Jennifer Homans: "Balanchine, it seems, has become orthodox: classical, beautiful, the radical edges zipped up and smoothed. This is not the dancers' fault, nor is it something anyone can undo." - The New Yorker
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos "recognized that viewers were addicts, and that his role was to supply what they wanted" whenever they wanted it. The predictive analytic software that makes recommendations lets users imagine they're in control — just as depicted in Infinite Jest back in 1996. - Literary Hub
"One of the most celebrated pianists of the second half of the 20th century, … The Guardian once wrote of him, 'few pianists alive convey the sheer joy and exhilaration of being masters of their craft more vividly and uncomplicatedly than Nelson Freire.'" - Limelight
The high-profile revival of the Sondheim musical was to be directed by Terry Gilliam (yes, from Monty Python), who has made some, er, controversial remarks (such as declaring himself "a black lesbian in transition"). Sondheim himself is said to be furious. - inews.co.uk
"With 700,000 square feet of space, it is expected to be a major entry into the region's art scene. … Below, a look at the institution's history, its inaugural presentations, and its difficult road to opening." - ARTnews
The whole symbolic apparatus of cultural evolution aimed to make freedom—which they define as the freedom to move, the freedom to disobey orders, and the freedom to imagine less hierarchical ways of organizing ourselves—seem archaic and perilous. - The New Yorker
Today, few philosophers believe philosophy is a way of life, let alone the fullest and most complete way of life. Or if they do believe it, they won’t admit it in public. - 3 Quarks Daily
Leading architecture and design figures attending the summit expressed concerns that the built environment is not being talked about enough, as well as calling for clear, achievable targets to bring down greenhouse gas emissions. - Dezeen
The common theme in all these accounts is that the public are not to be trusted – they do not understand, or care; they are too selfish, or too shortsighted. Better to let the experts decide. - The Guardian
As a successor to Dutoit and Nagano, Payare seems a bit slight. He’s a largely unknown quantity in the music world. The orchestras he’s led—Belfast, San Diego—are fine bands, but you don’t build a global reputation in such outposts. To the OSM, this was actually part of the appeal. - MacLean's
The study found that ratings and social media engagement for most groups, including white audiences, peaked for shows that featured casts that were at least 31% minority, while viewership among adults between the ages of 18 and 49 often peaked when a show had a majority minority cast. - Time
“There’s a whole new picture of the human past and human possibility that seems to be coming into view. And it really doesn’t resemble in the slightest these very entrenched stories going around and around.” - The New York Times
There has been a concerted campaign to remove artworks from all aspects of life, in an attempt to make society more Islamic, the Taliban have said. In doing so, the group is erasing two decades of craftsmanship that blossomed after the collapse of its first government in 2001. - The New York Times
