They’re certainly not at the point of having public performances by women in tights and tutus yet, but ballet classes are becoming ever more popular, for adult women as well as for girls, especially in Jeddah. — Arab News
How’s A Poor Corps Member To Survive The Annual ‘Nutcracker’ Marathon?
Dancers from San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Tulsa Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Ballet Austin tell how their performances have changed over the years and share their key self-care tips. — Dance Magazine
93-Year-Old Dick Van Dyke Talks About His Dancing In The “Mary Poppins” Sequel
“The minute I heard I was going to do a little number, that sold me,” Van Dyke tells PEOPLE in the latest issue out Friday. “And I thought I could contribute by just being a little bit of a reminder of the original. And I think it turned out well. I got to jump up on a desk and do a dance number. It surprised everybody, but nobody was as surprised as I was.” – People
The “New Silk Road”: Where The Global Future Is Being Shaped
As the West becomes increasingly fractious and polarised, the New Silk Road countries are working more closely together. At the centre of this is China with its giant economy and its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), often referred to as a New Silk Road, which exemplifies the changes in global influence. – Irish Times
A Writer On His Year Of Reading Fiction By African Women
At last year’s The Guardian holiday party, one of The Guardian‘s journalists realized that he was years behind in reading books by African women. So he dove in – and found stories of polygamy, migration, politics, and much more. – The Guardian (UK)
The Fine Arts Of Working-Class Immigrant Women’s Fashion
While the men were at synagogue, the women were finding community elsewhere. “The dresses my grandmother sold were often showy, long, filmy, shiny concoctions, with sequined necklines and lace sleeves. They were priced for working-class people with fairy-tale aspirations, and they came in nylon and sateen and other cheaper fabrics; the skirts often swirled, and the waists had big stiff bows.” – The New York Times
The Elena Ferrante Books Are Explicitly Political – Something People Are Finally Catching On To With The TV Shows
Maybe some reviewers were, shall we say, confused by the idea of books that were about the friendship of two women also being about politics. Ferrante was never unclear, though. The author’s point: “Elena and Lila were alienated from history in all its political, social, economic, cultural aspects — and yet they were part of history in everything they said or did.” – Los Angeles Review of Books
The Highly Un-Meditative Battle Of Meditation Apps
While Headspace adds hundreds of corporate deals and an NBA sponsorship, Calm won the 2017 iPhone App of the Year and has caught up in downloads and monthly subscribers with its older, larger competitor. The Calm CEO: ““I would say we’re in mindful competition with each other.” Headspace’s chief business officer: ““We have the strongest brand.” – The Wall Street Journal
Ballet Is Taking Off In Saudi Arabia
And some of that is thanks to Angelina Ballerina, apparently – though more of it may be due to women knowing ballet can provide a space of physical practice and self-expression. – Arab News
With Facebook Possibly On The Ropes, What Will Happen To Social Media Next Year?
Twenty-two predictions for 2019, including paid accounts at Facebook, a massive data breach at Instagram, and a tough year for Snap(Chat). – The Verge
The Power Couple At The Top Of British Indie Films
One Brit and one American reinvented the British indie, and have found massive cross-Atlantic success with everything from The Crying Game to Carol to Collette. And they don’t care for sequels. Elizabeth Karlsen: “Chasing the newest thing can actually be a producer’s downfall. And there is an economic imperative that can set in and make you try to turn movie-making into a science: something it constantly resists.” – The Observer (UK)
Who Gets To Claim Verdi?
What happened to Verdi? He used to be on Italian money (back when the lira existed), and now there’s a festival – but there’s also a huge argument between dozens of Verdi fans. Which political party and movement can claim the composer? – Los Angeles Review of Books
Barry Jenkins Says He Specifically Made ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ For A Black Audience
And what about white audiences? He isn’t worried about cultural tourism. “If the film was engineered expressly for white people to experience black pain, then I would feel a certain kind of way. … Being the creator of the piece, I know that’s not my intent. Having read the novel, I feel like that wasn’t Mr. Baldwin’s intent. I think because of that, I don’t feel any kind of way about the experience of a shared audience experiencing the work.” – HuffPost