Petra

That's definitely not the movie that Cooper was interested in making, but I'd love to see that story and wouldn't mind a fictionalized version. IMHO one of the problems in recent biopics is the need or desire for them to be Balanchine Trust level authorized by the estate or the surviving family of the subject. The Agony and the Ecstasy isn't necessarily accurate but it certainly made me interested in Michelangelo and his art.

Watched it this morning on a sick day. I was expecting a 'hate-watch' and was taken by surprise at how much I enjoyed it. Wonderful to see a Hollywood movie that focuses on the importance of art and education. It's a messy movie, jumping around in time and location, focusing on certain things for a scene or two and then ignoring them but that suited the subject who tried to do everything and be everything (composer, conductor, teacher, etc.) as much as possible. The movie makes an effort to present Bernstein "warts and all", but it's hard to believe that Lenny was as introspective and as self-aware as he is in the early scenes with Felicia, and he ends up being almost a stereotypical Great Man. For instance it's clear that Lenny had affairs during his marriage because he could, not because he was gay. Kudos to Bradley Cooper for making a movie that is so thoughtful and raises questions as to what it means to be a Jew and Jewish. Timely in ways no one could imagine when the movie was being made. And lastly, none of my children were 'dream babies', but perhaps if I'd had live-in help, they would have been...

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater toured to Israel for the first time in over 10 years. The program I saw was an all Ailey evening - Night Creature, Cry, The River and as always Revelations. It was a very full and varied program. The dancers are amazing, great technique across the board. They are also incredibly committed, not an easy task when performing all these war horses day after day on tour. Night Creature was least favorite of the evening for me. It's kind of a 70s take on the Harlem Renaissance of the 20s. Fun but IMHO dated. Cry was danced by Jacquelin Harris, and was a feat of technique, stamina and emotion. Ailey dedicated the dance to all Black women - and especially to mothers, and I couldn't help wondering whether George Floyd's mother had seen this dance. I would love to see The River again. It's long and beautiful and was quite hard for me to properly assess after one viewing. Falls, the section for 4 men, stood out. What can I say about Revelations? The specific of music, dance, costumes, props and lighting is an artistic masterpiece that is also a meditation on our shared humanity. In this moment, it is a powerful political statement too. Hard to pick favorite sections, but Sinner Man is breathtaking. The very first section I Been 'Buked seems to have been a big influence on the music video for Beyoncé's song Apeshit [the one filmed in the Louvre]. An evening that left me with tears in my eyes and a reminder that the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice.

Celebrity fashion websites are branching out during the SAG strike: Baryshnikov looking "foxy"

Kim is scheduled to dance in Tel Aviv at the end of May. I won't be going and it looks like most of the program, besides Kim and Polina Semionova, will be quasi-professional performances of contemporary dance (Sharon Eyal, etc.)

I saw a very varied triple bill this evening at the Vienna State Ballet. First was Jerome Robbins' Other Dances with Hyo-Jung Kang and Davide Dato. They were a beautifully matched pair and the tricky partnering was very smooth. Kang was incredible, light and buoyant throughout. Dato had trouble in his 2nd slower solo but besides that was great. After a short pause came Lucinda Child's Concerto. The music is by a composer unfamiliar to me - Henry Gorecki. I loved the music but it's annoying to come to a major opera house (and pay major opera house prices) and get recorded music. The ballet itself looked like 7 ballet dancers in black clothes dancing contemporary dance - aesthetically pleasing but too 'up' and insubstantial. Hard to say what it would look like with Child's own dancers. After intermission- Balanchine's Liebeslieder Walzer. No complaints about the production values here - amazing singers, pianists and design. The dancers were perfect for this kind of 'atmosphere' ballet, and I loved the transformation from Viennese salon to pointe shoes. In many ways, Liebeslieder reminded me of Mr B's Nutcracker - the notion that behind a bourgeoisie social gathering lies a world of fantasy and by extension, that each of us can bring some magic into the world. OTOH there really isn’t a lot of ballet dancing... Tomorrow - I'll be seeing Klimt's Kiss.

You must be a wonderful friend. Wishing both of you all the strength you need to get through this difficult time.

It looks like the programmers don't differentiate between the various Balanchine styles, all his ballets are "Master Works" and classified as "classics" so a Balanchine can fit in any program and in any order. Almost the opposite of the way Balanchine spoke about his ballets and programming. 🙂 Perhaps I should send them one of my mother's old Arnold Haskell books that I prevented her from throwing out when she downsized a few months ago...

I watched Happiest Season and rewatched The Holiday. Happiest Season wasn't nearly as good as I thought it would be, it's very formulaic with an LGBTQ overlay - and the Aubrey Plaza and Dan Levy characters were woefully underserved. The Holiday is a (modern) classic for good reason, however unlikely it is that anyone would ever ditch Kate Winslet.

In Israel, Green Pass (proof of vaccination or negative antigen test for everyone over 3) and masks (for over 6, I think) are required for all indoor activities, including cinema, museums and theatre. It's a pain if you have children over 3 who aren't old enough to be vaccinated, although their tests are free.

The current exhibition at Design Museum Holon in Israel is The Ball, and it is "concerned with fashion's ability to transport us into a magical world in which anything is possible, if only for one night." A lot like ballet, then 🙂 Besides the slightly OTT text, it's a truly outstanding exhibition which appeals on many levels and to a wide audience. The first main hall is a display of authentic reconstructions of ball gowns in Western civilization through the ages from the 1600's to the 1980's, but the twist is that everything is in white. At first glance, the gallery looks very plain but as soon as you take another look, the immense changes in style and technique are even more obvious than they would be if the clothes were in colour. The second main hall is a display of ball gowns and couture gowns by Israeli designers. Apparently a quarter of the designers at NY Bridal Fashion week are Israeli or former Israelis. This was the most lavish and amazing of the exhibits. The gowns are arranged by colours and it was fascinating to see the difference between one black dress and another. I loved a neoprene zebra stripe painted dress, a wedding dress made our of recycled old wedding dress and a filmy yellow Art Deco style gown inspired by Loie Fuller. In the middle of the hall stand a mannequin couple and every quarter hour the lights dim, music plays and the couple twirl around like Cinderella and Prince Charming or like a couple from a Busby Berkley musical. The third section was a collaboration between a local hatter and pastry chef, each one making artifacts inspired by the other ending up with a room full to the ceiling with a 'pastry' display. My daughters asked when anyone would wear a hat that looks like a plate of macarons with ants crawling over them, so I told them about horse racing at Ascot... I don't know if this exhibition can or will travel, but if it comes around, it's highly recommended. COVID-19 precautions - museums in Israel are obliged to Green Pass regulations, which means anyone over 3 has to show proof of vaccination or negative antigen test. Children ages 3-12 (who can't be vaccinated) are entitled to free tests. Masks are compulsory indoors. There didn't seem to be any issue with compliance. Not everyone agrees with these measures, but I think those people are not likely to come to venues where the rules are enforced.

I read the "exclusive excerpt" in Elle. As an audience member who loves Mr. B's Nutcracker, I'm getting tired of dancers writing how much they hate dancing in it. To be clear, I'm not talking about the racism and being uncomfortable with dancing in 'yellowface', that's understandable. It's just annoying to hear about dancers being bored out of their minds dancing the same thing year after year. It's their job.

I only got to watch the Gala now. It was beautiful, poignant and reminded me so much of what we have lost over the last year and what we have to look forward to. Having a professional director made a huge difference IMHO between this Gala and most other digital offerings. Coppola's cinematography and directorial choices gave it a flow and coherence that turned a 'stream' into a program. Anthony Huxley's solo was amazing. His elegance and virtuosity were breath taking. Unlike most, I enjoyed the location and look of the Liebeslieder excerpt. It was so appropriate to dance in heels and evening clothes in the foyer. I loved the saturated Technicolor aspect of Divertimento (even though it wasn't the best choice for a closer. For one, it was too short 🙂) - almost expected Tiler Peck to come out with red hair like Moira Shearer.

Live performances have just resumed in Israel - and I went to a modern dance performance on Sunday!!! The show was not so great, but who cares? 🙂 Audience members had to present certification that they were vaccinated or recovering from COVID-19 together with photo ID. Compliance was carefully checked by the ushers at the entrance to the theatre. It takes a long time and I don't know how this will be handled at big venues. Seating was less than capacity with some rows left empty, empty chairs, etc. The dancers wore masks during the first section which they started with lights up while the audience was entering. It looked weird especially as they were regular surgical masks and not part of the costumes. Afterwards they removed the masks and danced together, touching each other, rolling over each other, breathing over each other. It was like waking up after a very long hibernation.

I thought "This Land is Your Land" was an odd choice for JLo and doesn't really suit her in terms of style or content - but I totally teared up when she quoted from the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish. That came from her heart. Amanda Gorman - she looks like a baby ballerina! I didn't care much for her poem itself (I'm not American) but her poise and presentation were incredible. Also see the generational change between her hairstyle and those of VP Harris and Michelle Obama.