Most European companies have at least five ranks for their dancers, based on the system developed at the Paris Opera Ballet. Most North American companies limit themselves to corps de ballet, soloist, and principal; the Joffrey does without rankings altogether. And when Dutch National Ballet artistic director Ted Brandsen wanted to make his company’s seven-rank system more egalitarian, the dancers themselves objected. Joseph Carman looks at the advantages and disadvantages of dancer ranks. — Dance Magazine
Tag: 12.19.18
Rock On! Philosophy Festival To Take America By Storm
Depending on the venue, shots of Socrates, Kant and Nietzsche will be supplemented with chasers of yoga, tai chi, meditation, music, dance and virtual reality experiences. – The New York Times
Why Is This Piano-Playing Robot Different From All Other Piano-Playing Robots?
Scientists and engineers have been building and programming piano-playing robots for decades. But there’s something different about a new robotic hand that tickles the ivories with techniques usually reserved for humans. — The New York Times
Stendhal Syndrome Gets Lethal: Tourist Finds Botticelli’s Venus Literally Heart-Stopping
An Italian man broke down and suffered a heart attack after gazing at Botticelli’s Birth of Venus (ca. 1485) at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence over the weekend. The unnamed man was treated by a group of four visiting doctors with a defibrillator and was rushed to a hospital where he is currently recovering.” — Artnet
New Comics Publisher Wants To Do For Comics What Streaming Services Did For TV Series (Binge!)
“In an industry where buying monthly, serialized stories is the norm, TKO is presenting an alternative: binge releasing its mini-series; simultaneously selling collected editions of those stories; and offering the first issue of each comic free. TKO is also selling directly to readers and retailers from its website, not through normal distribution channels.” — The New York Times
Protestors Demand Disney Drop Trademark Of Swahili Phrase ‘Hakuna Matata’
More than 52,000 people so far have signed a petition accusing Disney of “colonialism and robbery” after it trademarked the phrase (which means “no worries”) in connection with the upcoming release of the live-action remake of The Lion King. — The Guardian
Should Aziz Ansari And Louis C.K. Be Addressing The #MeToo Allegations Against Them In Their New Acts?
Jason Zinoman: “The answer has to do with the peculiar nature of stand-up, an art form in which the elephant in the room does not lurk in the background. It stands right in front of the microphone raising its trunk to the ceiling.” — The New York Times
American Orchestras Have A Pay Equity Problem, And The Solution Is Radical Transparency
Jumping off from Boston Symphony principal flutist Elizabeth Rowe’s gender pay discrimination lawsuit, equal opportunity law scholar Nancy Leong and freelance oboist Tenly Williams argue that “substantive reform cannot happen without radical transparency regarding hiring, promotion, and pay. … While transparency is stressful and uncomfortable at the outset, it is also the key to unlocking equity not only for women but all demographics.” — Slate
After Tumultuous Year, New York Public Radio President Laura Walker To Step Down
In a memo to staff, Walker said that “the Board and I have agreed that the time has come for me to move on.” (Her contract was due to expire in June; she steps down at the end of March.) Over 23 years, Walker presided over extraordinary growth at WNYC, the US’s largest public radio outlet, but a series of scandals and controversies over the past year led to more general criticism of her management style and extremely high pay. — Current
Banksy’s Latest Guerrilla Art Strike Is Even More Depressing Than Dismaland
His latest mural, which popped up in the Welsh steel town of Port Talbot, shows a child catching snowflakes on his tongue — except that the flakes are actually ashes from a dumpster fire behind his back. Merry Christmas! — The Guardian