Ballet
Beloved Christmas Special "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" Gets Its Stage Debut, With Music by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill
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. 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.
