Latest news with #Dance
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: Grant Park Music Festival is lifted by an artist-in-residence and a poignant ‘Enigma Variations'
Everyone, it seems, needs to have an 'artist-in-residence' these days. Though lofty, the title, as interpreted in recent seasons by the Grant Park Music Festival and the Chicago Symphony, tends to overpromise. It's becoming industry parlance for 'has at least two bookings with us a season' — significant for the artist and presenter, maybe, but mostly a blip for audiences. Cellist Inbal Segev's residency with the Grant Park Music Festival, which concluded on Wednesday, felt closer to a fair billing. The Israeli-American cellist was here for just a week, but it was a packed one: a Pavilion concert on July 9 (playing Mark Adamo's 'Last Year,' a latter-day 'Four Seasons' inflected by climate change), a recital on July 13 which included some of her own music, and a masterclass on July 15, before concluding with another concert in the Pavilion on July 16. In grand-finale spirit, Segev dusted off Anna Clyne's 'Dance,' a calling card of hers, for the occasion. Not that she needed to do much dusting: Guest conductor Courtney Lewis noted in comments to the audience that, since Segev premiered the concerto in 2019, she has performed about half of its 80 performances since. That deep experience was manifest in Wednesday's performance. Like 'Masquerade,' another widely programmed piece by Clyne, 'Dance' dresses up centuries-old musical forms in 21st-century clothing — the placid round of the third movement, the striding ground bass of the fourth. But even amid more fervid movements like the second and fifth, Segev radiated calm confidence through their percussive chords and fingerboard-spanning dexterity. She often smiled encouragingly at Lewis, or, in the finale, at concertmaster Jeremy Black, with whom she swapped knotty, bluesy solos. Her coolheaded virtuosity soothed, even when the music didn't. As an encore, Segev brought the same tranquil command to the Sarabande from Bach's Cello Suite No. 3. Her sound was magisterial and rich, a full-bodied account — until the very end. On that final resolution, she quieted to a mere, otherworldly wisp, like a final wave from a distance. Lewis and the Grant Parkers were every bit as unflappable in their accompaniment. Voices in the orchestra step forth to double the cello here and there — a tricky alignment in any acoustic. But from my vantage in the Pavilion seating area, these all converged impeccably, most especially the ghostly bowed vibraphone supporting Segev's harmonics. Against 'Dance,' a frazzled 'Fledermaus' overture sounded like it might have gotten the short end of the rehearsal stick. Lewis's sudden, tensile beats left the orchestra guessing at subdivisions, nor did they give Strauss's beloved Viennese waltzes much freedom to bounce. Other gestures — scrunched shoulders, a finger to the lips to hush the orchestra — seemed patently superfluous for a group of Grant Park's caliber. But if Lewis spent Grant Park's blink-and-you-miss-it rehearsal time preparing his poignant 'Enigma Variations,' that was a worthy tradeoff. Lewis cultivated an entrancingly variegated ensemble sound, adding new dimension to even Elgar's most familiar strains. The yin-and-yang themes of 'R.P.A.' seemed somehow connected at the hip, rather than starkly juxtaposed. Later, the seafaring variation which Elgar laconically titled '***' — spurring avid speculation about whose initials, exactly, he was redacting — gained might the same way an ocean storm does: gradually at first, then all at once. Then, of course, there's 'Nimrod,' the piece's most famous excerpt. Strings played the opening with no vibrato, sounding for all the world like the stillness before daybreak. When the sun rose through mounting crescendos, the orchestra was bright but not blaring, the Grant Park brass offering sculpted support. The final variation, named for Elgar himself, likewise refused to be weighted down. The opening scampered with tricksterish levity; later on, when the movement cycles through vignettes from earlier in the piece, Lewis balanced the orchestra so that they sounded like flotsam bobbing in '***'s' surf. Now that's how you play the 'Enigma Variations.' A postscript: Inbal Segev's Grant Park week would have been even more packed, were it not for a day-of cancellation of her Monday recital repeat at the Columbus Park Refectory. Festival spokespeople explained the performance, co-presented by the Chicago Park District's 'Night Out in the Parks,' was canceled due to noise-bleed concerns from a 'Bike Night' hosted on the adjacent parking lot, an event they say the festival learned about that morning. In truth, Columbus Park has hosted hundreds for Bike Night every Monday all summer, complete with food-truck vendors, signage and traffic cops. The most generous read of the snafu suggests this was just an awkward breakdown in communication between the festival and the Parks District. It's worth noting, too, the Refectory building itself, where the concert was supposed to happen, was not double-booked, and was thus available on paper. But the broader cluelessness here from Grant Park strikes at a deeper issue, one certainly not unique to this festival. What, exactly, are arts organizations hoping to achieve through neighborhood events if they don't know all that much about the neighborhoods in question? The festival should take the fumble as a learning opportunity as its 'Night Out' partnership continues: July 17 at Olympia Park, July 24 at Indian Boundary Park, July 31 at Lake Shore Park, Aug. 7 at Jefferson Memorial Park and Aug. 14 at Lincoln Park Cultural Center. The Grant Park Music Festival continues July 18-19 with Augustin Hadelich playing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, 201 E. Randolph St. Free; more information and ticketed Pavilion seating at
CBC
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
WATCH — Meet the 11-year-old behind the aura-farming boat meme
Boat race dance has caught the attention of celebrities He's only 11 years old and his aura is over 9,000. You may have seen the 'aura farming' or 'boat kid' video on social media, where a kid dances on the end of a moving raceboat. That kid's name is Rayyan Arkan Dikha. 'I came up with the dance myself,' Rayyan told BBC Indonesia on July 10. 'It was just spontaneous.' His 'spontaneous' dance has become a viral hit. Watch the video to see which celebrities are copying him. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Some actions in this video may be risky. Don't try them on your own or without a trusted adult. Rayyan lives in Indonesia, and he participates in an annual traditional boat race called Pacu Jalur. His role is called 'tukang tari.' Each boat has a tukang tari, a dancer who stands at the front of the boat and motivates or energizes the crew. Rayyan's role in the boat race is to keep the team of rowers motivated to keep pushing. (Video credit: Even though Rayyan may seem cool, calm and collected, his role comes with some risks. 'The main concern is that he might fall,' Rayyan's mom, Rani Ridawati, told BBC Indonesia. 'Sometimes if he falls accidentally or suddenly, I worry he might get hit by the paddles.' However, Ridawati added that Rayyan is a strong swimmer, and that there's a rescue team nearby. We'll have to see if the internet's favourite aura farmer makes an appearance at the next Pacu Jalur, which is scheduled for Aug. 20 to 24 in Kuantan Singingi, Indonesia.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Book excerpt: 'Sing, Dance, and Lead' by Hindol Sengupta
Book excerpt: 'Sing, Dance, and Lead' by Hindol Sengupta Prof. Dr. Hindol Sengupta is a celebrated historian, journalist, and author of 12 acclaimed books. A World Economic Forum young global leader, Dr. Sengupta, combines deep expertise in history, international relations, and economics. His work explores India's rise in the world and how it weaves together culture, politics, and spirituality with rare insight. In his latest book titled 'Sing, Dance, and Lead', Dr. Sengupta very carefully navigates and bridges the gap between the modern, ambitious society and age-old spiritual wisdom. He delivers a thought-provoking reflection on how spiritual values can and should shape modern leadership and decision-making. Dr. Sengupta urges his readers through this book to look at their personal and professional lives as offerings to the divine, drawing his inspiration from Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, well known as the Hare Krishna movement, which became a respected global organization. This book will clear your mind, widen your horizons, and enable you to view leadership not merely as a role but as a responsibility rooted in service and empathy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How to Trade ETH/USD Without Holding Ether IC Markets Learn More Undo What makes 'Sing, Dance, and Lead' stand out is its insistence that embracing spiritual truth does not mean it will hinder our greatest ambitions but will enhance them. Dr. Sengupta's expertise in history, faith, and economics offers a fresh perspective on how individuals can thrive even without losing their faith in the supreme power above. Here's an excerpt from the book 'Sing, Dance, and Lead' by Prof. Dr. Hindol Sengupta, published with permission from Penguin Random House. Excerpts from the book 'Sing, Dance and Lead' Chapter - Hurry, Hari Bol! Book Author - Prof (Dr.) Hindol Sengupta We often view our lives less as experiences to cherish and more as careers to pursue, a ladder to climb. The role of this book is to help turn our gaze towards eternal things and to encourage every reader to think that there are greater elevations that await them. Like how the early disciples of Srila Prabhupada promised 'the high of Krishna' to the hippies of the flower power generation to wean them away from intoxicants and towards bhakti, this book urges an understanding of peace and the purpose of God realisation. It was written to break the illusion that any talk of incorporating spirituality into what we think of as our work life is esoteric, whimsical or even impractical. With each step and chapter, this book shows that there are deeper dimensions to many of the key principles that govern institutions, their building and management, and notions of success. It seeks to highlight that embracing the higher spiritual truth takes us closer to our greatest possible achievements and dreams, and not away from them. This is because anything that is done as an offering to the Divine taps into a higher purpose and calling. The success of such a task touched by grace could attain immeasurable heights. Simply put, God can take our plans to destinations and heights that we cannot imagine, and therefore offering our endeavours as service to Him is a resonant teaching of Srila Prabhupada. One of the ways we could create space for this recognition is to schedule reflective time—time spent chanting, offering obeisance to a Deity at home, or during a visit to a shrine or temple that appeals to us. It is important to note that perhaps, we live in the first period of history where we have, in many ways, cut away all space and time for anything spiritual or meditative. In earlier generations, people usually had space and time for a temple visit, a fast associated with some ritual or an altar at home. There was a palpable sense of understanding the role of God in our lives—an act that taught us humility and a deeper realization of our position vis-a-vis the Divine. The primary tool that this book offers is the understanding that leadership is a by-product of empathy and a definite sense of self-effacement. True leaders seldom put their needs above those of the organization or people who work under their instructions. Leadership, therefore, is about cultivating a rooted conviction of service, the ability to see goals and aspirations beyond limited personal milestones and work for targets that might subsume or negate personal achievement markers. Leadership is also about understanding and explaining the idea of purpose and a fundamental sense of honesty—what needs to be done must be done with the greatest integrity. The common understanding is that certain kind of ethical and moral frameworks given to us from the world of spirituality could be critical in the way we build institutions, including those related to business. Sociologist Max Weber spoke of the 'protestant work ethic' and how its virtues, such as, hard work, honesty, relentless focus and undistracted belief helped capitalism flourish. But Srila Prabhupada's teaching goes much deeper. He is not encouraging us to seek the Divine because of mere material benefits or financial success. According to Prabhupada, that would be limited and futile. He is instead urging us to have a much deeper comprehension of what life truly is and who grants us the grace to lead a fruitful life. Prabhupada teaches that the answer lies in our own understanding that the best kind of performance in any activity, not just a job, is when that activity is conducted and presented as an offering to the highest level possible—a tribute to the Divine.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The case for investing in emerging markets, despite underperformance
In an industry known for its veritable alphabet soup of acronyms, the lower or even vanishing usage of "BRIC" — that's Brazil, Russia, India and China — is a sign of the times. Amid "a state of deep outflows" in mutual funds and ETFs tied to emerging markets, research firm Morningstar retired its BRIC category last year because "those strategies were relics of an age when the hot investment theme was the growth" in those countries and South Africa, Morningstar Indexes Analyst Dan Lefkovitz wrote in the firm's second-quarter magazine. The substantial underperformance of emerging markets compared to U.S. stocks in the past 15 years reflects the complete opposite scenario from 2000 to 2009. In that time, U.S. stocks had a "lost decade," while emerging markets were providing "an oasis of strong returns," he wrote. As one tangible yet ironic example of the completely different landscape, it's common to see ripoffs of Pop Mart's Chinese toys in New York's Union Square today, according to John Dance, the portfolio manager for Fidelity Investments' Emerging Markets Fund. About 20 years ago, knockoffs of American goods were prevalent in China, he noted. Dance and other portfolio managers speaking in a panel at last month's Morningstar Investment Conference acknowledged the complexity of investing in emerging markets, whether in terms of their current low returns at the macro level or the inevitable political factors involved with the asset class. If President Donald Trump's ongoing trade negotiations aren't causing some volatility on a particular day, any number of unforeseen events could do so. READ MORE: Billions flood into active ETFs in hunt for cheap emerging market stocks As Dance put it, there is always "something going on somewhere," and "I'm pretty used to losing sleep as a consequence." Still, he and other investing experts argue that international holdings offer diversification and potential for outsize returns with the right level of granular expertise tapping into, say, China or India. At the macro level, popular demographics dictate that developing economies will give rise to more consumers and investors worldwide in the future. "I'm trying to look at where those transitions are happening," Dance said. "There are buckets of opportunity there, and you just have to get the magnifying glass out and do the work on the ones that make sense." Morningstar data comparing indices covering more than 3,500 stocks in over 20 countries to one tied to U.S. equities display why active management remains so important to emerging markets. From March 2010 to this past March, the emerging markets index had a gross return of just 81%, while Morningstar's U.S. index jumped by 515%. On the other hand, the emerging markets index notched a gross return of 156% between January 2000 and December 2009, while the U.S. stocks lost 1%. So the emerging markets may be undervalued today: They're trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 14, but U.S. stocks' P/E is 24. The "structural story around emerging markets remains intact," Morningstar Investment Management Chief Investment Officer Philip Straehl said in comments included in Lefkovitz's analysis. "Emerging markets represent 80% of the world's population and nearly 70% of the world's GDP growth but only 10% of the total global equity market cap. A burgeoning middle class continues to develop in emerging markets and should prevent interesting opportunities for investors, albeit with higher volatility." READ MORE: The top 20 emerging market funds of the decade The panelists echoed that view, with some caveats of their own. After a time of "almost hyper-globalization," no one can say for sure "how far the reversal will go" and affect the economy and particular companies in places like India, Vietnam, Mexico and China, noted Lisa Thompson, an equity portfolio manager with Capital Group, the parent firm of American Funds. India represents "one of the true great emerging market growth stories out there," but investors should be price-sensitive in "a real stock-pickers' market" in that country, Thompson said. In fact, the trade uncertainty and other political trends in China are adding to that trend. "China is very complex," Thompson said. "There are ways to get exposure to the growth in China, there are ways to minimize exposure and you can choose companies wisely." For financial advisors and their clients, one other takeaway is the simple fact that "things do change," said Rohit Chopra, a portfolio manager and analyst with Lazard Asset Management. He noted that, "What sometimes the market takes as given often doesn't prove to be right." That means investors need an expert-level research focus on the most relevant information in every country, which could amount to political subtleties and monetary policies affecting the performance of, say, a bank in Turkey. "No moment in emerging markets is a dull one," Chopra said. "That gives us the ability to have conviction around where some of the mispricing or some of the anomalies exist." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Metro
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Fall Out Boy icon steps away from band to 'avoid permanent damage' to hand
Fall Out Boy's Joe Trohman has announced he is taking a leave of absence after struggling with an ongoing injury in his hand. The Dance, Dance guitarist, 40, will take 'the rest of the year' off so he can undergo surgery to prevent further damage after playing through the pain. Joe is a founding member of the pop-punk group, having been friends with Pete Wentz (bassist) in the 90s and has served as guitarist and backing vocalist since 2001. Completing the lineup were Patrick Stump on vocals and Andy Hurley on drums, with the band best known for hits like Sugar, We're Goin Down, Thnks fr th Mmrs, and Centuries. 'After years of managing ongoing issues with my right hand, it's become clear that I need surgery to avoid permanent damage,' he announced in a statement on Instagram. 'Unfortunately, this means I'll have to take the rest of the year off from playing with the band,' he continued. 'The silver lining is that I'm on track for a full recovery.' He didn't share any details about the issue specifically but confirmed that Fall Out Boy will continue to play their upcoming shows without him. Fans sent well wishes in the comments, including from Simple Plan's Pierre Bouvier, who wrote: 'Wishing you a swift recovery and return to the band.' The band are due to tour Japan and Brazil throughout August before heading back to the US for Oceans Calling Festival in Maryland in September. They last toured the UK in 2023, performing in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, and London after the release of their So Much (For) Stardust album. Joe took a temporary hiatus in January of that year, stating that he wanted to focus on his mental health at the time. He explained at the time: 'Neil Young once howled that it's better to burn out than to fade away. But I can tell you unequivocally that burning out is dreadful. 'Without divulging all the details, I must disclose that my mental health has rapidly deteriorated over the past several years. So, to avoid fading away and never returning, I will be taking a break from work which regrettably includes stepping away from Fall Out Boy for a spell. 'It pains me to make this decision, especially when we are releasing a new album that fills me with great pride (the sin I'm most proud of).' Ben Young took up the guitar while Joe was on a break but the founder returned to the fold before the tour was finished. The former guitar tech has worked with the likes of Linkin Park and Stone Temple Pilots but also formed his own band, Knifes, in the late 2010s so it's unknown if he will return to Fall Out Boy in Joe's place. Fall Out Boy have been staples of the pop-punk scene after dropping debut album Take This To Your Grave in 2003, which gained a cult following. They quickly rose to prominence with their chart-topping second album From Under the Cork Tree, which spawned some of their biggest hits and earned their reputation for lengthy song titles. Tracks like Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued and I've Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song) have become icons of the emo era. Follow-up albums Infinity on High and Folie à Deux also saw commercial success but were followed by a short hiatus, due to the band members' declining mental health. In 2013, Pete reached out to Patrick and mended the rift between them, with their comeback album Save Rock and Roll becoming an instant number one. More Trending They have since released two further albums; Grammy-nominated Mania in 2018 and latest album So Much (For) Stardust in 2023. Fall Out Boy also collaborated on Taylor Swift's re-recording of Speak Now, with a verse on (underappreciated) rock-pop vault track Electric Touch. There are currently no public plans for a UK tour and no hints of a new album on the way and with Joe's hand it's looking like fans will have to wait a bit longer. Maybe 2027 will see the return of FOB … just in time for Glastonbury. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron leaves rock band after 27 years MORE: 80s rock star cancels tour days before first gig after severe spinal fracture MORE: Music icon angers fans after performing to near-empty stadium at 3.30am
