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Canceling “Exotic” In Ballet?

Demanding apologies and cancellation might seem an over-the-top reaction to the staging of this apparently benign ballet staple. However, the representation of many of the “exotic” settings and stories in traditional ballets is an ongoing problem. - Dance Australia

AI-Generated Avatars Are Wildly Popular. Artists Aren’t Happy

Multiple artists have accused Stable Diffusion of using their art without permission. Many in the digital art space have also expressed qualms over AI models producing images en masse for so cheap, especially if those images imitate styles that actual artists have spent years refining. - NBCNews

KPOP Musical Closes On Broadway After Only Two Weeks

The wager on “KPOP” hasn’t paid off, ticket sales data show. “KPOP” was one of Broadway’s lowest-selling shows in recent weeks, according to the Broadway League, the industry’s trade group. - The Wall Street Journal

What’s The One Thing That Profanity Throughout The World Has In Common? Phonemes.

The phonemes they lack, that is. "They're less likely than other words to include the consonant sounds L, R, W or Y. And more family-friendly versions of curses often have these sounds added." - The New York Times

How Post-COVID-Lockdown Dance Has Changed In Los Angeles

After experiencing the tolls of the pandemic — loss, stillness and uncertainty — the work of 2022 introduced new techniques, technologies and narratives that reflected the remnants of the pandemic and a new texture to Los Angeles dance. - Los Angeles Times

Angels In The Bible Have No Wings. Who Gave Them Wings, When, And Why?

The ancient Near East had many divine beings with wings, including cherubim and seraphim.  Yet, in both Old and New Testaments, angels are identified by gleaming robes or "a countenance like lightning," and they got to and from heaven on ladders. Their wings appeared several centuries later. - History Today

A Scientific Analysis Of How Popular Music Has Changed

The study of patterns and long-term variations in popular music could shed new light on relevant issues concerning its organization, structure and dynamics. More importantly, it addresses valuable questions for the basic understanding of music as one of the main expressions of contemporary culture. - Nature

Broadway Musicals Have Gotten Too Damn Loud

John McWhorter: "I don't mean ordinary modern pop loud. I mean that in many numbers the volume is turned up so high ... you feel like your hair is growing faster or falling out. ... Of course, most audiences seem to love this auditory mauling." - The New York Times

Culture Is Under Attack Worldwide. We Ought To Confront It Now

As a group, arts leaders from all sectors and geographies must now recognize the threats to cultural institutions: potential physical harm to artists; damages and destruction of works of art in their care; censorship from autocratic governments, religious fanatics, and liberal sensitivities. - The Berkshire Eagle

How The National Philharmonic Of Ukraine Plays On, Even Through Russian Missile Strikes And Blackouts

Smaller ensembles are playing with battery-powered lamps, and attendance is capped at the number of people who can fit in the concert hall's bomb shelter, but musicians and audience alike are determined to carry on. - The New York Times

How Diversity Makes Orchestras Better

“For me, diversity is always a thing I like to think about as sort of necessary to enhance the vibrancy of an organization. Even in symphony orchestra. We’ll be able to play more music better. We’ll be able to connect with the community better. We’ll be able to educate the people better.” - The Arizona Republic

The Tory Government Wants English National Opera To Move North, But Does The North Even Want The Company?

"Opinion locally is divided about whether the ENO should relocate. But the London-centricity of much outraged reaction to the story has generated irritation. ... Whatever the future holds for ENO, it seems unlikely that anyone would welcome it being dragged kicking and screaming up the M6." - iNews (UK)

British Media Giant ITV Goes All In On Streaming (And Not Everyone’s Sure It’s A Good Idea)

This week the company launches ITVX, a free, ad-supported streaming service.  The plan is to offer 10,000 hours of content, including new material, in order to attract more viewers (and charge more for ads), but some observers think ITVX could simply cannibalize the network's existing broadcast audience. - The Hollywood Reporter

US Ballet Companies Are Performing Fewer Works By Women Than Last Season, Researchers Find

"Of 1075 announced works for the 2022/2023 season amongst the Largest 150 U.S. ballet and classically influenced companies, 27% are choreographed by women, which is a further reduction compared to the 2021-2022 season (29% choreographed by women)." - Dance Data Project

Author Dominique Lapierre Dead At 91

His books — some nonfiction, some historical novels, several with co-author Larry Collins — sold 50 million copies.  Among them are Is Paris Burning? (about the city's WWII liberation), City of Joy (about slum life in Kolkata), and Five Past Midnight in Bhopal (about that city's 1984 chemical leak). - MSN (The Washington Post)

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