Tag: 04.02.06

NY City Ballet Returns To Chicago

After a 26 year absence, New York City Ballet is returning to Chicago, and will appear at the harris Theatre. “The announcement is historic on a number of levels. In addition to a long-overdue return by a great troupe, the plans signal a new era for the 2 1/2-year-old Harris, venturing into new territory as a presenter of its own attractions. Opened in fall 2003 as a rental house, mostly for local companies, the theater, part of Millennium Park, did not sponsor presentations itself. Now, that’s changing in a blockbuster way.”

The Online Novel – Just A Gimmick?

Walter Kirn is writing a novel online, in real time. But is there any advantage to this, wonders Sven Birkets. “The traditional aim of art, in response to deeply planted human needs, has from the first been fundamentally contemplative. The work offers a deliberate distancing from the chaos and turbulence of the immediate and allows the reader or viewer to process its tensions through the recognition of underlying patterns.”

Architecture In Adversity (Good For New Orleans?)

The reconstruction of New Orleans is a mess. But maybe that’s good for architecture, writes Chris Hawthorne. “Without Category 5 levees, wetlands restoration along the Gulf Coast or a forward-thinking planning strategy in place, homeowners who choose to rebuild will have to acknowledge the possibility of future flooding in every design decision. And if they approach the reconstruction process with that level of wariness — with their eyes wide open — they will be tapping into a rich architectural tradition in this city, odd as that may sound.”

In Baghdad, A Museum Waits For Peace

Though it has been repaired, baghdad’s national Museum has not reopened. “Even with thousands of pieces still missing, the museum houses an extraordinary collection by any standard. What is lacking is the peace it needs to admit the public. ‘When a museum is reopened, it means that peace has come.’ For now, it is a hollow place, devoid of life, empty of discourse. This echoing museum at the heart of Baghdad – that is to say, at the heart of the American project in Iraq – is an image of hope frustrated.”

Dance Umbrella – Creating A Dance Scene In South Africa

“In the 18 years since its inception, the festival has produced a number of choreographers who have established themselves on the international circuit, including Robin Orlin, Boyzie Cekwana and Vincent Sekwati Koko Mantsoe. It has also created an artistic community of contemporary dancers and dance-makers, serving as a means for South African artists to express hopes and fears about their society in ways that were often not condoned elsewhere.”