Elvis and company
In 1957, we see why Elvis was nicknamed The Pelvis. We also see – or at least I think I see – the roots of his dancing in James Cagney. “James Cagney?” you ask, puzzled. Not in Cagney’s tap dancing … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Arts
Sleeping Beauty over time
I often complain about how ballet has lost much of its charm and art, sacrificed to ever more spectacular technique and tense gymnastics. The greatest of the olden-day dancers didn’t raise their legs as high, and didn’t perform as many … Continue reading →
Open thread
Is he making love to the piano? Caressing it? Melting into it? Casting a spell on it? Giving it a massage? My favorite Gould version of The Goldberg Variations was also the later, slower, more soulful one from 1982 rather … Continue reading →
Not your father’s Disney
Not Walt’s, either. Chris Rufo reports: In the wake of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education legislation, which prevents public schools from promoting gender ideology in kindergarten through third grade but which critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Disney executives … Continue reading →
Same Old Lang Syne
It’s not the season for it, but oh well – I’ve always liked this song of Dan Fogelberg’s. Turns out it has an interesting story behind it, too:
Continue reading →Open thread 3/17/22
I’m happy to say that I’m now able to identify which Bach piece I learned after that Chopin waltz, as described in this previous post. Actually, it was two Bach pieces, two minuets. Easy ones but very lovely. If your … Continue reading →
Dueling Chopin Polonaises – and my very brief piano career
My favorite classical composers are as follows: Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Bach, Dvorak. Note the order; Chopin leads the way. Is that because I was heavily exposed to Chopin from the age of four in ballet class? I don’t think it’s just … Continue reading →
Then and now
I wrote a draft for a huge post focusing on Ukraine’s history and on NATO. It’s probably going to be a two-parter. Instead of racing to get the first part up here for the weekend, I’ve decided to postpone that … Continue reading →
Dueling violin prodigies playing Winter in Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons
Christian Li is fourteen years old here. This seems to be a rehearsal. I love the way prodigies get a very adult and focused look on their faces when they play. His delivery is very fast, with lots of attack. … Continue reading →
Virtuals vs. Physicals; Imagology vs. Reality
This article is worth reading: Many have slotted this drama [in Canada] into a familiar framework of right-wing populists versus left-wing elites. But a different way of looking at it may be more helpful in explaining not only what has … Continue reading →
Tyranny creep: Canada and elsewhere
Commenter John Tyler asks: There never is a shortage of jack-booted enforcers to impose a government’s will upon the citizenry. This time Canada is the venue. So, ladies and gents, what is about the Canadian personality or culture that enables … Continue reading →
Presidents’ Day poetry
[NOTE: Today is Presidents’ Day, and this is a repeat of a previous post.] I’m not that old, but pedagogical practices in my youth seem absolutely archaic compared to whatever passes for education these days. For starters, we had Washington’s … Continue reading →