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The Fast-Paced, Virtuosic, Intimidating Traditional Dance Of Georgia

“Georgian dance is an art of outrageous virtuosity and athleticism, often meant to indicate prowess at war and in the hunt. The dances are characterized by fiery leaps, sudden drops to the knees, swordplay, spinning jumps and men dancing on the tips of their toes.” - The New York Times

Artistic Director Of Chicago’s Shattered Globe Theatre Will Depart

Sandy Shinner, 75, will step down in May from the widely-admired Off-Loop company, which she has run for 13 years. She will remain a member of the group’s ensemble. - Chicago Tribune (Yahoo!)

Plan To Close Belgium’s Oldest Contemporary Art Museum Is “Illegal” And “Insane,” Say Artists

As part of what they say are cost-saving measures, the federal government of Belgium and regional government of Flanders plan to move the entire collection of Antwerp’s Museum of Contemporary Art to a similar institution in Ghent — which reportedly doesn’t have enough room for the additional artworks. - The Guardian

“Performing There Has Become Charged And Political”: Béla Fleck Cancels Kennedy Center Concerts With National Symphony

The 17-time Grammy-winning banjoist said, "Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music. I look forward to playing with the NSO another time in the future when we can together share and celebrate art." - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)

“Rage Giving” To Public Radio — Will It Be Enough?

Since Congress defunded public TV and radio months ago, an estimated $100 million has been raised from foundations and, notably, from record numbers of listeners angry about the cuts — so-called “rage giving.” That leaves only $35 million to go to replace the funding promised to stations just last year. - Inside Radio

Warner Bros. Rejects Paramount’s Takeover Bid For Second Time

“Warner Bros. Discovery’s leadership has repeatedly rebuffed Skydance-owned Paramount’s overtures — and urged shareholders just weeks ago to support selling its streaming and studio business to Netflix for $72 billion. Paramount, meanwhile, has made efforts to sweeten its $77.9 billion hostile bid for the entire company.” - TechCrunch

Multi-Million-Euro Plans For Mona Lisa Are One Big Issue In Louvre Strike

One of the major items in the Louvre–Nouvelle Renaissance renovation plan is the construction of a separate entrance and gallery for the huge number of people who want to see the famous portrait. Workers at the museum are urging management to spend that money on repairing the building’s crumbling physical plant instead. - Artnet

Ultimately, NPR Will Be Okay, Says Ari Shapiro

“While NPR may be staring down a tough couple of years ahead, I think public radio is better positioned in the long run than most American news organizations right now.” - Substack

How Sam Shepard Became The Star Playwright Of 1960s Off-Off-Broadway

“Shepard would astonishingly make his mark as an avant-garde playwright on the downtown scene with only a few months of networking and no production to his name. … ‘New York was like that in the Sixties,’ he said later. ‘You could write a one-act play and start doing it the next day.’” - Literary Hub

When Your Mind Goes Blank: What We’re Learning About Consciousness

Our consciousness roams, it can be focused on the here and now, or maybe the there and then, but it is always focused on something. Yet the experience of lulls in consciousness content challenges this assumption. - Psyche

Denyce Graves On The Challenges Of Retiring From The Stage

For opera singers, the challenges are unique. I’m going to have to figure out how to deal with giving up a life’s work that has asked for my whole heart all the time. - The New York Times

2026 Will See Major Copyright Rulings On AI

After a string of fresh lawsuits and a landmark settlement in 2025, the new year promises to bring a wave of rulings that could define how U.S. copyright law applies to generative AI.  - Reuters

Meet The Goth Godmother Of New American Opera

“Twenty years ago, (Beth) Morrison had nothing in the bank. Just ambition, a belief in opera as theater and a high-flown goal to ‘change this art form.’ Still, she founded Beth Morrison Projects. Since then, she has worked nearly around the clock to shepherd dozens of new operas into existence.” - The New York Times

Fifteen Major Architectural Projects Opening This Year

Here's a look at 15 landmark architecture projects scheduled for completion in 2026, including museums, performing arts venues and a face-shaped tower. - Dezeen

2025: Average American Read Fewer Than Four Books

According to a YouGov poll released at year’s end, American reading habits stay in the toilet. Four in ten Americans didn’t read a single book during our last spin around the sun. And of the 60% who did venture to a library, most were frugal. - LitHub

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