Ballet specializes in transformations. After all, it changes the human body from a lumbering earthbound thing into an ethereal yet steely and gravity-defying, lighter-than-air, transporter of the audience into realms of beauty and transcendence. Yes, it can be corny, especially … Continue reading →
I recall a performance of the Moiseyev Dance Company’s “Partisans” as the single most exciting theatrical experience of my life. It occurred back when I was a little kid and the company was on its very first visit here. A … Continue reading →
From the inimitable Julia Child. Just a mite creepy (although peppy. And peepy.):
Continue reading →Okay, so sometimes I watch it. So sue me. And last night the results show—always milked for maximum drama—was more than usually dramatic because judge-favored songstress Pia got the boot from the viewers. Ah, America, ye of little judgment, according … Continue reading →
Boy, have they gotten old. And it’s Garfunkel’s voice that’s been most affected by the passage of time, although he still appears to have much of his always-formidable hair. But that high clear angelic sound is a bit grittier than … Continue reading →
The lottery. “The Lottery.” “The Babylon Lottery.”
Continue reading →Those of you who are not into frivolity, skip this one. But as for me, I welcome the chance to watch Ralph Macchio, the long-ago “Karate Kid,” do a credible jive on “Dancing With the Stars.” He’s fun to watch. … Continue reading →
It’s a bit funny to me that the film “Black Swan” is about doubling—a woman taken over by another self—and that Portman is being haunted by a double in real life: Sarah Lane, the woman who alleges she did 95% … Continue reading →
The short answer is: no, he’s making a joke. Jack Cashill, whose book Deconstructing Obama has come out recently, believes that the joke (or, as he puts it, the final “retreat into irony”) hides the preceeding truthful admission: With his … Continue reading →
This kind of Georgian, and this sort of knife: I don’t know which seems more dangerous, the leaping up and crashing down on the knees, or the throwing of the daggers. I do know, however, that I agree wholeheartedly with … Continue reading →
Take a look at this photo of dancer Isadora Duncan and see how powerful it is. I challenge you to find anything remotely like it in a contemporary dancer. But then, Duncan was sui generis even in her time, or … Continue reading →
It seems that Hillary is tired of playing Ophelia to Obama’s Hamlet. At least, that’s the story. I’m even inclined to believe it’s at least partially true. I’ve always felt that Hillary had more on the ball (and has more … Continue reading →