“Transcendence is a fundamental part of the human experience. Since the dawn of our species, people have been losing themselves in ritualistic prayer, song, and dance. Even so, for a long time, the prevailing consensus in psychology was that such experiences were pathological rather than natural. Freud believed that ‘oceanic feelings of oneness’ were neurotic memories of the womb and the signs of a deranged mind. … The person who got transcendence right, [research psychologist David] Yaden says, is William James.”
Worrying Can Be Good For You (Sometimes)
It can be a motivator to do what needs to be done, and (like banging your head against the wall) you can feel much better after you stop. The key, as usual, is moderation.
Governor Vetoes Money For Florida Orchestra’s Outreach Program
“The Florida Orchestra got an unwelcome surprise late Friday when Gov. Rick Scott ruled out $500,000 in funds to help pay for a new outreach program. Beyond the Bay launched in January with a vision of taking the orchestra to schools and community orchestras across Florida. The veto was part of $34 million the governor nixed from the state’s budget, leaving that money available for other priorities.”
A Crown Prince, A Ballerina, And A Bared Breast – The Latest Battleground In Russia’s Culture Wars
“The costume drama featuring this moment, a film called Matilda after the dancer, is not due out until October. Yet the release of trailers of that scene, and a few others depicting the torrid affair that follows, was enough to ignite a firestorm.” The opposing sides are “an artistic community determined to fend off any hint of Soviet-style censorship” and a religious nationalist faction that sees the film as an insult to Nicholas II (the crown prince in question) – and therefore, since the last tsar is now a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church, “an insult to the faithful, which is a crime in Russia.”
Chicago’s Goodman Theatre Cancels ‘Pamplona’ After Star Stacy Keach Falls Ill
“The Goodman Theatre has canceled the entire run of Pamplona, the highly anticipated world premiere of the one-man show about Ernest Hemingway starring Stacy Keach that was to run through June 25 … Performances were canceled on a day-to-day basis since this past Tuesday when the 76-year-old actor fell ill midway through the opening night performance of the show.”
Banksy Offers Free Limited Edition Print To Britons Who Vote Against Tories
It’s probably illegal to take photos of your ballot in the UK, but Banksy wrote to people in six recent Conservative strongholds, “Simply send in a photo of your ballot paper from polling day showing you voted against the Conservative incumbent and this complimentary gift will be mailed to you.”
The Benefits Of Being An Older Ballerina (Yes, Even Into Their 40s)
When you’ve been a principal for decades, one dancer says, ‘You hone your craft as you go. All the years of experience come into play when I approach any role, all of that muscle memory and stamina is in your body.’ … After years of repetition, she says, ‘You’re able to focus and dig deeper. Once you have the technical mastery under your belt, your focus is freed.'”
A New Play Is Inspired By The Shakespearean Dilemma Of A Refugee Actor In Australia
Playwright Charles Smith happened upon the story while watching his own plays. The new “is based on the true story of a young actor named Shedrick Yarkpai. Smith met Yarkpai when a theater company in Adelaide, Australia, produced two of Smith’s plays with Yarkpai in the lead.” Then, at lunch, the entire double-identity, maybe double-jeopardy plot revealed itself when Yarkpai talked about how he got to Australia. (2017 ironic twist: The actor couldn’t get a visa to come to Chicago to see the play about him.)
Wonder Woman Is From A Fictional Amazonian Island, But FOX News Wonders If She’s ‘American Enough’
While the first superhero movie directed by and starring a woman soars to a début weekend that beats Iron Man‘s first outing, one FOX News host said, “Some are calling it less American, Dion, because, well, her outfit isn’t red, white, and blue.”
Writing About A Country In Which 85 Percent Of The Population Are ‘Guest Workers’
Award-winning author Deepak Unnikrishnan: “When you grow up in Abu Dhabi, you’re trained by your folks to detach yourself from the place, but then you return to it periodically — not physically but mentally — and then sometimes you do so physically as well, and everything evolves, the city evolves, people evolve, your parents evolve, you evolve, and you can’t get a handle on it simply because you don’t know what to talk about.”
A Contractor Sues Dale Chihuly, Saying He Helped Create The Art
“Mr. Chihuly’s lawyers also on Friday told of the artist’s deteriorating mental state, and said the lawsuit was ‘nothing more than an ugly and reprehensible display of opportunism and exploitation’ by the man,” but “‘We never asked for silence,’ Mr. Moi’s lawyer, Anne Bremner, wrote in an email in response to a question about that allegation. ‘We asked for justice.'”
‘Going To The Movies’ – Yes, At The Theatre – Remains A Rite Of Passage, Despite Streaming
It’s how we measure our public lives. “Going to the movies was and remains a centerpiece of our emerging social and independent lives. The movie theater was the first non-school-associated public place my parents let me go to by myself, with money. I still remember the thrill of meeting my friends under the marquee, parsing our dollars out for maximum snacking, giggling and rustling in our seats. Released at last from that stern sideways maternal glance, we were giddy with freedom.”
Can ‘Angry Birds’ Ballet Moves Bring In The Boys? Ask Britain
When only 1.8 percent of ballet exam candidates are boys, there’s a bit of an imbalance. So, the Royal Academy of Dance has hired a choreographer to shake things up. That choreographer: “Whether that be developing their favourite footballer’s elaborate goal celebration, jumping and posing like super heroes, spinning across the room like Angry Birds, or creating patterns and shapes like building blocks in Minecraft, … I hope the choreography I have created will motivate and excite aspiring male dancers to get involved.”
How Do You Prep For The Tony Awards While Doing Eight Shows A Week?
You disguise yourself after the matinee, try to avoid Hugh Jackman, and hop on the subway, trying to get back to midtown for the evening performance.
No, You Really Do *Not* Want To Hear Running Water In A Museum After Hours
At the Museum of Cultural and Natural History in Eugene on Wednesday night, “Cold water poured down from a broken humidifier on the roof of the museum, flowing behind a 4½-by-7-foot Ray Troll illustrated map of Oregon. Fast action by janitors and campus plumbers helped the museum avoid disaster.”
Conductor Jeffrey Tate, 74, Collapses And Dies During Rehearsal
Tate made his career – which includes a large discography as well as guest appearances with almost every major orchestra on Earth – in spite of disabilities resulting from spina bifida. His served, over the years, as chief conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Opera House in London, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, and the Hamburg Symphony.