Of late, I’ve been having a recurring daydream—probably prompted by the Mariinsky Ballet’s recent season at the Metropolitan Opera House (July 11 through 16), as part of the Lincoln Center Festival. Ballet companies square off like kids on the playground. “Nyah, nyah! I’ve got more Ratmanskys than you do!” “You do not!” “Do so!” “Well I’ve got the best Ratmanskys.” “Take that back or I … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2011
Dark Matters in Summer Spaces
I like New York City in summer. Outdoor performances, picnics in the park, sidewalk cafes, late sunset strolls beside the Hudson or on the High Line. On the other hand, if you can swing it, not much beats lying on the lawn at Tanglewood and listening to music; it seems to be coming from the galaxy above. Another venerable Berkshire institution, Jacob’s Pillow, draws dance aficionados and … [Read more...]
Dark Matters in Summer Spaces
A Critical Journey
Hello out there. This is me blogging. As a wordsmith, I don’t love the term, even though I know the derivation. “Blog” has a family resemblance—aurally anyway— to “bog,” “fog,” “blob,” “gob,” “glop,” and “block.” None of these makes my mind or my keyboard fingers feel nimble. Nevertheless, I blog. And am happy to be so doing. We who’ve made a living of sorts writing for newspapers grouse about … [Read more...]
Amazons and Kaleidoscopes
Although I often think about chocolate, I don’t think about it when I go to see a performance at the Chocolate Factory in Long Island City—unless, maybe, the dark, unsugared kind comes to mind. No scent of cacao clings to the building’s whitewashed brick interior to hint at its former status, and sweetness is only occasionally an attribute of works presented there. Whenever I ride the #7 train … [Read more...]