Julia Fischer, Professional violinist…AND pianist!

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Erica Gailing

As the performance majors know, trying to squeeze in sufficient practice time everyday is such a challenge. There is always something new to work on, some passage to perfect and etude to work through. After practicing for a little over five hours today, I still feel as though I haven’t worked on everything I should and need to. This is why I was absolutely floored when I learned something completely new about the violinist Julia Fischer. Her name caught my eye because I know her as the brilliant concert violinist, who performs around the world with the most famous orchestras under amazing conductors (Lorin Maazel and Michael Tilson Thomas) and who I have listened to many recordings of. This lifestyle of a famous violinist in itself fascinates and amazes me. What made me absolutely fall off my chair to hear was that Julia Fischer performed the Grieg PIANO concerto at the Alte Oper (a major concert hall) in Frankfurt in 2008.

To think that someone has mastered two instruments on the level that Fischer has is almost unfathomable. The NY Times rightfully pointed out that there is only an artist here and there that has ever performed on such a high level on two different instruments. Yes, Mozart did play the violin and viola for recreation while sticking mainly to the piano but even he never played his stringed instruments seriously for the public! Please take a look at the videos of Fischer below playing the violin and then the one of her playing the piano. Then, after you pick your jaw up from the floor, look at the article here.

Watch Julia Fischer play the violin here.
Watch Julia Fischer play the piano here.

Posted in Music | 2 Comments

The City is your Stage

Posted on November 3, 2010 by David Rand

If you like stretching your limits and extending your boundaries, you might like “The Ride.” “The Ride” takes everything conventional about the experience of theater and revolutionizes it. Who says you need to be inside a theater to enjoy Theater? On “The Ride,” instead of your seat being in a theater, your seat is on a bus. And instead of the actors performing on stage, the actors are on the street and the bus. It combines the experience of taking a tour of New York, watching a stage show, and so much more.

This is definitely not your ordinary tour bus. While it takes a route through Manhattan very similar to an ordinary tour bus, the bus itself and all of its amenities are much cooler. First of all, it has 40 video screens, 850 Watts of sounds, the seats move underneath it, and it has a command center similar to an IMAX theater. If that’s not enough for you, one side of the bus is a huge window that let’s you have a view of the city like no other, and let’s outsiders see the riders as they go by.

It’s also definitely not your ordinary show. On “The Ride,” you will be entertained by music, video, actors on the bus, and actors on the street. The bus is so thrilling that not only will you literally become part of the show, but regular New Yorkers walking by join in on the action too. It’s the show of all shows. The riders watch the actors and the pedestrians, the pedestrians watch the actors and the riders, and both the riders and pedestrians become actors themselves. When it’s not obvious who the audience is and who the subjects of the show are, you know it’s something special.

“The Ride” also attempts to teach riders interesting facts about the people, the customs, and the history of New York City. For example, some “fun facts” that riders learn about are that “the grime cleaned off the ceiling of Grand Central Terminal in 1998 was a thick layer of tar and nicotine. The Chrysler Building’s spire was secretly prepared and mounted so the result could surprise rivals as the world’s tallest building — but then it was trumped by the Empire State Building.” Overall, this must be a uniquely riveting experience for all riders, especially tourists. One negative aspect of it is that tourists will learn about a very stereotypical perspective of New York. The show kind of feeds into the Hollywood depiction of what New York is, and not necessarily the reality of the City. Regardless, it is definitely an entertaining ride for all.

Read The New York Times Article

Check out “The Ride” website and watch a video about it

Posted in Theater | 2 Comments

Where Dance meets Politics

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Sandra Lau

Since we haven’t really blogged about ballet for a while, I thought I’d bring it back. When I was looking at the New York Times arts section, I saw an article entitled “A Cultural Leap Across a Political Divide” with a picture of dancers beneath it. It caught my interest since I could not think of how politics and dancers could be group together. The article is about a performance by a group of ballet dancers that are from City Ballet and American Ballet Theater in Havana, Cuba, as part of an international ballet festival. This article opened my eyes to the fact that the arts are not bounded by countries and wars (for the most part). Ballet is something that everyone could enjoy and appreciate, regardless of where they lived. The performance sounded like it was a fantastic show, and it is nice to see some things are not completely affect by the ugliness of wars and the complication of politics.

Click here for the article.

Posted in Dance | 1 Comment

Alyssa Blumenthal

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Samuel Nathanson

Every morning I wake up to singing from just one wall over. No alarm clock needed when I have music floating through my dorm. Yes, that melodic voice comes from none other than Alyssa Blumenthal. When I hear that singing I just know that my day will be provided with a cultural whirlwind of music.

Let’s start from the beginning. I met this artist this past summer at a magical palace of learning called Usdan. This experience has changed me. I have learned so much. Seriously, I had no idea what a euphonium was before I saw the instrument sitting upon her lap. I was just like, “Dude, what the heck is that tuba thing?” and then she told me. Man, that was something. There was even a question on cash cab and the answer was euphonium! Ever since then I have witnessed her carrying this immense instrument to and from classes and lessons and all the amazing places she goes with it. And woah, can she play the thing. I hear only good things from all the prestigious music critics who have praised her superior skills. Seriously. It’s legit.

When I heard that Alyssa Blumenthal sang at Carnegie Hall, the high esteem I hold her in became cemented in my mind. I do not jest when I tell you that the Queen of England herself came to see Alyssa Blumenthal’s performance. I know it. The Queen stood up at the end and shouted her name. Soon the entire audience was in a standing ovation for Alyssa Blumenthal. Yeah.

So, Arts in NYC class, I end with this. Whenever you’re feeling blue, I want you to just picture something for me. Picture Alyssa Blumenthal. Picture her singing you awake in the morning. Picture the melodies coming from her euphonium. Picture her standing ovation at Carnegie Hall. Then, maybe then, your life too will be complete.

Posted in Dance, Music, Theater, Visual Arts | 2 Comments

From Generation to Generation

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Alyssa Blumenthal

The Zamir Chorale celebrated its 50th anniversary this past Sunday with a Jubilee Concert at Carnegie Hall. This Chorale “promotes Jewish choral music as a vehicle to inspire Jewish life, culture and continuity” and this weekend’s concert was a celebration of perseverance in the face of adversity, of the unifying power of song, and of the continuity of Judaism and Jewish music throughout generations.

The program began with performances by two Zamir alumni choirs. The first was conducted by Zamir’s founding musical director, Stanley Sperber, and the second by Mati Lazar, current Zamir musical director. The program then continued with performances by the current Zamir Chorale. Next in line was HaZamir, the international Jewish teen choir, a project of the Zamir Choral Foundation. The concert ended with the resounding sound of all 350 choir members singing in unison the anthem of the Foundation, entitled HaZamir, conducted by both Sperber and Lazar.

One song sung by HaZamir was entitled “L’dor Vador”, which translates to “from generation to generation” and sings of the power of music to transcend years and generations. As we study the arts, I think this is an extremely powerful notion of which we should constantly consider and remind ourselves.

Regardless of the art form, art crosses languages, races, and years. It is an extremely powerful unifying factor. I know that as I stood at Carnegie, I felt the potency of this connection, and I was brought to tears.

Please enjoy some segments of the concert, the first being a performance by a Zamir alumni choir and the second being HaZamir’s rendition of “L’dor Vador”:

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Thomas Nozkowski’s “Cool Down” Sketches; Paper After the Canvas

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Praveena Persaud

I skimmed the New York Times online recently, and came across an article that not only shed light for me on a topic that I’m not well versed in, but also made me respect an artist I had never heard of before. Apparently artists do a “concept sketch” on normal paper before actually putting it on the canvas. They use this as a means to plot out their ideas, and figure out how they want to structure each particular piece. I actually found this notion (which sounds like a very basic strategy that most abstract artists used) a bit perplexing. I always thought that art wasn’t something that should take so much planning and “blueprinting,” especially abstract art. But then again, when Professor Smaldone broke down certain pieces of art when we were at MOMA, it did sound like a lot of beforehand preparation was made before doing each piece. Confusion, confusion, there is no single way to ever make art!

But this abstract artist, Thomas Nozkowski, does the exact opposite. He doesn’t put that much thought into what goes on the canvas. “I believe in those principles of not doing preliminary sketches — of acting, not having a preconception of where you’re going to go.” Instead of doing a warm-up sketch in which the artist prepares for what’s going to be put on the canvas, Nozkowski does a “cool down” sketch. He uses pencil and paper to have them reflect on his finished masterpiece (whatever he placed on the canvas). It’s similar to the notion of writing a paper after a class is over to reflect on what the class did for you, what were you trying to achieve by taking the class, and how you feel after achieving your goals in said class. You cogitate about what you just did.

I liked Nozkowski’s “old school” approach. Doing without much thinking. “Too much information is a trap for the viewer,” as he bluntly puts it when discussing his views on titling work and the artist’s inspiration. While I personally believe that there should be a good amount of thinking done where art is concerned, too much thinking and too much information spoils the piece. This artist has a rather laid back, natural approach to abstract art, and he is definitely someone I can appreciate now.

His exhibit consists of 19 pairs of works, a canvas with a sketch underneath it. It’s located at Pace Gallery at 510 West 25th street. The article itself (which can be viewed here) does not state the dates that this exhibition will be available for, but I would love to go see it. (Edit: I went to the Pace Gallery website, and this exhibition goes on until the 4th of December! And all you have to do is take the E train to 23rd street to get there!)

On canvas.

On paper. The cool down sketch.

Posted in Visual Arts | 2 Comments

Greg Antonelli – Dance Theatre of Harlem

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Greg Antonelli

In 2004, expanding dept caused the Dance Theatre Of Harlem, which formed in 1969, to “temporarily” take a break. This break was looking more and more like a permanent closure and as time went on this theatre was assumed to just be over and done with. Recently, however, Virginia Johnson, a veteran of the company, has developed a plan to get the company up and running again by 2013. As an experienced member of the dance world, Johnson knows it’s not easy to keep a dance program alive, especially in times of economic hardship. Despite the financial difficulties she has stated “We can’t wait another 15 years”. The reality is there will have to be big changes. When the theatre closed it had 44 dancers as part of the program. Upon opening again the plan is to have about 18 and try to work up from there. Also the board of directors will be cut by more than half. Johnson is making every possible effort to reduce the debt that the theatre has accumulated. By decreasing the size of the program and partnering with other dance companies Johnson hopes to be able to stay on track and stick to the plan. It’s sad to see important arts programs collapse considering the importance of art in our city. On the other hand, the fact that it’s possible to turn around and stop the cycle of debt to get the program together and revitalize it, is a very hopeful situation. With all of the cuts that need to be made, it’s hard to imagine the program being the same as it was before it closed. However, with all of her experience Ms. Victoria Johnson seems to be a good person to take the reins and reinvent this dance theater.

The New York Times Article Can Be Found here

Posted in Dance | 2 Comments

SugARTists

Posted on November 1, 2010 by dharamati

I love food…and based on the content of Professor Smaldone’s analogies, as well as our class’ reaction, it’s safe to say that you all do too. Because of my adoration for aliment I find myself frequently flipping the T.V. to either the Cooking Channel or Food Network. There are many delightful and delicious programs on these networks, but I would like to introduce you all to one in particular, it is called “Ace of Cakes”. This show is about the happenings of a unique bakery that makes incredible custom cakes. The cast of cake artists at Charm City Cakes(in Baltimore) are all tremendously quirky as well as enormously talented. They employ various techniques both in the construction of the cakes and in their decoration. Whether it’s airbrushing the sculpted fondant(special icing that can be molded), creating flowers and little people by hand, or painting intricate details on to their confectionery canvasses, these artists continuously blow my mind and tease my tummy. When it comes to the discussion of “what is art” or “is this art”, a person’s feelings can be easily affected by the mood that he/she is in at the time. Hunger can definitely be a contributing factor to the type of mood a person is in. I am no different and cannot help my belly from rumbling every time I watch this show. Regardless, I definitely am able to appreciate these artists for the work that they do, both for my eyes and for my stomach.

Charm City Cakes website, check out their creations

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Star Wars: Return of the Toon?

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Lara Porter

Now that 3-D is the new special effect, used in everything from crazy sci-fi films live “Avatar” to the amazingly cheesy dance flick “Step Up”, George Lucas has caught on to the trend. He has announced his plans to release the first Star Wars movie in 3D in 2012.

Well, not everyone is pleased about this. Well Eric Power made the awesome video below which is almost a revolt against the 3-d treatment. He made his own version of the trilogy using paper animation.

I always find it ironic to see videos that are “old-school” on youtube which seems to me as overused symbol of our technologically advanced age. Another example of this is Coraline, a movie by Tim Burton entirely using stop-motion clay-animation but is also in 3-D. To me, this mix is the definition of our time; taking influence from the old and incorporating it with the new.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

I know this is over-blogged about, but…

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Samuel Nathanson

I love the topic of graffiti in New York City. I simply feel that this city would not be the same without the artists who (illegally) display their work on the city walls. Yes, there are those who say that graffiti is “destroying the city” and that there should be harsh laws against, but I still think that most of it is beautiful.

One spot that I think is particularly beautiful is the Freedom Tunnel in Harlem. I found this tunnel’s beauty almost by accident. Its knows as one of the “secret beauties” of New York City among the circles who think graffiti is beautiful. The tunnel is an old diesel amtrak line that is hardly used anymore, since most trains are now electrified, so you’re able to walk across the tracks without much danger. It is seriously something to be able to walk across a train track when you’re told all your life to beware of them. My friend and I had fun with that. Anyway, a couple of friends had arranged a trip to go and explore the tunnels in a big group but I couldn’t attend so one friend and I went another day. It was gorgeous. Where the light poured into the tunnel from above it was seriously stunning.

At the time I was producing a music video and I knew that this tunnel just had to be in the video. This is an excerpt of what I filmed in the tunnel. (the song is about discovering what is “real” and what is not, so the tunnel metaphor really worked to my advantage. The music video featured various street musicians.)

I am not doing justice to explaining this tunnel so I’ll let these people do it (I know this is really an advertisement for a boot company but I still think they do the best job of explaining the wonder of this tunnel)

Click here for the video

Posted in Visual Arts | 1 Comment

Opera At Your Local Multiplex

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Katherine Roszkowski

Since we were just talking about opera in class, I thought it would be cool to write about a fairly new program at the Met called “Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD.” In this program, a few operas are chosen to be transmitted live in select movie theaters. There are a bunch of cinemas in the five boroughs, as well throughout the country and overseas, that transmit live and encore performances. The best thing about the program is how cheap ticket prices are. An adult ticket only costs about twenty dollars, while an adult ticket for a live show at the Metropolitan Opera can easily go over 400 dollars. This is definitely the way to go if you’re a fan opera on a tight budget.

The whole point of “Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD,” which is currently in its fifth season, is to attract a wider audience to opera. Many people may not be able to afford a ticket, or can’t get to the Met, or just may not want to spend so much money on a show that they may not be able to follow/understand (if it’s in a different language). I think this program is great because it provides an answer to all of these excuses that people may have for no going to an Opera performance. It’s also a great way for someone to become more familiar with opera before taking the plunge and going to a live performance at the Met.

Some people may argue that nothing can compare to seeing the performance live with your own eyes and actually being in the Met. I do agree with this argument, but if you have a choice of watching it in a movie theater or not watching it at all, I would definitely choose to watch it at a movie theater.

Anna Netrebko in Donizetti's "Don Pasquale"

This season, “Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD” has 12 live transmissions, including Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West, and others.

The Official Site for the “Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD” program

Posted in Theater | 1 Comment

Reaction to Troubled Times

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Shirley Mak

“Gezeiten”, or “Tides”, is a piece created by the German choreographer Sarah Waltz.  The piece is a reaction to the tragedies that have occurred in the 21st Century, such as the earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes.  It is a work that shows how people are able to, or unable to, overcome the circumstances.  Waltz also included her own personal experience with a fire that broke out on a hill where she, her two children and her husband were.  “Gezeiten” is divided into three parts, each part reflecting a different style of Waltz’s.  The first part is abstract expressionist, the second is more theatrical, and the third is surreal and dream-like.  The TimeOut New York article sums up Waltz’s style as a combination of Tanztheater (German for Dance Theater) and American postmodernism.
Just as John Cage redefined the way people listen to music, Waltz is interested in the way dance was redefined as well.  She named Merce Cunningham and Trisha Brown as American influences for postmodern dance.  However, she feels that she does not fit in amongst modern German choreographers.  According to Waltz, their choreography lean more towards “soloistic projects and theoretical pseudo-intellectual concepts” rather than expressionism, which is what Waltz is interested in.
In the trailer of “Gezeiten”, which is going to be performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music starting Wednesday, the three different styles can be seen.  In the clip of the first dance, the movements were more coordinated and abstract.  The clips from the following pieces were more theatrical.  The movements and actions were more human-like, and it did seem as if they were acting out the piece.  The clips of the final dances was more dream-like.  In the scene where they had the fire, the movement of the dancers were slow, almost trance-like.  I thought it was cool how the dancers were part of the set shaking the floorboard to imitate earthquakes, and then slowly emerging as people who were buried under the debris.

Posted in Dance | 1 Comment

Sign Language and Theater Vlog

Posted on November 1, 2010 by bweinstein

Sorry that some of the signs are cut off at the bottom and aren’t visible. Something you’ll also notice is that I don’t sign all the words – that would be impossible and it isn’t something done in the deaf community. The message still gets across, which is what’s important. Also, this is my first time editing anything with iMovie – that’s why its not the greatest quality and all. But I hope you like it anyway 🙂

Posted in Theater, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Street Art Way Below the Street

Posted on November 1, 2010 by nzeblisky

Many artists strive for fame, hoping that the public will see their pieces, that their works will be in exhibits all over and that they will be able to sell their work.  That’s why this article in the New York Times was so fascinating to me. Unbeknownst to the public, there is actually an underground art “gallery” in an abandoned subway station. According to the article, “the only people with a chance of stumbling across it are the urban explorers who prowl the city’s hidden infrastructure or employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority”. In fact, this whole “art gallery” has been put together illegally. The curators remained nameless in the article, scared that if identified, they would face some sort of prosecution.

“PAC”, a street artist, stumbled upon this abandoned subway station that had not been completely built. He said he used to spend hours there admiring the architecture and enjoying the “solitude of being underground”. He later met “Workhouse”, who focuses his art on abandoned spaces, and somehow the two came up with the idea to turn this subway station into a giant work of art. The parters feared the illegality of their actions but, as Workhouse said, “There is a certain type of person that the urban art movement has bred that enjoys the adventure as much as the art. Where else do you see a creative person risking themselves legally, financially, physically and creatively?”.

Over time, the two artists found other street artists to contribute to their giant project. They felt that working in private and not aiming for an audience really allowed them to express themselves and recapture the good feelings they had about creating art, rather than worry about the marketplace. While this was all extremely risky, it makes sense to me. These artists were doing this for their own pleasure, not aiming to get public approval. If I were in their shoes, I would be scared of the punishments that would await me if I did get caught; but at the same time, I can understand how the risk can give a thrill.

The article is pretty long but I think it’s worth reading. I liked the story behind this whole project of creating the underground art gallery. I have no idea how this reporter learned about it and got to interview the creators, but I enjoyed learning about it, and if there was some non-dangerous, non-illegal way of getting down there to see this “exhibit” I think it would be interesting to see.

For some reason, I’m having difficulty getting the photos to cooperate with me and go in the post, so here’s a link to a slide show of some underground work, and some of the artists working on it 🙂 PICTURES

Posted in Visual Arts | 2 Comments

Comments from Fall for Dance

Posted on November 1, 2010 by esmaldone

I’ve gone through your comments on your “most” and “least” favorites. You revealed a great deal about how you react to various examples within a specific art form, but also revealed a great deal about the challenges of analysis when it comes to any artistic medium. Read these quotes and comments, which will be the basis for a more wide ranging discussion (i.e., not just on dance or even that evening’s performance).

Comments on “Fall for Dance” –

read the quotes (taken from colleagues papers) and then my reaction to the quote. there is much to learn from this experience that you have already tapped into. All of your reactions were legitimate, but we should now view those reactions within the context of our growing sophistication and experience. It is interesting how the reactions to the Dance program could be transferred to the trip to MOMA and reactions to various paintings, to purely musical presentations and to dramatic/theatrical art forms.

Favorite:
–“it did a great job opening the show” Yes! placement within the show is important. Placement (on a particular wall, or spot in a visual art show) is also crucial.

—“the dance tested the dancers’ limits” and “they really tried new things with their bodies” — good comment. Good art is always a stretch of some kind. It involves taking a risk for the artist and the audience.

—“got me excited to see the rest of the show” – Another comment that considers the evening event as a totality.

—“I was struck by how strange and repetitive their movements were.” Being “attracted” by strange is a good trait. The repetition is what gives substance to strange. Pattern is how we observe architecture.

–“it was amazing how they were synchronized” technical skill that is clear and obvious has a high rate of “attraction.” But this can be beauty that is only “skin deep.”

—“the dance wouldn’t have had as much impact if not for the interesting lighting” — good comment. The particulars of the medium and the presentation are crucial. An Art show must be “hung” in just the right way to make its impact, the acoustics of the hall are crucial to a musical performance, costumes and make-up, lighting, etc. are important for a theatrical production, etc. And in the end, the most dramatic impact can be when all of these “artificial” elements melt away and the art itself makes its impact.

—tap/hip-hop — “it was interesting when they were dancing to the same music using different dance styles.” good comment. Poses an interesting rhetorical question: is there only one way to dance to a particular piece of music, or even a particular style of music?

—“after light” slow dance “I found kind of moving” –it is perhaps the most genuine experience/reaction to art when you can’t quite put your finger on why (at least not initially) but you are effected/moved in some way. The abstraction/dissection can come later, but the analysis is meaningful only because the art has already demonstrated its primary “meaning” – i.e. its ability to convey emotion of some kind.

Least favorite:

—slow dance “isn’t what I thought dance should be” — unfortunately, this comment just indicates a lack of familiarity with the medium. They can’t ALL be “Happy and Peppy and bursting with love”.

–“too slow, too long…” knowing this is the likely reaction of the non-sympathetic, “slow” becomes a daring artistic choice, no?

It was interesting that the slow dance was consistently given as a “least favorite” but the first piece (Kiegwin) was too skillful to be anyone’s “least” favorite.

Posted in Dance, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Big Bambu Experience

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Praveena Persaud

On Saturday, October 30th, I finally went to see Big Bambu. I didn’t go to Big Bambu earlier for numerous reasons, such as bad timing, bad weather, and just forgetting that it had to be done. But I woke up 8 am on Saturday morning, trying to get the noon tour. However, there was a long line, and I ended up getting a ticket for the four o’clock tour. Professor Smaldone and I coincidentally ran into one another at the museum as I was waiting.

I wanted to record the entire 40 minute tour, but all that was allowed was the clothes on our back to keep us warm from the cold breeze. As we walked on the bamboo stairs, I heard a lot of creaking. We were informed on how the structure was tested. Engineers helped make the base of the structure, and a large number of heavy bags of sand were left on the sculpture for 24 hours in order to test it (I forgot the exact numbers said for the amount of bags and the weight of each, but they were astounding numbers). The sculpture had only moved a quarter of an inch with this immense weight, so it was unlikely that we would collapse, despite all the creaking (and the shaking that I felt whenever one of the guys would bounce on the structure!).

When we walked up a little higher, we met with this little living room-like area. Benches and cup-holders made out of bamboo, and the floor had a cross hatched design that looked absolutely gorgeous. Our tour guide showed us how the rock climbers cut off the tip of bamboo poles and placed them into the floor for decorative purposes. Mixed in with the color nylon rope, it had a stunning effect.

We were then split into two separate groups and walked to the top of the structure. Before mentioning the rest of the experience, I came on the 30th expecting to see the structure at practically its highest point, since the Starn brothers and the rock climbers were supposed to have kept on going until the last day. However, the tour guide informed us earlier on in the tour that the Starn brothers recently decided to make deconstructing the structure a part of the “art process” too. So for the past week, the sculpture has been getting shorter as they have been removing some of the poles.

The tour guide expressed that they wanted to make it look something like a tidal wave. When we got to the top, I saw it. It seemed like such a fluid crescent wave, as if it were crashing against the sea shore or something.I personally felt as if I was riding on the top of a giant wave. I wish I could’ve taken a picture, but for now, a picture from an article will have to suffice:

The “wave” isn’t as stunning here in the picture as it is when you view it from the top sadly.

What I liked was the description of it being an “organism.” The tour guide even mentioned that the pathways were like the arteries of the structure. This piece is mainly organic, and the brothers and the rock climbers just “go along with it.” Like life, all the changes that happen are spontaneous, and not always well thought out. The same is said for the changes that Big Bambu underwent these past few months. An enthralling experience, I’m glad I got to see it on its penultimate day.

What I DIDN’T like was being at the museum for 5 hours before going on the tour.. I honestly thought the line would be shorter since everyone already had so many chances these past few months to view it.

Posted in Visual Arts | 1 Comment

NY Classical Players. Oct. 31, 2010 LeFrak Hall

Posted on November 1, 2010 by esmaldone

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Big Bambu Break Up

Posted on November 1, 2010 by dharamati

One of the first expressions of art that I can remember this class talking about and bonding over was the Starn brothers’ colossal wonder, “Big Bambu(i don’t know how to do the fancy “u”). Just as the end of our amazing artistic journey is drawing near, the dismantling of this incredible creation is commencing. It is sad that this revolutionary and innovative piece is being taking apart, but the Starn brothers can take solace in its many achievements. “Big Bambu” was a tremendous hit for the duration of its exhibition. An astounding 600,000 people visited it(more than the predicted 400,00) and it was the giant jungle gym for multitudes including; Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg,Lou Reed, Bono, and Paul Mccartney. Although the exhibit has run its course, the Starn brothers intend to create a separate exhibit from photographs and relics of their masterpiece. The creativity and ingenuity of “Big Bambu” will live on in the memory of those who visited and it will be immortalized in this upcoming exhibit. Just like “Big Bambu” I think that our class and the experiences we’ve shared will stick with us for the rest of our lives. The knowledge and culture that we’ve gained will be used to help make us well-rounded people. Maybe we can all go to that future exhibit together as a little reunion, and I don’t know….write a one page report on it or something….

click here for NY Times article

Posted in Visual Arts | 1 Comment

Silent Broadway

Posted on October 31, 2010 by bweinstein

When I came across this article in the NY Times I was extremely saddened. Alan Champion, a sign language interpreter on Broadway, was recently diagnosed with cancer. I personally have no connection to Champion, but what saddened me was the fact that the deaf and hard-of-hearing audience of Broadway musicals may lose an invaluable interpreter. I was attracted to this article at first because I myself speak some sign language (although it is a little rusty). There aren’t very many interpreters out there and the loss of one will hit the deaf community hard. It is a very special thing to be able to have deaf people attend the theater, which is almost entirely performed vocally. Sign language interpreters like Champion don’t sign word for word what the performers are singing. Instead, they sign to convey the feelings and emotions that go along with the words so that it makes more sense (and is much faster). It takes much skill and many years of practice to be able to sign on the spot like Champion and these other interpreters do because they may feel compelled to perform themselves, so-to-speak. As Mr. Champion has said, “Rule No. 1: You never want to upstage the performers or clutter the storytelling with your own acting.” So Mr. Champion has learned over the years to control his own impulses and leave the performing to the actors on stage.

I think it is a beautiful thing that the theater world has a separate section for those with disabilities to be able to come and see these shows. Its a wonder that there was a time when people with disabilities were discriminated against. As someone who has learned the importance of sign language in the deaf community, I hope that Mr. Champion overcomes his cancer so that he may continue to interpret on Broadway.

Posted in Theater | 1 Comment

Wintuk

Posted on October 31, 2010 by nzeblisky

For those of you who have never experienced watching Wintuk in Madison Square Garden, hurry up and buy your tickets! This is, sadly, the fourth and final season of Wintuk in New York City. Wintuk was created by Cirque du Soleil . It is not just a series of acrobatic acts or dancing. There is a storyline throughout the whole performance of a boy on his journey to find snow. Throughout the show, there is some great choreography, fitting dramatic music, and several fascinating acrobatic acts. The unusual talents that some of these performers possess never cease to amaze me.

I have personally seen Wintuk twice and I enjoyed it. Each year, there were some minor changes to better the acts. After seeing Wintuk, I really wanted to watch Cirque du Soleil because I have heard that that is amazing, but I would have to travel farther to see that. For those of you who have never seen Wintuk, I would recommend you go see it. As I said, it is not just a series of acrobatic acts, but it has a storyline, making it more theatrical and attention grabbing. If you’re interested in buying tickets, here is the site. Not only can you purchase tickets there, but you can read about the show and take a look at some of the acts it has to offer. Enjoy!

Here are a few pictures of what the show has to offer.

Posted in Theater, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Music Videos

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Sandra Lau

Many, many, many songs get made into music videos, but how many of them actually represents the song? Sometimes when I watch music videos I’m wondering if it has anything at all to do with the song, some of them just seem like random dancing and half naked girls. While I’m sure there are a lot of people who appreciate that type of thing, I enjoy watching the videos that have a storyline which matches the song. That’s not to say that I don’t like the other music videos, if it somewhat makes sense and is decent I can appreciate that.

My last blog post was about music and how its influence on film and other stuff. Now let’s talk about things the other way around. Lyrics are poetry, it tells a story and with visuals it allows the viewer to appreciate the story more. I know there are some meaningless songs out there (such as Ke$ha’s music, but they do have a good rhythm). Majority of the lyrics in music tells a story, no matter how simple. Most of my favorite videos are those that shows the story of the song.

Here’s an example:

And for the songs that include random dancing and head movements, here’s an example of that:

I’m sure you can all think of examples from both categories, so I’m not going to go crazy and post ten videos on here. Which one do you prefer? Random dance? Or the storyline?

I’m also pretty curious to know your favorite music video.

Posted in Music, Visual Arts | 2 Comments

Brigadoon Review

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Susan Xu

When I first read the synopsis of Brigadoon, I was actually kind of looking forward to the show because it had an interesting plot. The actual performance, however, wasn’t as great as I thought it would have been, although I will admit that the music they played was beautiful and the voices were great. There were many parts that were added that I thought could have been taken out, like the dancing at the funeral. I appreciated that they tried to incorporate ballet into the show, but it felt a little out of place for me. This also happened in the scene when Jean was getting married.

However, I really did like the set design and the characters. They all had great personalities and that is what kept me interested. The orchestra music was also amazing. I think it really added to the emotion and overall quality of the play. Another interesting aspect was how they placed the orchestra on stage too and let the actors perform right in front of it. Also I liked that the singers sang from the balcony because it made the show more interactive and fun. I wasn’t expecting that to happen so it was always a surprise when I would hear a voice on my left or right.

Posted in Dance, Music, Theater | 3 Comments

Swan Lake Vlog

Posted on October 28, 2010 by CB

Here is my first vlog for the Arts blog. I’ll admit, I’m not too happy with the narration, which is already edited, but I spent a lot of time on this effort. I hope you find the end result satisfactory.

You can watch Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at the City Center through November 7. Tickets range from $25 to $110. This event is recommended by the critics of Time Out New York, so watch it while you can!

Edit: Be sure to check out Professor Smaldone’s post as well. The Chinese circus did their own rendition of Swan Lake as well, which goes to show its vast influence.

Source

Posted in Dance, Music, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

The Circus

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Corina Yee

The first and only circus I have ever been to in my life was about five years ago at Barnum & Bailey’s Circus. It was an enjoyable experience being that it was the first circus I have ever been to, but it was not an event I believed to be worth going to yearly. But after reading an article in the NY Times about Big Apple Circus’ “Dance On”, I have changed my mind.

About a week ago, Big Apple Circus debuted their first show of “Dance On”, and this is not the typical circus we all think of. This particular show incorporates a different array of elements that do not revolve around just animals. The circus artists for this show have to be booked well in advance. From the daredevils of the monocyling Wuqiao Acrobatic Troupe to the signature clown, Barry Lubin, this show definitely possesses edge as well as maintaining the comedy intact, the original element of circuses. Besides the jaw-dropping performances made by these talented circus artists, the fueling music during the show, led by Rob Slowik, should also be noted.

This would definitely be an event I would be interested in seeing live.

The Kenyan Brothers exemplifying their strength and skill utilized in their acts.

NY Times Article Here.

Posted in Theater | 2 Comments

Miley Cyrus: Too much too fast?

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Praveena Persaud

If I know who Miley Cyrus is, then everyone else must know her, because I don’t bother listening to the radio, watching television, or reading magazines.

She started rising to fame when she became the star of the Disney Channel Show, “Hannah Montana.” A show about a girl living a double life, stuck between being a regular girl and a world famous pop star. Ever since this show premiered on Disney Channel (March 26, 2006) I personally couldn’t stand her. She became a star with a horrible, nasally singing voice that screamed “NO TALENT!” every time she opened her mouth.

But I still had a certain amount of respect for her. Her character was a great role model for young girls. A great relationship with her father, putting her friends first, an all around good girl who always learned to keep her priorities straight at the end of each episode.

The fourth season of that show is continuing this year. However, we all know that she also released her album “Can’t Be Tamed” on June 21st, 2010. She lost the wig and decided to “break out.” As she said in an interview (for the actual article, click here) “I work really hard to be fit and to know that I can wear whatever makes me most comfortable. I feel more comfortable dressing with a little less, which is just how I’ve always been. Now I’m able to do that a little more freely and, also, I’ve just grown up to be this way too. It’s not like this was me five years ago. It’s me now, presently.”

And that’s all fine and dandy. But keep in mind she has a lot of young fans that she picked up while being “good-girl Stewart” on her Disney Channel show. I don’t have any children of my own, but I certainly wouldn’t want my kids to watch a 17 year old girl in super shorts and no undershirt dancing against a crowd of older people in a bar. Trying to break out and grow up isn’t a bad idea, but the transformation she underwent was too fast. It was a shocking change, and kids are bound to get the wrong message out of it. Cyrus isn’t even legal yet; should she be allowed to make decisions like this which affect so many?

I don’t see the talent. I never did. But now that she’s lost the ability to say that she’s a great role model for kids, I don’t see the worth in her either.

Below is her music video “Who Owns My Heart,” which brought about one of the more recent controversies about how grown-up she’s trying to be.

Who owns my heart?
Is it love or is it art

Where’s the art? A 17 year old trying too hard to grow up?

Posted in Music | 3 Comments