THE MAGAZINE
Guest Artist: Florence Penry-Jones, City & Guilds of London Art School
Check out the work of our guest artist, Florence Penry-Jones, 19, of City & Guilds of London Art School.
Happy Birthday, Irina Kolpakova!
On 22 May 2023, the great Russian ballerina and coach Irina Kolpakova turned 90. Since 1990, Kolpakova has been American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) principal coach. At ninety, she continues to coach ABT’s dancers in all variations and pas de deux from the company’s classical repertoire. Here some interesting facts about Kolpakova’s life.
Human Is: A New Reality of Science Fiction (Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin, 19 March – 23 July 2023)
Does a place that explores a possible future which is created by artificial intelligence grab your interest? The exhibition Human Is brings art and technology together and invites people to a realm of science fiction. The exhibition runs from 9 March until 23 July 2023 and takes place at the Schinkel Pavillon in Berlin.
Give It to Me Straight: The Infinite Lines of Carmen Herrera
Carmen Herrera’s work is a masterclass in the reduction of form, but her career is, ironically, a story of what happens when an artist is reduced to being a woman artist in a circle of men. Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1915, Herrera trained in Paris and moved in circles of highly influential artists and writers. When she moved to New York in the 1950s, she was told point blank that she would never receive a solo gallery show. She sold her first painting at 81. Read on for more.
Christian Spuck and Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Messa da Requiem’ at Staatsballett Berlin
Christian Spuck’s ballet Messa da Requiem is having a good year. The production has been performed across the globe and recently entered the repertoire of Staatsballett Berlin. But turning an oratario into a ballet is not easy. Read on for more.
Hip Hop Meets Ballet: Dutch National Ballet and ISH Dance Collective Present Oscar Wilde’s “Dorian Gray”
From 11 May until 16 June 2023, Dutch National Ballet and ISH Dance Collective, a street dance ensemble, present their latest collaboration: Dorian. The production mixes hip hop and ballet and presents an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. TWoA talked to ISH Dance Collective’s Lars De Vos and Skya Powney, a member of Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company.
Fake “Photography”? Boris Eldagsen and the Sony World Photography Awards 2023
On 14 March 2023, Berlin-based artist Boris Eldagsen was awarded the 2023 Sony World Photography Award (creative open category) for his work “The Electrician.” But the artist sent shock waves through the photography world when he announced that he would not accept the award: “The Electrician” is not a photograph. Eldagsen created the image with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Start Spring with Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1
It’s finally spring! The best way to celebrate this magical moment is of course with music. I have chosen the following piece for this season: the second movement (scherzo vivacissimo) of Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19. Want to know why? Read on!
Pierre Lacotte, Choreographer, Dies at 91
On 10 April 2023, the renowned French choreographer Pierre Lacotte died by sepsis from an infected cut. He was 91. Lacotte was famous for his restagings of 19th-century ballets from the Romantic era. But he was also a key figure in a dramatic event that changed the history of ballet in the West: the Cold War defection of Soviet dancer Rudolf Nureyev in 1961. Read on for more!
Guest Artist: Isabella Guadalupe Araiza-Fortson, 16
Check out the work of our guest artist, 16-year-old Isabella Guadalupe Araiza-Fortson from Palm Desert, California.
Elaina Spiro, Cello Student at Boston Conservatory: Everyone Has a Different Path!
Elaina Spiro is a young cellist studying with Professor Rhonda Rider at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She is in her third year of her undergraduate studies. TWoA talked to Elaina about her life in music and her unconventional path to Boston Conservatory.
Springtime in Art
It’s spring! We have three beautiful paintings to visualize one of the most important parts of spring: new life! You will also find out some interesting facts about the painter Rosa Bonheur, France’s most successful 19th century female artist, a great animal painter who defied the gender norms of her times.
Ask Elaina: Efficient Music Practice and Tips on Concert Wear
Elaina Spiro is a third-year cello student at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She has some great advice on efficient music practice and concert wear.
Wayne McGregor: Woolf Works
The Royal Ballet’s ballet triptych Woolf Works is nothing short of a theatrical masterpiece: based on several novels by Virginia Woolf, and with choreography by Wayne McGregor and music by Max Richter, the programme is destined to be exceptional.
In Honour of April Fools’ Day: The Ultimate Art Prank
It’s April Fools’ Day! But there are prankster who don’t need any excuses to pull practical jokes. The street artist Banksy certainly doesn’t. In October 2018, he masterminded one of the most notorious art pranks in recent history. Read on if you are ready for a surprise!
Happy Birthday, Sergei Rachmaninov!
175 years ago, on 1 April 1873, Russian composer and piano virtuoso Sergei Rachmaninov was born on an estate in the Russian countryside. Rachmaninov was one of the first international classical music stars. Read on to find out about his love for figure skating, vacuum cleaners, and his bouts of depression.
Ballet with Isabella: ‘I Really Fell in Love with Helping People!’
Isabella McGuire Mayes runs “Ballet with Isabella,” a brilliant ballet coaching website, and also hosts the podcast “A Dancer’s Mindset.” Isabella shares her thoughts about current practices in ballet training and her vision for the future with TWoA.
Isabella McGuire Mayes: Life Lessons from Great Teachers
Isabella McGuire Mayes is a woman with a vision: she wants to help people reach their potential by coaching their bodies and minds. Isabella runs “Ballet with Isabella,” a brilliant ballet coaching website, and also hosts “A Dancer’s Mindset,” an inspiring mindset podcast for dancers and anyone in the arts. TWoA talked to Isabella about her switch from dancing to teaching, and about the great life lessons she learned from her favourite teachers.
He’s a Scream! The Night the Art World Met Edvard Munch
Ever been told by the art scene that you have destroyed art forever? This was the experience of Edvard Munch, the late-19th century Norwegian Expressionist artist, and the exhibition that made him famous.
‘What is Naatu?’ Indian Film Song Hit Wins an Oscar
On 12 March 2023, the song “Naatu Naatu” from the Indian action drama RRR became the first song from an Indian film to win an Oscar. Read on to find out more about the global dance hit that has gone viral on social media.