Erica Muhl, who became the school's leader two years ago, went on leave abruptly last month and put her house on the market; this week, the board announced that she won't be back. Students and faculty, who say they rarely saw her on campus, want answers. - MSN (The Boston Globe)
"(The order prohibits) performing or showcasing Russian-language art and culture — such as books, music, plays and concerts — (as well as) cultural and educational programs. The restriction not only applies to works by Russian authors and creators, but to all cultural products publicly presented in or translated into Russian." - Deutsche Welle
Apart from being the latest works by beloved writer-directors, there is one quality that Barbie and Oppenheimer share, which is that they’re both movies of ideas: not just full of them, but about them. - Slate
It’s far from clear we’re getting anything from Duolingo’s purported speed. I’m not even sure it’s fun anymore. And there are quicker ways to not learn a language. - Slate
The fight against the urge to let hatred win can be seen playing out on the front lines—but also in homes, in institutions, and in art. Ukrainians at home and abroad are embracing their language, literature, and heroic figures. - The Walrus
To be able to make creativity and invention sound “natural,” one needs an avid, almost greedy urge to absorb anything—and everything—that is out there. - The Nation
The first thing you notice when you switch on Russian TV is its totemic fascination with the swastika, which regularly appears on one of my screens. Sometimes it is taken from footage of the Nazi era, sometimes from purported videos of the Ukrainian far right. - The Atlantic
“There are no mothers-in-law in ballet”, George Balanchine, who dominated American ballet throughout the twentieth century, liked to say: dance, he believed, is not the right medium to portray psychologically complex relationships or intricate stories. - Times Literary Supplement
"His letters show how he savvily wrote with an eye toward the market, hoping to delight listeners at every level of society. And pleasure was political in an age when some of the boldest advocates for free speech and personal choice were libertines." - MSN (The Atlantic)
Are you reading this on your phone, swiping up the paragraphs, swipe, swipe, swipe, wondering how far you're going to have to swipe to actually finish this thing? - Esquire
"After filing for bankruptcy protection in 2020, Cirque decided it had to be more than just a circus. It wanted to be a brand, something that could sell perfumes, sunglasses, tote bags and video games. So over the past year the circus brought in consultants ..." - The New York Times
Meditating and other forms of mindfulness offer a metaphysical escapism that lets you pretend for a while that you are no more than an organism receiving inputs from your immediate surroundings, with no interpretative or meaning-making capabilities. - 3 Quarks Daily
"His resignation was announced via a news release Thursday. Curran has been in the role since 2014 … (and) was at the helm of the Louisville Ballet through the pandemic and its return to in-person shows." - Louisville Public Media
She’s an advocate, a style icon, a marketing wiz, a prolific songwriter, a pusher of visual boundaries and a record-breaking road warrior. And she sells a ton of albums. - Billboard
"The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance named Brandon Ragland as artistic director of the second-oldest regional ballet company in the country. With more than 15 years as a ballet professional, Ragland, 38, comes to Dayton from the Louisville Ballet, where he was a principal dancer ... (and) resident choreographer." - Dayton Daily News