George Balanchine dances in British film from 1929 1
What we have here is not “Apollo.” That’s putting it mildly. But it’s still a very amusing, even amazing, piece of historic dance footage that’s making the rounds on Facebook. George Balanchine himself dances in a rather crude bit of his own choreography “Dark Red Roses,” in a British-made early talkie. Appearing in the pas ...
Pasadena Museum of California Art’s “L.A. Raw” closes May 20. So go. 1
Apr
10
2012
Nancy BuchananWolfwoman 1977courtesy of the artist and Cardwell Jimmerson Contemporary Art It was quiet as hell in Pasadena this past Easter Sunday. Spurned by Target’s closure (isn’t Target always open?) I had the great good fortune to drive by the Pasadena Museum of California Art, only to realize I had not yet viewed L.A. RAW: ...
spring holiday weekend at arts·meme
Apr
6
2012
Cecil B. DeMille lived right down the road from arts·meme global headquarters. His crossing-of-the-Red-Sea special effect in “The Ten Commandments” (1956) may have been inspired by crossing Los Feliz Boulevard. Just as tough. We wish you and yours a Happy Passover and Happy Easter! thank you jonathan rosenbaum for the photo Like this? Read ...
Our Lady of Lourdes blesses Miami City Ballet 1
Apr
3
2012
Oh thank you, dear merciful Our Lady of Lourdes. And thank you to the 11-member committee, who along with Miami City Ballet’s new executive director, Nicholas Goldsborough, conducted the search for a successor to Edward Villella. You anointed in this heavenly role the French patron-saint’s name sake — Lourdes Lopez. And she’s a woman! Er .. ...
Lourdes Lopez to succeed Edward Villella at Miami City Ballet
Apr
3
2012
In an electrifying announcement, Miami City Ballet shares the news that Lourdes Lopez, the Cuban-born and Miami-raised former ballerina with New York City Ballet, has been named successor to Edward Villella, the company’s founding artistic director who is soon to retire. Ms. Lopez’s post will commence in Miami City Ballet’s 2013-14 season. Mr. Villella’s immense ...
Noir City: 14th annual film noir festival opens soon @ Egyptian Theatre
Apr
2
2012
Fourteen years ago, the American Cinematheque launched its inaugural festival of film noir. Back in 1999 it was called “Side Streets and Back Alleys: A Festival of Film Noir,” and it featured dozens of forgotten films, retrieved from critical exile, that have since been recognized as unjustly neglected genre gems, with many returned to circulation ...
One of a kind, Merce Cunningham … and the lore left behind
Apr
1
2012
Courtesy of arts·meme friend Nancy Dalva [her blog, the informal formalist], the recently named Merce Cunningham Trust Scholar in Residence, comes this marvelous photo of the great dance maker who passed away in 2009. Nancy sits, at right, in conversation with Cunningham. Among her other activities, Nancy has been producer/writer of the Internet series Mondays ...
Donizetti doubled up at the Met
Mar
31
2012
From our Maine correspondent, the Colby College history professor Paul Josephson, who sends breaking opera news on this grey Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles — While listening to Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore,” on “Live at the Met” [broadcast] today, and after “Una furtive lagrima,” to wild applause some one screamed out, “Encore!” and Juan Diego Florez ...
arts•meme’s formidable flock of female facebook friends
Yes, arts•meme has a Facebook “fan” page. We now have 372 fans on Facebook. That’s fantastic. Lately, however, we attracted a very cool line-up of new “likes” — all wonderful women working in the arts. It is noteworthy. Rose Eichenbaum Dance photographer, author, lecturer Melissa Silverstein Publisher, “Women & Hollywood” blog Shea New Producer, “Dance ...
Doris Day shares career memories on TCM 1
Mar
30
2012
TCM does such a wonderful job … no one does it better. The best bits come when Day recounts memories of working with James Cagney, Ginger Rogers, and Jack Lemmon. [Apologies for commercial first.]