…a creature was stirring. Last night was Christmas Eve. I was expecting a visit from my son, who was flying in as a rare treat. I had tidied up, and was putting on the finishing touches while waiting for him … Continue reading →
Promises, shmomises. I had said I would publish Part II of “Obama the coward?” today, but I got busier than I thought I’d be and it’s really too late to polish it up for today. So, something to look forward … Continue reading →
[NOTE: I thought you might enjoy a recycling of this old post, as a palate cleanser.] What’s a pirouette? Here’s the Wikipedia definition—and, as a former dancer, I can attest to its correctness: One of the most famous ballet movements; … Continue reading →
Anthony Dowell was a British dancer of rare qualities. I write “was” because, although he’s still alive, he’s in his seventies. But those who saw him in his heyday—and that includes me—remember. Dowell wasn’t known for bravura technique, although his … Continue reading →
I suppose I’ll bite the bullet and watch tonight’s Republican debate, which looks to have some verbal fireworks and a huge listening audience. I may even live-blog it, if I can stomach it. Those of you who read this blog … Continue reading →
Violette Verdy is now in her early 80s, but in her heyday as a soloist with the New York City Ballet I saw her dance many times and loved her performances, particularly in the role she created as the girl … Continue reading →
…we have Ksenia Parkhatskaya (see yesterday’s post if you don’t know who I’m talking about). This dance has a completely different tone than the ones I posted yesterday, and therefore it spotlights her versatility. Although it’s not the sort of … Continue reading →
Here’s a video (with subtitles) of an interesting Russian entertainer named Ksenia Parkhatskaya, performing on a Ukrainian TV show. She starts out giggling—and gets practically everyone else giggling, too—but don’t let that fool you. She a good singer, with no … Continue reading →
Let’s take a look at some beauty. This is a video of company class at one of the best ballet companies in the world, Britain’s Royal Ballet. “Company class” means it’s a class that’s taken by the company members, who … Continue reading →
You may think I’ve gone stark raving mad. What could Van Rothbart, the evil magician in the ballet “Swan Lake,” have to do with the Iran deal? Answer: not all that much. But in the wake of the Iran deal … Continue reading →
I’ve written about the ballet “Etudes” before, but now I want to hone in on one of my very favorite parts of it, the mazurka, in particular one of the male solos. “Etudes” is a ballet choreographed in 1948 by … Continue reading →
For the Fourth of July, courtesy commenter “mezzrow”: I saw that film on TV maybe 30 times when I was a child. Loved it, and in particular loved the idea that James Cagney—whom I already knew as a tough old … Continue reading →