Khatia Buniatishvili Exquisite with Handel

George Frideric Handel composes a sweet, delicate piece, and virtuoso Khatia Buniatishvili performs his music with such exquisite attention and care.  I love how her fingers linger on the piano keys at the end, as if there were lingering notes just beyond our earshot, which she nurtures until it all comes to a silent finish.

Khatia Buniatishvili გარეთ Piazzolla and Dvořák

Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili gives a special concert in a forest near Berlin. It's actually part of a film being shot on her. She grew up in Georgia but has been touring the world since she was 10. So far she has released two albums. In 2012 she received Germany's ECHO award for her debut album which featured the works of Franz Liszt.

Khatia Buniatishvili is a 27-year old pianist from Tbilisi, Georgia, and was a child prodigy who learned piano very early on from her mother.  Her first concert was at age 6, and by age 10 she was touring several cities in Europe.  I love how she connects theater and music, literature and music, and also nature and music.  If her mixing arts together is unconventional, then so is Dr. Ron Art, which is where art of all kinds crosses genres and taps multiple media.

I first heard Libertango from a Belarusian trio - violinist, pianist and cellist - in Bahrain, and loved its rhythm, at once patient, calm and spirited, quick.  If this is truly an improvisation between Khatia and her sister Gvantsa of the Ástor Piazzolla composition, then it's a remarkable little performance.

For me, music is a holistic experience.  While I can enjoy listening to it, for example, on the radio, I long to see the musician perform.  Not only are these two sisters clearly talented, but also they're very beautiful.  Their performance of this Antonín Dvořák piece is melodic and sensuous.  Their personality and expression are most definitely integral to their music.

Kathia Buniatishvili has placed their wings in the forest: a place full of magic and romance

More of the Rockettes Engaging with their Fans

Rockette hopefuls come from all over the world to audition at Radio City Music Hall. Meet some of this year's hopefuls on audition day. You may see some of these talented dancers on stage later this year.

These hopefuls aren't quite from around the world, but they do hail from several cities in the US.  I imagine they are all excited but nervous, too.  But saying hello in a cheerful, spirited way for the cameras is a telling sign about how well they can hold themselves up under pressure.

 

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! We're cheering for the U.S. Soccer team (#USMNT) today as they face Belgium in the 2014 FIFA World Cup! Team USA will be facing Belgium in Salvador, Brazil and are looking to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. We want to know #AreYouReady?

The World Cup for USA ended with that match against Belgium, in the the knockout stage, but they had quite a thrilling run at it.  They weren't expected, really, to get out of the Group of Death, especially against teams like Ghana, Portugal and Germany.  But they did, and the Rockettes do a patriotic cheer and number for them.

We love everything about New York City! There's so much to do and see. Explore some of our favorite places around the city and find out how the city inspires us daily!

Here's a Did You Know? fact:  The birthplace of the Rockettes was not in New York City, but in St. Louis (1925).  However, they've performed out of Radio City Music Hall since 1932, so New York City is very much home for these ladies and their predecessors.

We're kicking off the live premiere of America's Got Talent at Radio City Music Hall! 

Make sure to tell all of your friends, family, neighbors... EVERYONE to tune in to see the talented performers! The first live show (+our performance!) is Tues, July 29th at 8pm ET on NBC.

Be sure to tune in!

Rockettes Summer Intensive (6 - 9)

At the Rockettes Summer Intensive (RSI), the dancers learned the importance of a foundation in ballet. With their previous ballet training our RSI dancers are able to pick up on our Radio City Christmas Spectacular choreography easier. And as Rockettes, we ALL have a strong foundation in ballet. It helped us get to where we are today - professional dancers.

Take a look behind the scenes of our Rockettes Summer Intensive (RSI) dance program. Dancers learned how to do our famous eye-high kicks. They've spent hours practicing our kickline and our precision dance technique.

We love the chance to get a little silly on stage! At our Rockettes Summer Intensives (RSI), the dancers learn how we come together as a team to master our precision dance technique and have a little Rag Doll fun.

  

The dancers at our Rockettes Summer Intensive have been training in ballet, tap and jazz since they were young. Their variety of dance experience and backgrounds helps them master our unique precision style of choreography!

The Rockettes Summer Intensive was clearly a great experience for these young ladies. They had to bring their dance experience, creativity and discipline to bear for learning how the Rockettes do their dance. Again it isn't a matter of individual expressiveness, but expressiveness in the context of a very precise, en pointe choreography. The Rockettes are not only building its talent pipeline, but also promoting its breathtaking numbers to the community. These students look forward to watching the Christmas show, for example, and relishing the fact that they, too, performed those numbers.

Rockettes Summer Intensive (1 - 5)

In this video, you'll go behind the scenes of our summer dance program, Rockettes Summer Intensive (RSI). Dancers from around the country travel to New York City to learn our Radio City Christmas Spectacular choreography!

Some of the dancers at our Rockettes Summer Intensive (RSI) grew up dreaming of continuing their family legacy of being a Rockette! Hear their stories and see them learn choreography from our legendary Parade of the Wooden Soldiers number from the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

Take a peek behind the scenes at our Rockettes Summer Intensive (RSI) where dancers learned the importance of teamwork. Rockettes choreography relies on the entire group working in unison. These dancers worked together in groups and in pairs to master our precision dance technique.

During our Rockettes Summer Intensive (RSI), dancers learn what it takes to be a Rockette! Take a look behind the scenes as the dancers learned our pre-show fitness routines and how we strengthen our bodies to be able to perform our choreography.

During our Rockettes Summer Intensive (RSI), dancers learn one of our signature precision tap numbers, Happy Feet. Not only did the dancers get to learn the choreography (and how we combine different styles of tap) but they got to sing along too. Multi-tasking!

My daughter is a member of a dance and tumbling troupe and a cheerleading squad, and I have a sense for how demanding numbers are to practice and perform.  The Rockettes are impressive for their precision and synchrony.  As one instructor said, these young ladies learn quickly that it's about sharp dancing and team dancing.

Clever Ensemble of Hosiery from Natali Cohen

From whimsical and sexy, to mathematical, poetic and musical, Natali Cohen is the creative mind behind Coline Design and this very clever ensemble of hosiery.  If I were a woman, I'd buy several of these.  Perhaps Cohen will have an offering for men at some point.  

The Art of Randy Monteith

Live Love Laugh

Broken Beyond Repair

The Dress

Cirrus

iLife

Exit Stage Left

Some business friends and I have had a long-running conversation thread on Twitter, and recently Lori tweeted Live, Love, Laugh.  I said that I loved the alliteration.  She and Ron came back with additional: Learn and Listen.  So when I saw that top piece by Randy Monteith, I had to tweet it to my friends and also had to check out his art, on Pinterest, for one.

Remembering Michael Jackson on June 25th

Michael Jackson died suddenly on June 25th 2009, and to remember the undisputed King of Pop I posted (with comments) my 10 favorite songs from his oeuvre on the 5th anniversary of his death:

The Jacksons don lavish costumes in this jazzy dance piece from 1976. Michael was only 18. 

Michael wails as the reprise, and wills the earth back to life, in this stirring 1995 song. 

Michael and Naomi get sexy in this sepia-hot music video of his 1992 hit. 

Michael died 5 years ago today. Soon thereafter I wrote a poem on the mournful irony of this song. 

Drama and dance cinch it in this Michael-gone-gangster at the 1993 American Music Awards. 

Just kickass bad, so 'nuff said.

Michael and his troupe rehearsed this zombie classic, in preparation for a July 2009 concert - This Is It - that never happened. 

Another awesome number from the "This Is It" rehearsals in 2009. 

Michael keeps his dancing simple, as he invokes Biblical themes onto the stage in Bucharest. 

If you haven't seen the "Step Up" films, go on YouTube. The 5th film is due in August, and JT & Co. should be in it. 

Lyrical Depth of `A Matter of Trust

Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
And they may not want it to end
But it will it's just a question of when
I've lived long enough to have learned
The closer you get to the fire the more you get burned
But that won't happen to us
Because it's always been a matter of trust

I know you're an emotional girl
It took a lot for you to not lose your faith in this world
I can't offer you proof
But you're going to face a moment of truth
It's hard when you're always afraid
You just recover when another belief is betrayed
So break my heart of you must
It's a matter of trust

You can't go the distance
With too much resistance
I know you have doubts
But for God's sake don't shut me out

This time you've got nothing to lose
You can take it, you can leave it
Whatever you choose
I won't hold back anything
And I'll walk a way a fool or a king
Some love is just a lie of the mind
It's make believe until it's only a matter of time
And some might have learned to adjust
But then it never was a matter of trust

I'm sure you're aware love
We've both had our share of
Believing too long
When the whole situation was wrong

Some love is just a lie of the soul
A constant battle for the ultimate state of control
After you've heard lie upon lie
There can hardly be a question of why
Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
But that can't happen to us
Because it's always been a matter of trust

 `A Matter of Trust is not just an awesome rock song, but also one with lyrical depth.  So much of contemporary love songs are unimaginative and over-reliant on fleeting, formulaic appeal.  But Billy Joel rose above all that with his 1986 hit, and told a story about what love meant for him and his lover.  I especially love the thematic refrain, which I italicize above, where the song shifts to a more plaintive rhythm and tone.  A superb effort.

Art of the Woman

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I won't forget