Latest news with #NutcrackerSuite
Scotsman
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Light Dancer launches with local twirl at Camera Obscura
A brand-new hands-on exhibit has twirled into place at Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, combining movement, music and mesmerising illusion. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Light Dancer, the latest creation by the in-house team, reimagines the classic zoetrope with a modern twist. Visitors turn a handle to set a spinning disc of multiple dancers in motion, illuminated individually or in groups as they go through their steps, choreographed to music that speeds up of slows down depending on how fast you spin the handle. As the figures flicker through slices of light, they appear to pirouette magically in time to the music from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, 'The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy'. To celebrate the launch, 11-year-old local ballet dancer Emily Nicoll visited the attraction, bringing the Light Dancer's magical theme to life. Emily attends Morag Alexander School of Dancing and Wallyford Primary School in East Lothian. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Andrew Johnson, General Manager of Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, said: 'We love creating unique exhibits that surprise and delight, and Light Dancer is a perfect example. It's immersive, intriguing, imaginative, playful, fun for all ages. Our team has done an incredible job designing something truly individual.' Local ballet dancer Emily Nicoll poses with the new Light Dancer exhibit at Camera Obscura & World of Illusions in Edinburgh Much like the rest of Camera Obscura, Light Dancer blends past and present technologies in imaginative ways. Inspired by the gramophone and the intricate style of art nouveau artists like Alphonse Mucha, it's also a nod to pioneering artists like Akinori Goto and the whimsical craftsmanship of Studio Ghibli and Pixar, who have used similar techniques to capture the illusion of life. The name "zoetrope" comes from the Greek words for "life" and "turn" a fitting description for an exhibit that brings static figures to life with a simple spin. It works on the principle of 'persistence of vision', an optical illusion where the human eye retains an image for a brief moment after the object causing it has disappeared. The exhibit's design draws inspiration from the art nouveau era, taking cues from Mucha's iconic posters, and even Paris's metro entrances. The result is a stunning piece that reflects both the timeless elegance of historical illusion and the joy of hands-on discovery. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is proud to showcase this one-of-a-kind addition, offering a fresh twist on a classic illusion and giving visitors a chance to explore the magic in the most hands-on way possible. Emily Nicoll looks at the new Light Dancer exhibit at Camera Obscura & World of Illusions in Edinburgh The Light Dancer is now open and included with general admission. Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is a 5-star rated visitor attraction at the top of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Open 7 days a week, from early until late.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
A vegetarian at Granite, or, how to melt in Paris with grace 'n' ganache
Led by chef Yoshitaka Takayanagi, the Granite team Tempura carrot The amuse-bouche of hummus was not just a spread, it was a statement 'Choose your knife,' we were told, as if selecting a wand at Ollivanders The pre-dessert cherry ice with hibiscus as palate cleanser was so cleansing, it could have solved diplomatic crises Securing a table at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris is pretty much like convincing a Frenchman to abandon his baguette—possible, but only under extraordinary circumstances. And so it was that my beleaguered colleague, already juggling lunch logistics like a Cirque du Soleil contortionist, found himself accommodating a last-minute addition: yours truly, a wandering vegetarian armed with no reservation, but plenty of persuasion. Thus began our midday odyssey to Granite—not to be confused with the countertop, but equally hard to get is on Rue Bailleul in the Halles district. The street, a 5 min walk away from the Louvre, is historic for being home to what a soup salesman, Mathurin Roze de Chantoiseau a.k.a. Monsieur Boulanger, is credited with opening around 1765 -- the first modern 'restaurant', the term initially referring to a restorative broth, a standard at taverns and inns for travellers. The first restaurant, rather obviously named Boulanger, marked a revolutionary shift in dining culture. It introduced privacy of individual tables and choice of meals from a menu, a stark contrast to the communal, unsophisticated meals of taverns and back here in the 21c., a 6-course vegetarian meal, curated by chef Yoshitaka Takayanagi – who had taken over after his stint at La Scène Thélème near Arc de Triomphe -- awaited us at Granite. We were warned in advance to arrive by 1.30 sharp -- or the soufflé shall not rise!The restaurant, abiding by France's famously uncompromising labour laws, promised us 2 hours of gastronomic ballet before the curtain fell at 3.30. We waltzed in at only space to accommodate our party of four hardcore vegetarians was a charming corner table on the ground floor—cosy, if your definition of cosy includes a mild simulation of Mumbai in May. The air conditioning, like a faded French romance, tried its best, but fell short. Enter Fredrick and Sarra, the unsung heroes of this tale, who dashed across to a neighbouring restaurant and returned like knights with a borrowed stand now to the food. Oh là là! The food! Each course arrived like a meticulously choreographed opera—hostesses serving us in perfect synchrony of porcelain and produce. Phone cameras clicked. Tongues danced. Our Nutcracker Suite amuse-bouche of hummus was not just a spread, it was a statement: a minimalist brushstroke on the canvas of our palates. The smoked pickled onion brought tears, not of sorrow but of came vegetarian sushi that looked like it had graduated from an art school in Kyoto. This was followed by a parade of tomatoes so colourful, I briefly considered hanging them in the Louvre next door. Sautéed spinach led us into a crescendo of the showstopper? Morel mushrooms with spinach gnocchi, prepared and presented by Chef Takayanagi himself, who described his creation with the quiet reverence of a monk unveiling a sacred scroll. The gnocchi did not need explanation—it needed a standing the cutlery had its moment. 'Choose your knife,' we were told, as if selecting a wand at Ollivanders. I picked one with a wooden handle, convinced it added character to my as our senses were considering retirement, came the pre-dessert: cherry ice with hibiscus, a palate cleanser so cleansing it could have solved diplomatic crises. But that was merely the overture. The final act: chocolate and banana with chocolate mousse. This wasn't dessert—it was a sonnet Shakespeare would have written had he traded iambic pentameter for all, Granite offered not merely a meal, but a culinary rasa-lila, where every sense was invited to dance. Tucked away in a charming Parisian alley, this restaurant is a celebration not just of food, but of thoughtful hospitality, artisanal flair, and triumph of imagination. And yes, even vegetarians can find heaven in Paris. You just have to get there by 1.29.
