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Kate Champion and Kelli Jean Drinkwater Announce 'Nothing to Lose' Show to Celebrate the Body at Sydney Fest in January

A short, three-letter word may not be the most attractive phrase in dance. To call someone "fat," though, may not carry with it the same connotation it used to. At least, that is the case for Kate Champion, artist Kelli Jean Drinkwater in their upcoming production "Nothing to Lose," where "fat" is exactly what they are looking for."We did say fat. We asked for people who identify as fat, larger, big-bodied," says Champion about an ad she posted to social media.Perhaps the word may offend, but that is the opposite of her magnum opus. Instead, she claims, the production celebrates the body and those who do not identify with the social norm.The idea, while controversial, resonated with enough people to where they were sending audition tapes in droves. An idea that may seem exploitative, sure, but this concept is honed at authenticity — owning that you are comfortable in your own skin.
By Ian Holubiak

  • High-Tech Ballet Shoes Are Able to Trace Dancer's Movements

    Designer and amateur dancer Lesia Trubat has created a new type of ballet shoe for the high-tech ballerina. Electronic Traces records the foot’s contact with the floor, allowing the dancer to “draw” all of their movements in brush-like strokes.“E-Traces,” as it is known, starts with a small electronic device affixed to the bottom or side of a dancer’s shoe. The sensors come from Lilypad Arduinos, which can be purchased online and has been used for all kinds of different wearable electronics.Trubat wove the wires and circuits into the soles of the shoes, and the hardware detects the pressure on the shoe as well as the force of motion from the dancer. A computer program then translates the data and sends it to a custom mobile app program. The result is a beautiful constellation of delicate “paint” marks that look almost as graceful as the dancers themselves.The ballet shoes were designed by Trubat as a degree project for ELISAVA design school in Barcelona, Spain.
    By Jaime Prisco

  • ICYMI: New Art Generation, Orchestra Ambitions, Famous Violinist Returns, NY Philharmonic in Michigan, Dance for South African Children

    Be it classical music, jazz, theater and dance or even art, film or literature, news still gets packed fresh and tight here at "Classicalite."So, we have some leftover headlines.To wit, in order to keep our readers abreast of each and every one of those arts, "C-lite" has compiled the best headlines--those stories, those people...those URLs getting clicked.Here, then, is "Classicalite's" In Case You Missed It:"For City’s Arts Groups, the World Is Their Oyster," by "The Wall Street Journal""Classical Music's New Movement: Bob Riley and the Manchester Camerata," by "The Independent""Overcoming Injury, a Violinist Returns," by "The New York Times""New York Philharmonic Puts Down Roots in Ann Arbor," by the "Detroit Free Press""Dansazania Project Turns Dance Studio into Safe Haven for South African Kids," by "The Huffington Post"
    By Jaime Prisco