Oh Ryan Gosling, what CAN’T you do? And George Clooney, I used to dismiss you SO easily because you were, you know, the man every single heterosexual woman wanted to marry. But I have to bow at both of you. Gosling, delivering an amazing performance as a brooding, determined, narrowly-focused and single-minded junior campaign manager who places his heart, soul and life in the hands of Governor Morris, a lovable George Clooney who plays the role of affable, bright, relentless and (to the best of our knowledge) incorruptible Democrat politician seeking the Presidency of The United States of America.
Against all my predictions, The Ides of March did exactly what I thought it would do *if* it was going to be a good movie: it kept me guessing, it kept me IN the movie. So much so that when it ended I turned around and told JT “huh? I could have stayed in my seat another 3 hours…”. Marisa Tomei plays a fantastic role as Ida, seasoned reporter covering the campaign trail who pushes Stephen (Gosling) to give her exclusives. Given my experience and emerging relationships with policy makers, politicians and journalists, I can totally see where Tomei’s Ida takes her cues.
While 150%-US-centric, The Ides of March provides an interesting look at the dirty politics behind political campaigns, and how being naive and innocent doesn’t always allow the good boy to win the girl, the movie and the bounty. The movie’s star-studded cast is rounded up with Paul Giammati as the opposing camp’s campaign manager, Actor-in-a-Leading-Role-Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (who like Meryl Streep is an acting machine) and Evan Rachel Wood (who is in the big acting leagues much as Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes and may be the next Hilary Swank) is the intern who wants to play with the big boys in the dirty politics world but is still a bit too naive.
I was telling JT that, having analyzed a few political campaigns of my own, I can totally relate to the thrill, the dialogues, the “we won here but we lost votes there, so we need to play the numbers game” conversations. Honestly, much as I am a public policy analyst, I do love me some electoral politics.
An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.
While I find it’s a bit steep to pay $15 for a movie anywhere in Vancouver (I paid $12.75) it was nice to see Gosling play a challenging role: the naive, idealistic junior campaign manager who learns the dirty moves while submerged in a sea of blackmail, betrayal, misinformation and power struggles. Worth watching.
Disclosure: I paid for both of our tickets to the movie on my own dime.
Beaded Flowers on Flickr, Photo Credit: Andrei Shevelov
Last weekend I (Jessica) enjoyed the lovely evening fundraiser, Woza Afrika. The night featured dance and choirs in an effort to raise funds for Education without Borders programs in schools in South Africa.
One of my favourite things of the evening – given that I love small, simple things – was the beautiful hand-beaded flowers made in South Africa being sold. For the small price of $5 (think about how much fresh flowers cost! And those don’t even last…) you could buy a little flower in a variety of colours, or a number of other beaded assorted items. These flowers also serve as a reminder of the event and the cause: those in South Africa.
If this is something that speaks to you, there are 3 main ways to get involved with Education without Borders: Attend an event (there will be more in the future!), volunteer your time, or donate. Follow @EwB_Canada on Twitter to find out what’s going on!
Jessica attended the Woza Afrika concert in representation of Hummingbird604.com on tickets graciously provided by the organizers. A post was not required nor a favorable review expected, but this is such a great cause that completely deserves being covered. As always, Raul retains editorial control over everything posted on his site.
In the theme of Halloween and doing good for the community, this year’s annual Parade of Lost Souls is presented with Public Dreams! The festival runs October 18 – 29, with a party on the 29th at the Maritime Labour Centre – a dance party of spooky festivities and fundraising.
The festival / parade (it kind of crosses borders of definitions) will include workshops including dance lessons, Halloween mask making, and a collective collage for the community that people are welcome to come take part in.
All workshops will take place at the Britannia Community Center.
The heart and soul of the entire festival (pun intended) is the parade itself: Secret Souls Walk.
Date: Saturday, October 29, 2011 Time: 5-9pm Place: Secret location to be announced on October 29. Stay tuned to publicdreams.org, ourFacebook page, or @publicdreams on Twitter. Tickets: No tickets required, $5 suggested donation
The walks are in partnership with East Van’s Dusty Flower Pot – an artist community that will be designing and performing in alleys along the walk, all in the spirit of Halloween. The event, although it may be a bit spooky, is all-ages up until the dance party starts – which the walk will lead right into.
If you want to take part in this amazing event, you can purchase tickets to the dance party here or win a pair through Hummingbird604!
To enter, comment on your Halloween traditions. Do you usually dress up and hand out candy? Eat candy? Bake Halloween treats? Let us know to win! You can double your chances by also tweeting by October 25th at 5PM:
Entered @hummingbird604 ‘s contest http://is.gd/QTPXN0 to win tickets to the Parade of Lost Souls Dance Party to benefit @PublicDreams Society
I have purposefully spent the last 3 years covering more queer and GLBT issues on my blog, and as an educator at one of Canada’s premier universities, I spend a lot of time educating my students in being accepting and proposing policy solutions to address homophobic bullying (although I’d like to expand the definition to anti-queer bullying).
It’s heart-breaking that queer youth feel so overwhelmed that they make the choice to end their lives. I can’t stop shedding tears whenever I think about this. It just breaks my heart, it really does. I purposefully make it my goal to mentor queer students (whether they are my students or other faculty member’s) and offer advice and I try hard to be there for them. But I teach at the university level, and much of the bullying happens in earlier stages of life. So I am never sure if I have any impact.
Recently, a Canadian youth took his life after repeated bullying, and the trend is scary as it continues to happen in the US, even with youth who have created “It Gets Better” videos. This is very disheartening. We need to help our youth, and our queer youth specially, and help them get through this tough period of time.
Wear purple to stand in solidarity and show support to those struggling every day through homophobia. This event takes place everywhere. All you have to do is throw on a purple shirt, tie up a purple tie, wear some purple shoes… Just put some on yourself, somewhere.
At this point the Vancouver vigil will be happening exactly a year after the first vigil, on October the 20th at 7pm. The vigil is to remember the youth who took their own lives due to homophobic bullying and to show people that IT GETS BETTER.
If you know of any other vigils happening in other cities, PM me or post them on the wall and i’ll put them up here.
In Vancouver, BC the vigil will take place at Emery Barnes Park (Davie and Richards St), October 20th, 7pm. I would suggest to wear a purple shirt. I will. Please pass this on.
If you’re interested in the history of music or if you like music in all its variety of genres, styles and periods, you might be interested in attending the concerts arranged by Early Music Vancouver.
Early Music Vancouver (the Vancouver Society for Early Music) encourages an appreciation and understanding of music in an historical context. Fundamental to the aim is the belief that music of any period is best understood when performed according to appropriate traditions and on appropriate instruments.
To further its aims, the Society sponsors performances and educational events, inviting participation of people from varying backgrounds. The Society seeks to interest and involve the public in early music and create opportunities for performers, teachers and instrument makers.
To open its new concert series featuring the best harpsichordists in Canada, Early Music Vancouver has invited Alexander Weimann for a concert entitled “Hungarian Flavours” on Tuesday, October 25th at the Cellar Jazz Club. And if the quality of the performer and the originality of the pieces aren’t enough to convince you, maybe we can encourage you to check the concerts.
We’re giving away a pair of tickets to the “Hungarian Flavours” concert to a lucky reader. To enter, tell us in the comments about your favourite period in music–from ancient Greek to techno, anything is good!
As usual, for an extra entry, tweet the following:
Posted my favorite musical period on @hummingbird604 ‘s blog to enter to win tix to Early Music Vancouver http://is.gd/UMdQPe
Make sure you use a valid email and keep an eye on your email, twitter feed and this post. We will draw a winner on Friday, October 21st at noon (12PM).
*Please note that the Cellar requires all guests to get a minimum of 10$ in food or drinks. This is notincluded in the giveaway.*
We are really excited to feature this original and quality concert series and we really hope you’ll look them up! Single concert tickets are 25$ and series tickets run at 60$.
What: “Hungarian Flavours” Early Music Vancouver concert When: October 25th Where: Cellar Jazz Club, 3611 West Broadway More info: Early Music Vancouver — Concert page
If you know me, you’ll know that I am addicted to frozen yogurt. More specifically, I used to be addicted to Qoola (on Denman and almost Comox, now closed that location). Now I can certainly say I loved Yogen Früz. And I’ve decided that I’m going to come more often. They have acai berry! for only $4.25 I had a good medium sized frozen yogurt with two toppings. Pretty silky if I say so myself. I tried it twice in a row (Thursday when I needed some grub to keep me going and Friday when we walked past and I said “if I don’t eat something right now I’m going to pass out”). Awesome and healthy frozen yogurt at a very decent price.
In 1986, two young brothers opened a revolutionary frozen yogurt retail concept in Toronto, Canada. It was a modest effort: a small store with an extraordinary product and a great design. A concept was developed that provided consumers a health experience unlike any they had tasted before. They immediately fell in love, and a strong following pursued. Today, Yogen Früz has grown to be a world leader in the frozen yogurt category, with over 1200 locations operating in 25 countries around the world. Yogen Früz was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine for its accomplishments and rated the number one Franchise in the World in 1999 among the Franchise 500. Yogen Früz provides delicious and nutritious frozen desserts, just what you need to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
Have you ever tried Yogen Früz?
Disclosure: I paid for my own frozen yogurt on my own dime
Had you ever listened to the Pet Shop Boys‘ original version of West End Girls? It really sounds… so different. For your listening pleasure for Music Monday
The Vancouver Diwali Festival: Light your Spirit, runs October 15 – 23. In partnership with Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation, a variety of venues will host special performances, workshops, and – my favourite – henna studios! Decorate your skin in beautiful designs and tones in celebration of Diwali. There will be events for just about everyone: ranging from traditional to contemporary, costly to free, and throughout the day.
Sunday, October 23rd is Diwali Downtown: a full-day celebration of Indian arts and culture. The Roundhouse will be taken over by family friendly events, dance, music, and Indian food!
One of the most important holidays in the South Asian calendar, Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (or diyas) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. It also involves dancing, music, and food. This year, Vancouver Celebrates Diwali celebrates its eighth anniversary with its biggest festival yet! There will be workshops, performances, and festivities spanning the week of October 15-23.
Photo credit: Lindsay Brown on Flickr and attributed as per her request
Full disclosure before you begin reading this post. I have not had the time to read much of the coverage of Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Vancouver, and I have just recently watched one YouTube video that my friend Kate Milberry shared with me and read one blog post on Business Insider that my friend Morten Rand-Hendriksen has shared. So, I’m not as fully educated on the history nor the evolution of Occupy Wall Street. I am mature enough to know this.
BUT
I have 10 years of experience studying environmental social movements at the local and global scales and I have conducted hundreds of hours of fieldwork and interviews and analyzed the behavior of civil society movements to reduce pollution and confront toxic emissions. And I have studied social movements theories from a variety of analytical lenses that range from framing and social constructivism to resource mobilization and political opportunity. So, I think I’m fairly qualified to speak about Occupy Vancouver. BUT since I haven’t fully comprehended the movement YET, I’d rather just speak to the elements that sort of made me quite hopeful.
Photo credit Lindsay Brown on Flickr and attributed as per her request
The fact is I am actually not expressing much of an opinion here in favor or against OWS or Occupy Everywhere. BUT after reading hundreds of tweets from the stream, I found a quote that sort of prompted me to go from “erm, I’m not sure I understand the purpose of OWS and Occupy Everywhere” to “whether I get it or not is irrelevant, I get why it’s important to have a voice and bring that voice to an organized movement”. Anyone looking for an analytical account of OWS, I don’t have time right now to take an academic look at it it through any of the theoretical lenses I’m fluent on, so wait for a few weeks/months.
While I’m in Calgary, Occupy Vancouver has taken place in my beloved city. From all the tweets I saw on the stream, it was a very peaceful protest where the Vancouver Police Department even had a good series of conversations around this and made sure that the interactions were positive. I saw two streams of tweets, one very angry and protesting and one very hopeful and inspired.
I’m very encouraged by this. Despite the fact that I’m not 100% sure still to this point about the steps moving forward from the actual occupation (e.g. what policy options are being proposed/drafted), I’m really keen on seeing democracy in action.
The one quote that completely made me write this post is the one below. As I said on Twitter: this is why Occupy Vancouver and Occupy Everywhere matters:
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” Martin Luther King Jr.
Society can’t be silent about gross income inequalities and a growing gap between the rich and the poor. I certainly am vocal about it, I’ve never been silent about it. I do research that aims to narrow this gap, and I do applied policy work to this objective too. Whatever the goals are (and however fluid the goals are) of Occupy Vancouver and Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Everywhere, there IS value in having a voice and not being silent about how we feel.
I wish people who are participating in the Occupy movement can ALSO at the same time, exercise their democratic right and vote and change our world and our policy system.
The YouTube shared by Kate on the consensus process is shown below.
So I vaguely recall Footloose the 1984 version but I am pretty sure I loved Footloose the 2011 version. Although hard to believe the storyline (that a town could have such narrow-minded views as to see dancing as a sin and as something so negative that needed to be outlawed) in 2011, I found it incredibly engaging. Not because of amazing acting (though Dennis Quaid and Andie McDowell are extraordinary as the tough pastor and his suffering-in-silence wife, the parents of the main girl character), but because of the theme: dance.
Dance and I go way back. I was a rebel when I took up competitive dancing (my parents wanted me to play the piano, and all my brothers and I learned it, but I wanted to forge my own pathway and I danced instead of being a concert-level pianist). The first time I stepped on to a dance floor, it changed my life. I felt completely different. Even though I no longer dance competitively, I can still feel the plasticity of my movements, despite the many years I have left my dance training dormant.
And that’s why I connected so easily to Footloose. Because the battle that Ren (Kenny Wormaid, excellent dancer and gymnast) engaged on to be allowed to dance (and take his new girlfriend to a formal prom) is a battle that just about everyone can relate, at least certainly me. Not because I had to fight anyone to be allowed to dance, but because dancing is such a vital element to his life.
I no longer dance competitively but I do try really hard to go dancing on a regular basis, and to challenge myself taking new courses and learning new dancing styles. Dancing is in my veins, in my life, and Wormaid’s portrait of someone so in love with dance that it allowed him to grow from a youngster to a grown man throughout the course of the movie made me love this incarnation of Footloose.
I’d recommend that you see it, if for nothing else, because the music is contagious and you’ll want to dance at the end of the movie.
Writer/Director Craig Brewer (“Hustle & Flow,” “Black Snake Moan”) delivers a new take of the beloved 1984 classic film, “Footloose.” Ren MacCormack (played by newcomer Kenny Wormald) is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where he experiences a heavy dose of culture shock. A few years prior, the community was rocked by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out and Bomont’s local councilmen and the beloved Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) responded by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister’s troubled daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough) in the process.
If there is one day when I regret having to travel is this Saturday. One of the most fun friends I have (Jonny Staub, the mid-day DJ for The Beat 94.5 FM) is MC-ing an amazing fundraiser this weekend (which means you still can get your tickets for tomorrow’s event): Splash, the arts auctioning/gala/fundraiser for Arts Umbrella.
Splash is Vancouver’s most established charitable art events featuring a stunning collection of works by some of Canada’s most prominent artists. The event is truly an experience, a feast for the senses, including a cocktail reception, a fine wine and food experience, performances by Arts Umbrella students, a hot DJ revving the party up and of course, 100 engaging contemporary artworks. More than 500 guests attend for the chance to bid on coveted artworks, raising much-needed funds for Arts Umbrella.
Established artists whose creative works will be auctioned off at the Splash Gala will include Gordon Smith, Ross Penhall and Bobbie Burgers.
Splash 2011 Arts Umbrella’s 29th Annual Art Auction & Gala
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Performance Works, Granville Island
6:30pm to midnight
For tickets and more information you can check the Arts Umbrella website.
I had a chance to give a quick tour of the VIP event (I couldn’t stay long as I was triple-booked. I hope my photo set can give you an idea of the amazing art that will be auctioned. This promises to be a fantastic event not to be missed.
You should totally check this event out, and bid on some art!
There are few things more delightful than listening to a choir in a church space (no matter if you’re religious or not). Choir is a powerful and beautiful kind of music that too few people get to listen to.
And it gets even better when the choir in question — the Vancouver Chamber Choir–features up and coming choir composers from around the world as well as the Choir of College & University Singers.
Cappella is a kaleidoscope of the latest choral trends from all around the world, including five premieres by Teehan, Rudoi, Sixten, Cohen and Antognini. Sandström, Quinn, Chilcott and Tamulionis are important composers from Sweden, Wales, England and Lithuania. Ingari is a brilliant composer from Québec. David von Kampen and Jorge Córdoba are bright lights from south of the border(s). Choral music is a living art and this beautiful music should convince you of an auspicious future to come. Join John William Trotter for a pre-concert talk at 7:15pm about the evening’s music.
Credit: Hadani Ditmars. Used with permission.
There will be five new pieces premiering during the October 21st ONLY concert, including one from Rob Teehan, a young Canadian composer. Are you intrigued yet?
If you are, we can certainly accommodate you with our giveaway. Hummingbird604 has a pair of tickets for the concert that you can get by answering the following question in the comments: What is your favourite (religious or non-religious) choral chant?
For an extra entry, tweet the following:
Told @hummingbird604 about my favourite choral chant to enter to win tix to Capella by @VanChamberChoir. Enter here http://is.gd/WXlGFn
We will draw a winner on Wednesday, October 19th at 2PM. Use a valid email address and check the comments (and your email and twitter feed) the day of the draw. Good luck!
What: Capella: Vancouver Chamber Choir
When: Friday, October 21st
Where: Christ Church Cathedral, 690 Burrard Street, Vancouver
More info: Vancouver Chamber Choir
I am in no way, shape or form surprised that Calgary has been successful in their bid to be designated as The Cultural Capital of Canada 2012. Despite the amazing arts scene that we have in British Columbia, cuts in funding to the arts, and the fact that we have a local culture that favours sports like hockey and so on over forms of artistic expression (you DO remember the whole new roof of BC Place thing, right?). We have great infrastructure for professional sports, yet funding for struggling artists is cut. Well done, policy-makers (and yes, it’s sarcasm).
Credit: Kevin Saff on Flickr.
But Alberta, and specifically Calgary has been focusing more on the arts, something I am quite happy about (now, I am saying this without specific quantitative data, but to the best of my understanding, remember that while I live in Vancouver, I do have a brother, many close friends and lots of followers who live in Calgary, so I am well appraised of what the arts scene is like there).
Last year I engaged with Tourism Calgary to increase my coverage of the arts scene in Calgary with Mozart in the City, something I’m quite proud of having done. And I’m quite glad that Calgary is doing so much in 2012. Hopefully Mayors in the Metro Vancouver area and Lower Mainland will do something equally good soon. I also recently covered Alberta Ballet’s Love Lies Bleeding, and I actively try to promote arts not only in British Columbia but all over Canada.
From the press release:
In 2012, Calgarians will celebrate the city’s collective cultural achievements and dream big about Calgary’s role as a cultural centre of Canada. Calgary 2012 is an independent, non-profit organization that helps showcase Calgary’s culture and create legacy projects to encourage future cultural achievements. The goals of the organization are to raise awareness of the richness of Calgary’s cultural assets, empower cultural celebration and participation in every community in Calgary, to build a stronger sense of identity and have local and national impact. 2012 marks the centennial anniversaries of the Calgary Stampede, the City of Calgary Department of Recreation and The Calgary Public Library as well as the Grand Theatre and the Pumphouse.
“It’s not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted – Mary O’Connor”
Truer words have never been spoken. And I have taken them to heart. As I review my schedule (I have to check my Google Calendar regularly to ensure that I am not quadruple-booked), I realize that I am glad that I have focused on scheduling so much.
I schedule pretty much every single minute of my life. I block chunks of time to do the things I have to do, and that I am learning to say NO much more often. Yes, I still have that tendency to have my heart melted and agree to do 6 things because (a) they are charitable (b) they are for a non-profit (c) they are for artistic purposes, and the arts community here is so devalued (d) they are for my friends.
But I like being THAT kind of busy. The busy that brings me forward. Busy as a bee. Busy as a hummingbird.
It’s a little bit sad how many amazing cultural (and diverse) events we have in Vancouver, and how little does the younger generation take the opportunity to enjoy them. This was the case with Audra McDonald‘s intimate concert presented at The Orpheum by the Vancouver Recital Society. While it was pretty much a full house (and I was thrilled to see a couple of my colleagues from the UBC Department of Political Science there to see Audra’s performance), the vast majority of attendees were over the age of 40 (though there were a few youngster in the audience).
This is kind of sad, because it made me wonder whether this means that younger generations are excited about pop singers and hockey more than a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see an incredibly talented, exquisitely beautiful singer with a soprano voice that simply defies definition. Audra McDonald has an extensive repertoire that spans popular silly songs like Craigslistlieder by Gabriel Kahane or the one that made me shed tears, along with many other attendees, the beautiful I’ll Be There from Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon. Dressed in a beautiful black gown and accompanied only by a piano, Audra created an intimate atmosphere that made the concert twice as enjoyable.
Equipped with an ability to create a level of rapport I have rarely seen in any other singer, Audra McDonald brought the adoring audience to their feet with her singing, but even more so, with her witty remarks throughout the concert. Accompanied by her artistic director, Andy Einhorn, who was extraordinary at the piano, Audra ran through an extensive repertoire. I loved a few more rhythmic, makes-you-want-to-dance-along-in-your-seat Ain’t it de Truth from Cabin in the Sky by Harold Arlen / EY Yip Harburg and Double Dare You with words and music by Terry Shand& Jim Eaton, and made me shed tears with songs that perhaps even shouldn’t have made me be so emotional, like Baby Mine from Dumbo (Frank Churchill / Oliver Wallace)
This video is not from the actual concert, but it does showcase one of the songs that Audra made us sing along with her (I Could Have Danced All Night).
I very, very strongly encourage you to attend some of the concerts that the Vancouver Recital Society puts together as they are incredibly good and very affordable. I’ll be giving away tickets to some of their concerts in a few weeks time, so stay tuned! I am so grateful to the Vancouver Recital Society for having brought Audra McDonald (and no, Audra – Chipotle burritos are not as good as Salsa and Agave’s!)
Disclosure: I attended Audra McDonald in concert presented by the Vancouver Recital Society on media tickets. A review is not required nor a favorable review expected. As always I retain editorial control with anything I publish on my site.
Given my background in dance and theatre, I always look forward to having an opportunity to check out new, improved variations on a theme that sometimes is hard to sell to a Vancouver audience: ballet (and I have produced ballet performance review rather extensively). Well, much to my surprise, the Alberta Ballet production of Love Lies Bleeding (presented by Ballet BC) opened to a full, packed house (that included the incomparable and always lovely Sarah McLachlan). I’m glad it did, because it was a spectacle worth watching.
I will fully confess that I did not see the trailer nor did I read the preview, simply because I wanted to come into the show completely and utterly with a clean slate. I was there to enjoy the music, the dance and more importantly, to see whether or not Alberta Ballet succeeded in popularizing ballet and contemporary dance to some of the less-well-known songs of Elton John. Verdict: Jean Grand-Maitre (the choreographer and libretto creator) is a genius.
Love Lies Bleeding is not your traditional ballet performance, so if you are a more traditional dancer, you probably will find yourself missing some of the more technically-complex elements of ballet. But what I really loved about Alberta Ballet’s rendition of Love Lies Bleeding was the fact that some of the pieces were technically complicated, with strong, superbly-executed lifts, beautiful arabesques and battements. There were simpler (technically-speaking) but nonetheless captivating executions to songs like Bennie, Teenage Idol and Honky.
Full disclosure: if you are homophobic and/or have any problem with shirtless men with perfect bodies and outstanding dance skills, this is probably not the show for you. Playing off around the theme of Sir Elton John’s life (including a beautiful rendition of Believe where it’s almost impossible not to shed a tear at the beauty of the performance by two of the male dancers, who by the way, had amazing chemistry), Love Lies Bleeding is a fantastic storytelling device: it shares with us (the audience) the evolution of Sir Elton John, as a human, as a musician, and (finally) as an openly gay man.
Once the pace picked up with Rocket Man, I felt that the level of technical sophistication in the choreographies performed by the dance troupe skyrocketed. Act II came back with an extraordinary set of multi-dancer, high-energy, fast-pace dances to songs like 60 Years, Thinking Must Die and the closing song that made everyone clap and stand in full ovation mode at the end, Saturday Night’s Alright.
In a completely different style to other dance-popularizing-ballet shows I’ve seen and reviewed, including the Winnipeg Royal Ballet’s Moulin Rouge or the more classic Goh Ballet The Nutcracker, Alberta Ballet and Ballet BC exceed expectations with a very strong dance performance where audiences can completely appreciate the technical skill without detriment of having fun to the music of Sir Elton John.
Featuring 14 of the classic songs of Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Loves Lies Bleeding is a contemporary ballet that takes audiences through a series of theatrically dynamic tableaux, into the wild, dangerous and powerful world of pop music. The non-stop parade of dazzling costumes by Martine Bertrand rivals Las Vegas for sheer spectacle with eye-popping projections by New York-based Adam Larsen providing the backdrop for the dancers.
Although rooted in the life and career of the iconic British knight, Love Lies Bleeding is not a simple biographical narrative. The main character is an obsessive Elton John fan and the ballet itself a fantasy in which he experiences the highs and lows of his idol’s roller-coaster career. Set in a vast, dark theatre littered with mementos, artifacts and the remembrances of past glories, the ballet poetically depicts the dramatic landscapes of a monumental cycle of compositions which has deeply inspired billions of music lovers around the world.
This performance contains scenes that include sexual innuendo which may not be suitable for younger children
I would completely and entirely endorse Love Lies Bleeding and strongly recommend you that you see it because it’s a VERY SHORT RUN (Oct 13th through 15th). So, go ahead, buy tickets and go see it!
Disclosure: I attended the opening night of Alberta Ballet’s Love Lies Bleeding presented by Ballet BC on media tickets. A review is not required, nor a favorable review expected. As with any review I post on this site, I retain editorial control at all times.
Friends are the family you choose. And there are very few artistic exhibits that embody this sentiment more eloquently than the Chosen Family Portrait Project. I wanted to get my own Chosen Family Portrait but with my schedule, you can imagine it never happened. And I’m quite sad about that. But the fact that I didn’t get to have my Chosen Family Portrait doesn’t mean that you can’t check the exhibit, which now has been extended.
You can check the exhibit up to November 6th at the Museum of Vancouver.
There are the families we are born with and there are the families that we choose.
The term “chosen family” refers to the formation of non-biological families; many lesbian, gay, transgender and queer people, especially those with problematic relationships with their birth families, have friends and often lovers they consider part of their chosen family.
During August 2010, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival conducted a community-based art project called, Chosen Family Portraits. This photography and oral history project invited local queer and allied community to model with their chosen family and share their stories.
Photographer Sarah Race and radio journalist Sarah Buchanan are the lead Chosen Family Portrait artists. 118 people posed for this project, yielding these 28 family portraits and accompanying oral histories.
Presented with support from the City of Vancouver’s 125th Anniversary, the Arts Partners in Creative Development and the participation of the Government of Canada.
I love the Museum of Vancouver, and I love them even more for supporting this amazing exhibit.
Museum of Vancouver 1100 Chestnut Street (Vanier Park)
Vancouver, BC V6J 3J9
604.736.4431
Open Stat. holidays except Christmas Day. Call 604.736.4431 for more info.
Wed – Sun 10 am – 5 pm, Thurs 10 am – 8 pm, Mon-Tues Closed
And I’m using the lowercase as they have it on their menu instead of capitalizing it. la vie boheme bistro in Mount Pleasant is the newest incarnation of formerly-known-as-Cafe Hermosa. I loved this little West 7th Avenue cafe, simply because it was in Mount Pleasant, an area I absolutely love and adore, with its industrial/urban mixing.
And now reincarnated as la vie boheme bistro, I love it even more. The food is excellent, the ambiance is great, and I just wish it was open 7 days a week. It looks to me as though this little bistro serves the population of the industrial and commercial area within Mount Pleasant.
At La Vie Boheme, it is our mission to create a relaxing, at home feel, so that you can sit awhile, enjoy, lovingly prepared, freshly made meals and delicious Cafe drinks with friends and family. Our staff is a vivacious group of beautiful Actors and Actresses there to provide excellent and entertaining service. We overhear and partake in conversation worthy of the Algonquin Room while listening to Billy Holiday, Louis Jordan, Ella and Louis and Edith Piaf (to name a few).
We put a delicious flare on classic Breakfast and Lunch Meals. Try our top selling sandwich: “The Charmer” – Turkey, Asiago Cheese and a homemad cranberry sauce. The God Father Omelette, Proscuitto, Goatcheese and roasted tomatoes. Let’s just say, “We’ll Make you an Omelette you can’t refuse.” And many, many more, to die for, options!
I recently took my good friend Monique Trottier (Boxcar Marketing) for lunch there, as I had wanted to just hang out and have geeky conversations about academia, books, social media and all things in between. Monique ordered an omelette with a fantastic salad where I ordered The Charmer sandwich.
The sandwich was delicious with a little bit of yogurt to add a kick and the tomato soup was to-die-for.
I will be back for more to la vie boheme bistro, and I hope you’ll check it out. Monday through Friday 7am to 4pm, Saturdays 8am to 3pm.
Photo courtesy of Education without Borders, taken at the Kay Meek Centre for Woza Afrika 2010
Something is stirring in Vancouver about aid and humanitarian work in South Africa. Woza Afrika is an event coming up on October 15th at the Kay Meek Center in West Vancouver. The evening is a fundraiser with Education Without Borders to support work in the Gugulethu township, which is just outside of Cape Town, SA. The event is volunteer run, so 100% of the benefits will support the cause, which is the local middle school’s education programs.
The event focuses on the arts: Song and dance. “Youth 2 Youth” is the strategy: youth choirs and dance groups will be performing in 4 sets during the evening.
Highlights will include several youth choirs from Vancouver and the North Shore, and the premiere of an Afro-fusion dance opera, Muti Usina Zia (Tree with No Name), which will feature the ProArte Dancers. Jane Mortifee will also be in attendance as our special guest.
Tickets can be purchased by calling the Kay Meek Box office at 604.913.3634 or online www.kaymeekcentre.com.
$35 for Adults
$20 for Students/Seniors/Children (12 and under)
Hummingbird604 will be doing a giveaway for a set of tickets as well! To enter, name an African song or dance in the comments, or tweet:
I entered to win a pair of tickets to Woza Afrika, a benefit for @EwB_Canada via @Hummingbird604 (name of your song or dance)
Contest closes Friday, Oct 14th at 5PM. Up to 2 entry’s accepted by both tweeting and commenting.
I love Rosé, despite whatever anybody else tells me, and specifically I love Haywire’s Gamay Noir Rosé vintage 2010. With a slightly acidic pH (3.42) and an alcohol content of 13.7%, and a beautiful dark pink/almost apricot colour, the Haywire Rosé (at $18.75 Canadian price point, not inexpensive, but definitely not super expensive) is the perfect accompaniment for sushi (especially sushi from Momo Sushi, I might add).
This wine is 100% Gamay Noir grown by the Wise Brothers at Secrest Mountain Vineyard in Oliver. The block gave us a fresh, bright Rose, bursting with cherry and cranberry, and somehow with a finish that hints of coffee. We did a fourteen hour cold soak to extract its lovely pale colour and to achieve a hint of tannin. Then we stirred it to the right until the next full moon, and then to the left until our arms were really, really tired. It easily fulfills Rose’s purpose on this earth which is: … “refreshing acidity to prepare the palate for the bowl of steamed clams and mussels”… or “to daydream the afternoon away while “foating on an air mattress on Okanagan Lake.”
Disclosure: I was sent a bottle of this Rosé as a belated birthday gift from the representatives of Haywire. This in no way influences my review as I was going to buy a bottle of this Rosé anyways. As always I retain editorial control at all times on my blog.
While I was a graduate student at UBC, and even as a faculty member, the usual “high-end” bistro for me (or anyone on campus) to take colleagues, visitors and family members for lunch or dinner used to be Sage Bistro, at the University Centre. While not entirely super “high-end”, The Point Grill is a good, higher-end alternative to quick grub on campus.
Welcome to The Point Grill, UBC’s newest innovative upscale casual dining restaurant with exceptional cuisine, beautiful and stylish decor, and cheerful service in a relaxed lounge style environment. We are located in the heart of Marine Drive residence, open Monday through Sunday, and feature a Sunday brunch service. The restaurant is equipped with High Definition TV’s and full bar service featuring draft beer, bottled beer with both local and imported beer, coolers, wine and mixed drinks and cocktails. For your added convenience, we also offer a quick service to-go counter for those in a hurry.
Recently, my best friend took me for lunch to The Point Grill in celebration of my birthday. His partner joined us on a rare lunch for the three of us (they have a little 2 year old girl so I’m sure the times for them to have adult gatherings are few and far between – and his partner has always been like a sister to me, so it was a very nice gathering of people I’m very close to). And of course, he is (like me) an academic (and a professor).
I ordered a Chicken with Kale and Spicy Rice entree ($15) which was very good. The service was great and more than anything, it felt nice to have an opportunity to eat at a locale on campus that is more on the higher end of the scale. The menu is quite varied and the food is very tasty.
I will definitely be back, sooner probably than I think, because it looks like it’s pretty much the only good option after dinner on a Sunday!
Disclosure: HZ paid for our lunches on his own dime. Despite the fact that I teach at UBC, this review is completely unbiased as I have no financial or otherwise stake on UBC Food Services operations.
A few months ago, I made the commitment to myself to promote more local events, and in particular, events related to food. I try almost always to attend Taste of Yaletown but rarely do I get a chance to do the whole thing. I have checked out the list of participating restaurants.
As a matter of fact, I have eaten at many of them (and love a few). Plus, this year I’m a media sponsor for Taste of Yaletown 2011. Taste of Yaletown 2011 goes from October 13th to 31st, 2011. You can check the menus here. I will try to profile a couple of participating restaurants on my blog throughout the event.
This song makes me shed tears all the time. It must be just the sheer beauty of the song, or it may be the fact that it reminds me of the movie Closer, a movie about cheating (obviously, a topic that I’m quite sensitive to). Damien Rice’s voice in The Blower’s Daughter is haunting and silky, the chorus is stunningly beautiful and the music is simply delightful. For your listening pleasure.
While I’m very grateful to live in a city where the vast majority of the population is rather accepting and open minded, I am well aware of how many queer folks need to live their lives in constant fear of being “outed”. Being “out” at work, or with friends, or even with family is a challenge, and has been for many individuals worldwide. And there is an actual celebration of “coming out of”. Read the rest of this entry »
