“The civic pride and freedoms of Britain’s great regional cities have been “brutally gutted” during the past 100 years and power must be given back to them, the Guardian Hay book festival was told on its opening day.”
Tag: 05.31.04
Australian Ballet Posts Record loss
The Australian Ballet has posted its largest loss ever. “The ballet posted a $1 million loss for the calendar year 2003, nearly half of which was attributable to problems renting out space in its Australian Ballet Centre at Southbank.”
New York’s Dance Guru
“Like the top teachers who came before him — Stanley Williams, Maggie Black, David Howard — Wilhelm Burmann, who has presided over this particular 90-minute class for nearly 20 years, is easily the most revered New York ballet teacher of his era. That his class is packed with ballet stars who forgo company class in favor of his instruction is a testament to his remarkable ability to see the problem, be it a wobbly pirouette or a sagging ankle, and fix it. What you see in his class is raw, exposed dancing in which members of American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet and the Dance Theater of Harlem learn together, dance together and, most thrillingly, egg each other on.”
Protests Over Art Donation
“German collector Friedrich Christian Flick (grandson of a Nazi-era arms-maker) has offered his collection of modern art to a Berlin museum. But Jewish groups in Germany say the exhibit is based on blood money and should be refused.”
Rankin: Why Abandon Scottish Opera?
Author Ian Rankin unleashed an attack on the Scottish government for leaving the fate of Scottish Opera in question. “The Inspector Rebus novelist warned that the Executive had failed to answer crucial questions over the future of the beleaguered company, which this week faces the prospect of being forced to ‘downsize’ in order to meet ministerial budgets.”