Guggenheim ‘Works & Process’ spurs artists in limbo
Dylan Crossman When performance venues shut down abruptly in mid-March, innumerable planned events were put on hold. That included the Guggenheim’s modest but high-profile “Works & Process” series, midway through its spring season which featured a mix of dance, theater and music events. Launched in 1984, the adventurous series “explores artistic creation through stimulating conversation ...
Drift away! at the movies, with ‘Floating Cinema’
Aug
17
2020
rolling, rolling down a river You know how your attention drifts away when you’re at the movies? And you find yourself thinking about how bad the film is, or how much you rather be sitting at a lunch counter eating a hamburger? Well … now your entire body can drift away — cuz … you’re ...
Watch this! Launching our new summer streaming video
Aug
17
2020
The COVID quarantine persists. Stuff we used to do in person, with other people, is offered to us on line. Now this is understandable. The concept is, we should not think that our local theaters have just gone poof! and disappeared. We are cajoled to watch ballet on line, attend a film festival on line, ...
A ‘hands-on’ choreographer, Helen Tamiris
Aug
16
2020
When I was a dance student, it was perfectly normal to be utterly terrified of certain instructors. But they didn’t often man-handle you. Two generations ago, however, this was not the case. A student of Jack Cole described him banging her head on the ground as she stretched on the floor in second position. Banging ...
More on Alton’s ‘Choreography’ from WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954) 6
Above, an interesting shot of Vera-Ellen‘s “cute” entry into the Danny Kaye-starring “Choreography” number from WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954). You don’t see the dancer’s full descent in the final film. You just see her legs. Nor in the black-and-white photo is it possible to imagine the fuchsia color Vera-Ellen is wearing — a color made possible ...
‘GET OUT’ becomes ‘Get Outside’ @ Cali-Covid drive-in movie
Aug
13
2020
It was a fabulous way to convene with others — well, at least our cars had a nice get together. But we too so enjoyed our evening in Paramount, California, at a special “plein air” screening of director/auteur Jordan Peele‘s ‘cultural’ horror picture, GET OUT (2017). The highly influential movie, projected on a super big ...
‘America’s Fright Factory!’ Epi 3: Jeffrey
WELCOME BACKto“AMERICA’S FRIGHT FACTORY!“ ANNOUNCER: And now it’s back to “AMERICA’S FRIGHT FACTORY!” [Canned applause and whistles as the camera pans across the set, where workers in Haz-mat suits are setting up the third TRIAL.] RIBEYE: And here’s our final contestant! Welcome to “America’s Fright Factory!”, Jeffrey! JEFFREY: It’s an honor to be on “America’s ...
‘America’s Fright Factory!’ Epi 2: Mrs. McGreevy
WELCOME BACKto“AMERICA’S FRIGHT FACTORY!” ANNOUNCER: And now it’s back to “AMERICA’S FRIGHT FACTORY!” [Canned applause and whistles as the camera pans across to empty space, and then down to where a gray-haired old woman sits in her wheelchair, her knees covered with a plaid wool blanket.] RIBEYE: Welcome to “America’s Fright Factory!” Mrs. McGreevy! McGREEVY: ...
Jazz composer/pianist Billy Childs brings new ‘Acceptance’ to musical life
There have been two hallmarks—standards if you will—that have been a part of every Billy Childs album. The first is the journey he’s traveled as a composer. He has always written and, to great acclaim: he has received five GRAMMY ® awards and 16 nominations—many for composition and arrangement. Presently in continual demand for symphonic ...
Gabrielle Chanel: friend, patron, artisan of dance 4
I was intrigued to receive a note concerning a new four-episode series from fashion house, CHANEL, entitled Gabrielle Chanel & the Arts. A new episode of the series, which spools on the CHANEL youtube channel, gives a whirlwind-but-witty overview of Gabrielle Chanel‘s personal and artistic connections with avant-garde ballet. At the turn of the 20th ...