A moment in history leads to a moment in ballet history
I was sent the following photo with a request that I offer an explanation of this riveting ballet tableau: I would be only too happy to oblige.
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Dancers: and the short shall be tall
There’s a new star on the New York City Ballet horizon: Daniel Ulbricht. The fact that I’d never even heard of him (or most of the current dancers in the company) until I read this article reminds me how long … Continue reading →
“This little trick”—hovering in the air
I’m currently reading I, Maya Plisetskaya, the autobiography of the wonderful Russian dancer about whom I wrote this tribute. She was known for vivacity, smoldering sensuality, and her powerful yet graceful jump, the latter of which she describes as follows: … Continue reading →
Whatever happened to really silly pop songs?
They were called “novelty songs,” although I didn’t know it at the time. They occupied a special niche that doesn’t seem to exist anymore in this far less innocent age: a nonsensical bubble-gum type of music/lyrics, meant mostly to amuse … Continue reading →
Tango: by a horse’s head
You may recall my disastrous efforts to learn to tango, chronicled here. But I still enjoy the dance as spectator, and the other evening I had the good fortune to attend a thrilling tango performance. Which made me think of … Continue reading →
On acting Presidential (or kingly)
In recent decades, as the Presidential races have become more like advertising campaigns and less like contests about the issues, there’s been a great deal of attention paid to “acting Presidential.” Some of it is reasonable, an attempt to size … Continue reading →
Voices of distinction: Seeger, Lennon, Simone, Thompson
I was listening to the radio the other day and heard an ad for a Pete Seeger concert. Pete Seeger? He’s still alive? And singing? I thought he must be a thousand years old now, because he already seemed old … Continue reading →
Writing by hand: the medium affects the message
[NOTE: I’m trying to make this blog an Obama-free zone for at least one more day. One day at a time, they say.] This Atlantic article by Nicholas Carr is a recommended read, about the reported loss of concentration and … Continue reading →
Modernizing the King James Bible
[NOTE: Yesterday I wrote about literary style vs. substance. I concluded that it’s possible to have the first while lacking the second, especially in the realm of politics. Today I’m writing about a work that undoubtedly has both style and … Continue reading →
Wordsmiths for Obama: style vs. substance, poetry vs. prose
In trying to understand what about Obama appeals so powerfully to his supporters, I’ve decided that some—perhaps even much—of it is style. He gives a good speech. He has a deep voice. He’s tall. He’s slender. He knows what a … Continue reading →
Father’s Day: prose and poetry
Tim Russert died two days ago, and he’s been mourned and eulogized by many since then. Quite a few of the tributes have made glowing mention of two books he’d written, both on the theme of fatherhood. The first, Big … Continue reading →
Hallelujah! Leonard Cohen is back
For the first time in fourteen years, Leonard Cohen is on tour. The kickoff was in Fredericton, Canada, on May 11. How many more tours could he possibly have in him? The guy is 74, a bit long in the … Continue reading →