If we were to focus on the artistic output within Czech ballet, the previous season did not stray from the long-term trend. However, it was pleasing to see a greater share of original full-length pieces, specifically by interesting artists operating abroad.
The new project by the ballet company of National Theatre Brno, entitled NdB 3, represents a bold and welcome step, a platform designed specifically for performers of a more "mature" age who, even after the end of their professional careers, still possess acting, technical, and expressive skills that are worth presenting independently.
The life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was full of passion and pain, and above all, admirable strength. To a large extent, this was reflected in her original artistic style, which often mirrored her inner world in the form of self-portraits.
The identity of deaf people is often constructed by the hearing public and professional medical community on the basis of hearing loss, deafness, and disability. This view subordinates the Deaf community from majority society. But if we look at deaf identity through a cultural prism, we can view it in a more positive light.
As the British dance scene becomes engulfed, at this time of year, by productions of The Nutcracker, I’d like to take this opportunity, in my second Letter from London, to look back at some of the performances I saw during the summer and autumn. This latest Letter will not be exhaustive, nor will it cover every dance company that has appeared here, but it does take us out of the capital for a brief look at some of the dance companies performing on tour.
Dance can be the antithesis of a clock. Dance can teach us that time is not separate from the body. In fact, the moving body is rather a reminder that time and space are always in a dance. And the dance never stops, but it also never begins. One can tap into this dance, the same way that one can tap into a rhythm.
A select group of choreographers currently stands out in the global creative dance scene. In contemporary dance, the gender ratio of female and male choreographers is relatively balanced (thanks in part to the wave of modernist women in the first half of the 20th century). In the domestic environment, I would even dare to say that women predominate.
Literature, visual art, music, theatre. Most artistic professions have already entered the fight against content generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Photography competitions and stock photo databases are setting rules to counter AI photos out of fear of losing market value.
Premieres by large ensembles, small collectives, and individual artists, a decentralised, overflowing community, a promising excess of productions that lasted the entire season. I fear that one would need an entire book to provide an exhaustive list of all premieres and events, and not just a single chapter at that.
Dance continues to perpetuate unrealistic and potentially harmful beauty standards, which can contribute to mental health challenges, including eating disorders, among dancers. This pressure can be amplified by social media’s pervasive influence.
