THE MAGAZINE
Conflict Resolution, Greenland Style
As geopolitical tensions once again draw global attention to Greenland, its cultural history offers a revealing counterpoint. For over four millennia, Greenlandic Inuit communities have used drum song and dance not only for ritual and social life, but also as a structured, non-violent way to resolve disputes. In a drum duel, restraint—not aggression—determined the outcome, leaving judgment to the community rather than to force.
Piano Department Film Night
When orchestral projects took over music school, pianists were left with unexpected free time—and an unusual solution. Enter the Piano Department Film Night: documentaries, lectures, and YouTube deep dives watched on an ancient projector. From Cziffra to Glenn Gould to Juilliard practice rooms, this is a pianist’s guide to what’s worth watching.
On Artists and New Year Resolutions
Across time, artists have used painting to declare identity and ambition to the public. From Dürer to Picasso to Kehinde Wiley, TWoA follows how resolution and intention—once made visible—have reshaped the art-historical canon itself.
The Art of Astrology, Pre Co-Star
Long before Co-Star, Europe’s wealthiest men were proudly inscribing their natal charts onto walls, ceilings, and frescoes. From Chigi’s astrologically coded villa in Rome to the Medici palaces of Florence—and later, the cosmic visions of Cocteau and Dalí—astrology has shaped art and architecture for centuries. TWoA traces how Renaissance elites and modern masters alike used the zodiac to script power, meaning, and identity across eras. Read on to find out how.
‘Tis the Season
Looking for gifts with a little artistic magic? TWoA’s writers curate their favourite festive picks—from art-history reads and museum memberships to dancer must-haves, musician treasures, and beautifully crafted objects. Consider it your guide to artsy presents with real holiday spark.
A Tale of Autumn
Ever felt inspired by autumn? Good. So were Osslund, Tchaikovsky, and Rohmer, among many others. Read this article to find out how the season appears in art, music, and film, and why its briefness makes artists notice things they ignore the rest of the year.
A Life in Dance: Back to School Book Recommendations
As the school year begins, reading lists shift from summer novels to the books that shape a creative life. In this article, TWoA highlights three essential titles—Allegra Kent’s memoir, Twyla Tharp’s creative guide, and The Swans of Harlem—each revealing what it really takes to build a career in dance and the arts.
The Art of Conversation: From the Private Salon to the Public Art Cafe
What began as aristocratic salons now lives on in bookstores, cafés, and pop-up lectures. TWoA charts the art café’s transformation—and why we still crave spaces built on talk and ideas.
Happy World Ice-Cream Day: Rachmaninoff’s Cherry Malted Milk Float
Rachmaninoff, stern onstage and sweet-toothed in private, adored one thing above all: a cherry malted milk float. For World Ice-Cream Day, TWoA dives into the dessert that softened a musical giant—and why this fizzy American treat meant more to him than anyone knew.
Bites of Luxury: From the Renaissance to the Kardashians
In art, life, and social media, food does more than tempt: it signals status. TWoA looks at how lobsters, lemons, Erewhon smoothies, and untouched piles of fruit became a visual shorthand for luxury—and why this is a trend that keeps resurfacing. Read on.
Grounds for Rebellion: Bach’s Coffee Cantata
“If I can’t drink my bowl of coffee three times daily…” Bach’s Coffee Cantata begins as a lighthearted story about a girl and her devotion to caffeine—but beneath it runs a quiet feminist rebellion taking shape in 1730s Leipzig.
Artful Anchovies: The Art History Behind the Tinned Fish Revival
The tinned-fish revival isn’t just about flavor—it’s a visual feast rooted in centuries-old Iberian conserva traditions, where bold packaging, maritime iconography, and contemporary design have turned canned seafood into the art world’s most unlikely aesthetic obsession.
It’s Movie Night: Dancer Edition
Looking for the perfect winter movie night? From Wim Wenders’ luminous Pina to the grit of Russian ballet in Ballerina, these four films reveal the beauty, power, and pain of dancers’ lives on and off the stage.
Into the Woods: Feeling the Benefits of Forest Bathing in Art
Feeling overwhelmed by city life? Discover how artists from Wang Meng to Friedrich and Morisot turned forests into spaces of refuge, imagination, and calm—and how their paintings can offer a little “forest bathing” from home.
Merry Christmas!
As winter settles in, we asked four artists from our most-loved interviews to share their favourite festive rituals—from family music-making and Christmas markets to jazzy carol transcriptions and the perfect holiday meal—to celebrate the magic of the season.
Silent Stories: The Language of Style from the Old Masters to Bridgerton
What if clothing is the key to understanding art—and storytelling—across centuries? From Renaissance portraiture by Agnolo Bronzino to the richly symbolic costumes of Bridgerton, this article explores fashion as a silent visual language, revealing how style communicates identity, power, and inner life—from Old Master paintings to contemporary television.
Choosing the Right Variation for a Ballet Competition
Are you planning to compete at a ballet competition this school year? Choosing the right variation can make all the difference. What principles should guide your decision? TWoA speaks with Inna Bayer, artistic director of Bayer Ballet Academy, and her student Crystal Huang—prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne 2024, Youth America Grand Prix 2024, YoungArts 2024, and Grand Prix winner at the South Africa International Ballet Competition—about strategy, growth, and showcasing your strengths on stage.
Spencer Rubin’s Guide to New York
Oboist Spencer Rubin maps New York through habits rather than landmarks—brunch counters, practice rooms, museum detours, and late-day walks along the Hudson. Moving between The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center, and the city’s quieter cultural corners, this guide reads the city as a lived ecosystem where artistic discipline, everyday pleasure, and urban energy continuously overlap.
Considering Practice, Remembering Fun
TWoA explores what happens when practice slips from joy into pressure, tracing one musician’s uneasy relationship with auditions, self-comparison, and fear—and the slow, deliberate rediscovery of music-making as something grounded in curiosity, pleasure, and everyday attention rather than perfection or proof.
Yuka Iwai 岩井優花, Principal Soloist, K-Ballet Tokyo: How to Prepare for an Unexpected Debut
When a last-minute casting upends months of preparation, TWoA explores how Yuka Iwai, principal soloist at K-Ballet Tokyo, prepared to step into Giselle with just two weeks’ notice—reflecting on pressure, partnership, and the fragile balance between instinct and control in an unexpected debut.