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Ballet

Eric Garner's Last Words Turned Into Performance Piece at Protest

Amid the throng of protesters, the words “I can’t breathe” echoed through Grand Central Terminal Tuesday night, Dec. 9. The plea of Eric Garner, the black man who was recently killed by a white police officer in Staten Island, New York, was re-enacted by a group of performance artists in a rallying cry for justice.The speaker was Chazz Giovanni, a recent graduate of the acting program at SUNY Purchase. Giovanni recited all of Garner’s last worlds, which were recorded on video before his death in July after Officer Daniel Pantaleo put him into a chokehold.As Giovanni spoke Garner’s last words, dozens of dancers circled him, some beating on cookie tins as they chanted, "We can’t breath." Others broke into pairs to act out a simple, stylized move based on a chokehold. After each round of the monologue, the group fell to the ground, mimicking death.
By Jaime Prisco

  • Violinist Lindsey Stirling Is the Focus of Ovation's Music Documentary Series 'Song by Song'

    Internet sensation and billboard topper Lindsey Stirling was the focus of "Song by Song," a documentary music series which premiered on Ovation TV Tuesday, Dec. 9. The first part of the two-part episode featured her song “Crystallize” while an episode on Dec. 16 will focus on another chart-topper: “Elements.”Known as an electronic violinist, dancer and composer, the Gilbert, Arizona, native first rose to popularity after her appearance on the incredibly popular "America’s Got Talent" in 2010. Though she did not win the competition, the exposure helped her to become a YouTube sensation in 2012, when her song “Crystallize” became one of the top 10 most-watched videos of the year, with more than 42 million views and more than 5.5 million subscribers.The series takes an in-depth look at two of Stirling's biggest hits, with behind-the-scenes insights from renowned choreographer Laurianne Gibson; the Grammy-winning lead singer of Halestrom, Lzzy Hale; and singer-songwriter Dia Frampton, as well as "Billboard's" Andrew Hampp, "Rolling Stone's" David Wild and YouTube's Margaret Hart.Viewers will also hear intimate, behind-the-scenes stories from Stirling and her sister Brooke, as well as her drummer Drew Steen, keyboardist Jason Gaviati and tour manager Erich Jackson.
    By Jaime Prisco

  • Ryan Heffington's Punk Rock Water Ballet 'WADING GAMES' Premieres at the Ritz Carlton South Beach; Talks About Sia and More

    Los Angeles socialite Ryan Heffington has become a popular name in the art world. From his 2013 collaboration with painter Nolan Hendrickson, entitled "KTCHN," to a position as choreographer for Sia's epic "Chandelier" video, Heffington also premiered, which was also announced via Twitter, his most recent project: a punk rock water ballet entitled "WADING GAMES.""WADING GAMES" is a new production that has been described as a "true 'danse macabre' that will fascinate, delight and call into question notions of morality and survival."And if you could not have guessed, yes, it takes place in the water.According to "The Huffington Post," the aesthetic experience was scored by musician Banks and includes songs specifically remixed for the performance, which were also accompanied by a video film projection entitled "The Element of Human Physical Communication."And if that does not seem strange enough, the 10-year-old piece took place, for one night only, in the pool of the Ritz Carlton South Beach Dec. 4.
    By Ian Holubiak