“This is how far dance has sunk in the American public’s estimation: By the time reality television executives got around to adding a dance competition to the mix of talent show-inspired programming, the market was already saturated with hopeful singers, models, starlets and fashion designers.” But shouldn’t the dance world take TV’s sudden interest in the art as a compliment? Um, no, says Gia Kourlas, not so long as the overarching point of the dance programs popping up in primetime is to laugh at incompetent celebrities who thought serious dance looked easy. “Dancing isn’t just about unearthing some inner, mysterious passion: dancing is hard. It serves as a magnifying glass, and no amount of slick talk or charm can hide the truth about your personality.”
Tag: 09.09.05
130 Years Of Maturing America’s Artists
The Art Students’ League of New York turns 130 this year, and its history is chock full of legendary artists and impressive anecdotes. More importantly, the school has amassed an extensive collection of works by its former students, and many of the pieces are on display this fall at the school’s West Side headquarters. “And it won’t be partying alone. As an anniversary salute, more than a dozen Manhattan art galleries have organized smaller shows, some already on view, devoted to artists associated with the institution.”
Volunteer Radio Effort Scuttled By Relief Officials
One of the more frequent complaints from survivors of Hurricane Katrina has been the government’s utter failure to coordinate and distribute the information they need in order to begin rebuilding their lives. So when a group of well-meaning Houston residents decided to set up a low-power FM radio station aimed at the refugee-choked AstroDome and dedicated to repeating crucial information 24 hours a day, public officials at all levels were excited. But it didn’t take long for the tangled bureaucracy governing relief efforts to first delay, and then completely shut down the volunteers’ efforts, for reasons passing understanding.
At Least She’s Not Sucking Up To The Judges
One of the novelists shortlisted for the Booker Prize obviously isn’t running for Miss Congeniality. Zadie Smith, whose latest book, On Beauty, made the shortlist, has described England, where she lives (and where the Booker is based) as being filled with “stupidity” and “vulgarity.” London, in particular, is “a disgusting place,” according to Smith. On the other hand, Smith doesn’t cut herself or her colleagues any slack, either: in the same interview, she described novel-writing as “quite stupid work.”
The Orchestra Unplugged
A new documentary film featuring the musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra takes a decidedly personal view of music and the people who play it. “The paradox of performing in an orchestra is that it is an intensely private experience in a public arena,” and the aloofness with which orchestral musicians (and orchestras as a whole) are usually portrayed stands at stark odds with the film’s exploration of the emotions and contrasting inspirations of the Philadelphians. “The musicians… are presented as regular people who have been anointed with a gift they do not fully comprehend, or want to. The ineffability of their musicmaking is central to their passion.”
Possible Lead In KCS Murder
Police in Independence, Missouri, have picked up a Kansas City teenager for questioning in the murder of Kansas City Symphony bassist Steven Peters, who was killed in his home on Tuesday. Police are not saying whether the 17-year-old is a suspect in the case.
Proms Unscathed By Terrorism
The London bus and subway bombings barely made a dent in ticket sales at the BBC Proms. After an initial dip at the beginning of the festival (which occurred between the July 7 bombings and the second attempted attack on July 21), sales were robust throughout August, and the final tally will likely be down only 2% on last year. More than 20 concerts in the massive Royal Albert Hall sold out, and overall capacity was better than 80%, a big success in a venue more than twice the size of the average concert hall.
Shakespeare In Afghanistan
Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor Lost is being performed in Kabul. “The William Shakespeare play is one of the first to be staged in the country since the fall of the Taleban in 2001. Theatre is much more popular than television. But during the Taleban’s time it wasn’t allowed.”
Altman, 80, Makes London Stage Debut
Film director Robert Altman is making his London directing debut. “Altman, who turned 80 this year, will tackle one of the last plays written by Arthur Miller, Resurrection Blues, which he was rewriting in the months before his death in February. The director of Gosford Park and Short Cuts knew Miller as a friend and wanted to bring the production to London, a wish expressed by the late playwright himself.”
Are Directors London’s Latest Hollywood Obsession?
“Hollywood actors come over to the West End all the time, of course, attracted by a relatively short run, all-expenses-paid accommodation in a top hotel or apartment, bags of prestige – and they’ve often got a good deal of theatre experience to draw upon anyway. But will a Hollywood director find it quite the same congenial experience?”