Category Archives: Arts
Natasha and Andrei dance
Same scene, two versions of War and Peace. Hollywood, circa 1956. Ferrer and Hepburn were married in real life at the time: Here’s the Russian version made in the 1960s, which I saw in movie theaters long ago. I found … Continue reading →
Walpurgis Nacht in competition
This “Bacchante” variation from Walpurgis Nacht was Maya Plisetkaya’s forte, and nobody else is Plisetskaya or even close. But many give the variation a try, especially in dance competitions where they face a particularly daunting task: to perform the variation … Continue reading →
The dread “Esmeralda” variation
First of all, I dislike this particular ballet variation even when adult soloists perform it. It’s herky-jerky and show-offy in a sharp and to me unpleasant way. There’s a tendency for the women to look as though they’re ferociously looking … Continue reading →
This 13-year-old ballet dancer …
… named Chloe Helimet has a lovely lyrical upper body for her age, and a calm presence. The variation she’s dancing is harder than it looks because the slow tempo requires so much control. Her feet are unusually flexible, which … Continue reading →
The Iowa caucuses are today
The outcome seems to me to be a foregone conclusion. But you can talk about it all here. Or the weather, which is very cold in Iowa today. Or this song: I saw the original Broadway production as a very … Continue reading →
What would you pay for Pablo Picasso’s palette?
Seventy thousand dollars or so? Someone shelled that out back in 2020. I looked that fact up because of this comment by “Oligonicella”: I have a long running joke of a habit as I paint. I clean my palette board … Continue reading →
Balanchine’s Serenade in Sacramento
Serenade is one of my favorite ballets. It was the first ballet Balanchine choreographed in the US – in 1934, ninety years ago, although it’s timeless – and one of his very greatest as well as one of the greatest … Continue reading →
Using that search function
Every now and then I get a commenter asking why I don’t write about a certain topic. But it’s often something I have written about. For example, today a commenter mentioned – perhaps tongue in cheek, so I’m not intending … Continue reading →
What are you doing New Year’s Eve?
And me? Glad you asked. Nada, zip, zilch. Oh, I might visit a nearby friend for a short while and have a sip of champagne, a tiny toast to the end of 2023, a year I’m pretty sure most people … Continue reading →
Fouettes and The Nutcracker
For me, it was easy to see what was unusual about this dancer’s fouettes – because of my long ballet background which includes some teaching. The narrator explains somewhat, but I’ll add that holding the arms above the head increases … Continue reading →
RIP Tommy Smothers
Tommy Smothers has died at the age of 86. I was an early fan, having seen him and his brother on some variety show or other, doing their number, “Chocolate.” I was a kid and I howled with laughter. They … Continue reading →