symphony Will Proceed With Spring 2021 Season
The musicians’ union and management have agreed on terms for rehearsing and performing from February to May, wth players receiving 80% of their previous salary for 20 weeks beginning Jan. 4. Management will have increased flexibility (compared to the previous contract) to change programming and personnel and to record and stream concerts. – Arts Knoxville
10 Hairy Legs, All-Male Contemporary Dance Company, Goes Out Of Business
The New Jersey-based troupe, which presented seasons around the state and in New York City and toured abroad as well, commissioned and performed 17 new works over its eight-year history. The pandemic forced the group to go on hiatus as of April 1; with no performance fees or ticket income, its board decided to dissolve the company as of Dec. 31. – NJArts.net
A Record 39 Christmas Songs Dominated Year End Billboard Charts
Each holiday season, Mariah Carey’s song and other holiday tunes begin to climb the Billboard charts as their popularity resurfaces through streaming, radio play and even digital sales. Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart this week, followed by Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,“ Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” – Toronto Star (AP)
Ex-Ticketmaster CEO To Movie Theatres: Time To Reinvent And Here’s How
“This is the opportune time to review pricing strategies with the goal to both increase attendance and make the grosses larger. We all know that attendance has been static and the revenue growth in the industry in America has been from raising prices. Theaters will need to look at and embrace variable pricing. Lower prices on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and before 4pm on Thursday—ticket prices from $4-$7, might entice new customers to fill otherwise empty seats and change attendance patterns.” – Deadline
Is Substack The New Journalism?
“In its variety, the Substack corpus resembles the blogosphere. It is produced by a mix of career journalists, bloggers, specialists, novelists, hobbyists, dabblers, and white-collar professionals looking to plump up their personal brands. The company has tried to recruit high-profile writers, offering (to a select few) health-care stipends, design help, and money to hire freelance editors. In certain instances, Substack has also paid advances, often in the generous six figures, incentivizing writers to produce work without employing them.” The New Yorker
Designer Pierre Cardin, 98
He clothed the famous — artists, political luminaries, tastemakers and members of the haute bourgeoisie — but he was also a merchant to the masses with an international brand, his name affixed to an outpouring of products, none too exalted or too humble to escape his avid eye. – The New York Times