Friday, May 31, 2019

Date with a Princess

A frog resting in a pond in a park in Moscow, Russia. Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images.

Pray, Edna, do not turn everything into a competition, and even if the spectre of defeat were close, please, I implore you to keep calm

Billboard

Arianna Settembrini performing (along with Ester Marra, Letizia Rogai, Giuditta Sottili, and Serena Vinci) Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Sleuth”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

Rainbow Six

From left: Aurora Cheli, Caterina Gaja, Chiara Parrini, Maddalena Sottili, Emma Giuliani, and Matilde Guerri performing Chiara Angelini’s coreography “Puzzle”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

Being Here

As Siegbert Tarrasch said, “Before the endgame, the Gods have placed the middle game”, so tomorrow do not miss your Saturday chess960 class at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, starting at 16,00 as usual — and pray, do not forget to take with you a pair of clean sneakers to be used in the dance room only!

The dancing pen of Andy Warhol: above is a page from Dance Magazine anniversary coverage in the June 2007 issue. Included are Warhol’s two 1958 covers: a portrait of Doris Humphrey and a collage of pointe shoes. Courtesy of Dance Magazine.

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Being There

The “court of miracles” has finally gathered all in Kazan, Russia to inaugurate the long-awaited new deal for women’s chess. The 8-player Candidates Tournament will start tomorrow, giving the winner the right to directly challenge the Women’s World Chess Champion. But what may be regarded as a political success of 7th FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich is quite shadowed by the absence of four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), who, in spite of her being the world No. 1 woman, is neither the World Champion nor one of the eight challengers. Dvorkovich is not apparently responsible for such a paradox. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) legitimately became World Champion within the “old” system — from which 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) dropped out in 2016 — and, on the other hand, the four-time World Champion had good reasons for not accepting Dvorkovich’s invitation to join the candidates’ queue and start everything over again from the bottom. First, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is completing, by virtue of a Rhodes Scholarship, a one-year Master of Public Policy (MPP) at the University of Oxford — and that could be enough. Secondly, however, a proud spirit will rarely be content with agreeing on a severance compensation pay.
So how will it end? Well, no one knows, but whatever it will be like, it just won’t be an easy reign.

Tourists take selfies in front of the Kul Sharif Mosque in Kazan, Russia. Photo: Dmitri Beliakov for The Guardian.

Yes, Edna, you better keep him busy in the background and away from the stage, at least for the duration of the show

Press

Fine art student Hugo Harris alongside his sculpture, entitled Press, at the 6th Degree Show to be staged from 1–9 June at Edinburgh College of Art (ECA), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA.

It’s never too late to change your date

Children rehearse a dance performance in 海安 (Hǎi’ān), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province), China. Photo: Costfoto/Barcroft Media.

That’s why most doesn’t mean all

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Sure, Edna, we all are aware of being mere mortal human shadows wandering in and out of the dressing rooms, just waiting for your call to be revealed and fulfilled

Wraps and Rolls

From left: Aurora Cheli and Caterina Gaja performing (along with Emma Giuliani, Matilde Guerri, Chiara Parrini, and Maddalena Sottili) Chiara Angelini’s coreography “Puzzle”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

One thing draws another

From left: Serena Vinci and Letizia Rogai performing (along with Ester Marra, Arianna Settembrini, and Giuditta Sottili) Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Sleuth”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

People are randomly seated in rows of chairs in front of the stage

Olga Calamai performing (along with Silvia Bertini, Viola Rocchini, and Valentina Trafeli) Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Wind chimes”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Alessandro Botticelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

The View from the Far Seats

Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky, “Dance Curves: On the Dances of Palucca” (1926)
From 1921 to 1923, German dancer and choreographer Gret Palucca studied with Mary Wigman, the pioneer of expressionist dance and one of the most important figures in the history of contemporary dance. In 1925, Palucca opened her own dance studio in Dresden and developed close contacts with various Bauhaus instructors, many of whom greatly admired her dance style. Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky’s four “analytical drawings”, which were based on photographs of Palucca by Charlotte Rudolph, illustrate how closely the dancer’s style coincided with the Bauhaus aesthetic. The drawings and photographs were published in the arts journal Das Kunstblatt in 1926. According to Kandinsky, Palucca’s art was characterized by “1. Simplicity of the whole form, and 2. being based on the large form”. Courtesy of GHDI (German History in Documents and Images).

Alice Through the Looking Glass

A visitor holds an illuminated sphere at an exhibition of digital art during the 5th International Big Data Industry Expo in 贵阳 (Guìyáng), 贵州省 (Guìzhōu province), China. Photo: VCG/Getty Images.

Monday, May 27, 2019

Rubik’s Domino

From left: Maddalena Sottili, Chiara Parrini, Matilde Guerri, Aurora Cheli, Caterina Gaja, and Emma Giuliani performing Chiara Angelini’s coreography “Puzzle”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

#e1e7e4

Olga Calamai performing (along with Silvia Bertini, Viola Rocchini, and Valentina Trafeli) Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Wind chimes”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Alessandro Botticelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

The Language of Colour

From left: Serena Vinci, Ester Marra, Letizia Rogai, Arianna Settembrini, and Giuditta Sottili performing Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Sleuth”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

Sealssong

A young walrus swims in his pool during his first outing at the Tierpark Hagenbeck zoo in Eimsbüttel, Hamburg, Germany. Photo: AFP/Getty Images.

Youth Has No Age

“I’m dazzled by the triumph of stupidity in politics, chasing the event without understanding its reasons. I refer in particular to the Northern League and the Five Star Movement”, 47th Prime Minister of Italy (1988–1989) and former Member of the European Parliament (2009–2013) Ciriaco De Mita said. And so, just to stand up to ”stupidity” he came back again on stage, at the venerable age of 91 years. And he got it, defeating all odds, time and opponents. Ciriaco De Mita was re-elected Mayor of Nusco, province of Avellino, Southern Italy, his native town where he always resided. [Read more].

Pyraminx

The former Mayor of Sheffield Magid Magid (centre) is elected as a Green Party MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, in results announced at Leeds Town Hall, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Photo: Lorne Campbell/Guzelian.

Edna, I think you have to calm down a little if you want to be a contemporary dance teacher and choreographer

The Amazing Spider-Man

A child dressed in a Spider-Man costume stands next to a ballot table for the European Parliament election at a polling station in Madrid, Spain. Photo: Susana Vera/Reuters.

Come on, Edna, get a good night’s sleep, as before dawn tomorrow I’ll have rewritten what I whispered in your ear in the afternoon

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Scotch and soda

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Magnus Carlsen
Lindores Abbey Chess Stars Tournament (25+10); Newburgh, Fife, May 26, 2019
Queen’s Gambit Declined D30

And thus, since in vino veritas, although he was not feeling good due to the cold, in the end 16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen won also the rapid quadrangular tournament held at the Lindores Abbey Distillery — which claims to be the “Spiritual Home of Scotch Whisky” — in Newburgh, Fife, Scotland. As Leonard Barden rhetorically asks (and answers) in his column for The Guardian of Friday, May 24, “Why Lindores Abbey distillery? The majority shareholders in the firm are Russian and are friends of the RCF president, Andrey Filatov, who has a significant record as a chess sponsor”. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 a6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Bxe7 Qxe7 6. Nbd2 Nf6 7. g3 0-0 8. Bg2 b6 9. cxd5 exd5 10. 0-0 Bb7 11. Rc1 a5 12. Re1 c5 13. dxc5 bxc5 14. e4! 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) finally breaks up Black’s centre, provoking a brief skirmish which eventually leads him to win a not-so-easily-queenable Pawn. 14. ... Nxe4 15. Nh4 Qf6 16. Nxe4 dxe4 17. Rxc5. If 17. Qb3 Black can give back his Pawn by 17. ... e3! so as to simplify the game and get closer to his goal. 17. ... Na6 18. Rxa5 Qxb2 19. Bxe4 Bxe4 20. Rxe4 Rad8 21. Rd5. 21. Qb3 would lead, sooner or later, to the same ending as in the game. 21. ... Rxd5 22. Qxd5 Nb4 23. Qb3 Qxb3 24. axb3 Rb8 25. Nf3 Kf8 26. Kf1 Nd5 27. Nd2 g6 28. Rd4 Nb4 29. Ke2 Ke7 30. Re4+ Kd7 31. Ke3 Rb5! 32. Kd4 Rd5+ 33. Kc3 Rd3+. Trusting Tartakower’s aphorism that “all Rook endgames are drawn”, Black does not miss his opportunity to exchange Knights. 34. Kxb4 Rxd2 35. Rf4 f5 36. Kc5 Kc7 37. b4 Kb7


38. h4. After this move, Black will manage to draw without too difficulties. In any event, 38. Rd4! Rc2+ (not 38. ... Rxf2? on account of 39. Rd7+ Kc8 40. Rxh7+−) 39. Kb5 would appear to offer much more chance of success. 38. ... h5 39. Rf3 Rc2+ 40. Kd5 Re2 41. Kc5 Rc2+ 42. Kd4 Re2 43. Kd5 Kb6 44. Rf4 Kb5 45. Kd6 Kb6 46. f3 Kb5 47. Kd5 Rg2 48. Ke5 Rxg3 49. Kf6 Ka4 50. Kg7 Kb5 51. Kh6 Ka4 52. Rd4 Kb5 53. Rd6 Kxb4 54. Rxg6 Rxf3 55. Kxh5 Kc5 56. Rf6 Kd5 57. Kg6 Ke5 58. h5 Rg3+ 59. Kf7 f4 60. h6 Rh3 61. Kg7 f3 62. Rf8 Rg3+ 63. Kh8 Ke4 64. h7 Ke3 65. Rxf3+ Kxf3 ½ : ½.

It’s like Magnus Carlsen is going to win everything. Photo: Ritzau Scanpix/Reuters/NTB Scanpix.

Alternate History

Kazan, Russia: Medical simulators produced by Eidos Medicine. Photo: Yegor Aleyev/TASS.

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Sure, Edna, I’ll leave you a ticket at the theatre’s box office

Fuchsia and Dahlia

Arianna Settembrini and Giuditta Sottili performing (along with Ester Marra, Letizia Rogai, and Serena Vinci) Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Sleuth”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

StakMat timer

From left: Maddalena Sottili, Matilde Guerri, Caterina Gaja, and Aurora Cheli performing (along with Emma Giuliani and Chiara Parrini) Chiara Angelini’s coreography “Puzzle”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

Dancing Through the Horizon

Olga Calamai performing (along with Silvia Bertini, Viola Rocchini, and Valentina Trafeli) Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Wind chimes”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Alessandro Botticelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

Tempered Steel

Scunthorpe, England: A cat sits outside traditional steel workers cottages in the town where British Steel employs 5,000 people. The company has been forced into liquidation and not only are those jobs at risk, but also the 20,000 dependant jobs in the local area and supply chain. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.

Yes, Edna, even if from a formal standpoint you are the only and best go-between between you and yourself, I think that for decency you ought not to occupy two seats at the gala dinner table

Friday, May 24, 2019

Vermilion

Matilde Guerri performing (along with Aurora Cheli, Caterina Gaja, Emma Giuliani, Chiara Parrini, and Maddalena Sottili) Chiara Angelini’s coreography “Puzzle”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

Additive colour

Olga Calamai performing (along with Silvia Bertini, Viola Rocchini, and Valentina Trafeli) Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Wind chimes”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Alessandro Botticelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

Colour wheel

Giuditta Sottili performing (along with Ester Marra, Letizia Rogai, Arianna Settembrini, and Serena Vinci) Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Sleuth”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

The Legend of Zorro

A work by street artist Banksy depicting a migrant child wearing a lifejacket holding a pink flare is painted on the outer wall of a house overlooking the canal Rio de Ca’ Foscari, in Venice, Italy. Photo: AFP/Marco Sabadin.

Never count years

Saved by Dolphins

A conservation agency official feeds a critically endangered Eurasian otter after it was confiscated from smugglers in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. Photo: Antara Foto/Reuters.

European Integration

Appearance to the contrary notwithstanding, tomorrow is a Saturday like all others, so do not miss your chess960 class at Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, starting at 16,00 as usual — and as a reward, you can dance whatever way you like!

Once Upon a Time in Venice


“Setting out my stall at the Venice Biennale”, anonymous street artist Banksy captioned his video. “Despite being the largest and most prestigious art event in the world, for some reason I’ve never been invited”.
Municipal police apparently prompted him to pack up and leave because he didn’t have a permit to operate a stall.

Yes, Edna, they understood — too late — that you are the only one who can make a cake taste sweet without putting sugar

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Speedcubing

From left: Maddalena Sottili, Caterina Gaja, and Matilde Guerri performing (along with Aurora Cheli, Emma Giuliani, and Chiara Parrini) Chiara Angelini’s coreography “Puzzle”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

Shaping Light

Arianna Settembrini performing (along with Ester Marra, Letizia Rogai, Giuditta Sottili, and Serena Vinci) Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Sleuth”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

Four for

From left: Valentina Trafeli, Silvia Bertini, Olga Calamai, and Viola Rocchini performing Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Wind chimes”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Alessandro Botticelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

Venice in Oil

Street artist Banksy, in order to emphasize the fact that he has not been invited to the Venice Biennale, set up an improvised stall in Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square) — with an installation titled “Venice in Oil” detailing the plight of city residents against the enormous cruise ships which dock in its canals — just to be promptly kicked out by municipal police for running a stall without a permit. Photo credit: Banksy.

Sing-song

Back to Nature

Astrantia major “Ruby Wedding” in the Back to Nature Garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, still open until May 25. Photo: David Levene/The Guardian.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Winging It

From left: Arianna Settembrini and Giuditta Sottili performing (along with Ester Marra, Letizia Rogai and Serena Vinci) Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Sleuth”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Matteo Bertelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.

Centering

Silvia Bertini performing (along with Olga Calamai, Viola Rocchini, and Valentina Trafeli) Alessandra Innocenti’s coreography “Wind chimes”, presented — in the name and behalf of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” — at the 21th International Dance Festival “Vetrina Scuole di Danza AICS” on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, Italy. Photo: Alessandro Botticelli.

Save the date! The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”’s final dance performance show will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the Teatro SMS of the People’s House in Grassina, Metropolitan City of Florence starting at 20,45 as usual.