Whilst familiar with some of these traditions and prohibitions, like the ghost lights that even burned in theatres when everything was shut down during COVID, we didn’t know the possible origins of the taboos, like not mentioning the Scottish play, and enjoyed reading this overview of backstage customs and lore.
crazy logic: a rather seamless mashup of Gnarls Barkley, Rockwell, Pink Floyd and Sumpertramp
ัาปัะฐั : the Yakut people of arctic Siberia celebrate New Year on the Summer Solstice
culicidology: a fascinating two-part discussion of mosquitoes with Alie Ward baggage carousel: an animated journey of checked airline luggage
the phrygian cap: the Paris Games’ mascot with a revolutionary past—via Miss Cellania
the beige begins early here folks: McMansion Hell (previously) presents another instalment of the American Medieval Revival—via Things Magazine
re-alignment: just ahead of Solstice celebrations, activists with Just Stop Oil douse the megalithic calendar with orange paint power
chiroptera: a ballet chroegraphed by Thomas Bangalter, formerly of Daft Punk—via tmn
Via Fancy Notions, we are introduced to the career and filmography of pioneering Soviet Armenia animator Lev Atamanov (ิผีฅึีธีถ ิฑีฟีกีดีกีถีตีกีถ) and director through his 1969 collaboration with composer Alfred Schnittke, Ballerina on the Boat, with choreography help by members of the Bolshoi. Teaching the sailors to be more graceful, the passenger saves the ship during a storm with her moves. After founding studios in Yerevan, Atamanov later joined Soyuzmultfilm, adapting many classic fairy tales and creating narratives of subtle satire with gentle humour and positive characters.
Celebrating half a century since their original presentation in a Kรถln pavilion in 1972 and 1973, the rarely displayed club- and pin-like orbitals by sculptor Roberto Cordone will be gathered for an exhibition near the original grounds to reintroduce the iconic design and symmetry that helped legitimise plastic as a medium to complement traditional public art. Whilst these molecular, tetrahedrons are stationary, Cordone’s most celebrated installations are kinetic, metal elements called perpendicolari and elicoidali that can be repositioned by wind and waves and are self-righting, displayed as permanent outdoor monuments but occasionally adapted for the stage as part of a ballet choreography. Learn more about the showcase, the artist and its sponsors at designboom at the link above.
spiral town: AI artistry with geometric patterned medieval villages captivate the internet—via Waxy
the fabric of civilisation: the fascinating history of sericulture—see previously here and here
๐ซ : an informal survey reveals men think about Ancient Rome daily, sometimes to the surprise of their partners magic screen: a look at the creative crew behind Pee-wee’s Playhouse
lennon 2499: hunting down the artist’s famous wristwatch—via Nag on the Lake’s Sunday Links (lots more to check out there)
hal mooney and his orchestra: ballet standards as lounge music
everyday yลkai: AI generated Japanese folklore figures hiding in plain sight—see previously
The premiere work for then virtually unknown composer Igor Stravinsky debuted on this day in 1910 at 
the Palais Garnier, performed by the company Ballet Russe to critical acclaim, immediately solidifying him through this collaboration with choreographer Michel Fokine as an international figure in operatic productions and orchestral virtuoso. Staging, set and costume designs were quite phenomenal but the music alone was enough to propel Stravinsky’s career, The Firebird (see previously) tells the hero’s journey of protagonist Prince Ivan, based on the folktale, who becomes lost during a hunting expedition, loses his party and strays into the enchanted realm of the malevolent wizard Koschei the Immortal, kept deathless by keeping his soul in a pin in a magic egg. Ivan captures but spares the life of the Firebird, who is both boon and curse for her captors, who offers a feather as a token of gratitude to summon her aid in a moment of dire need, which comes when the prince confronts the wizard.
Featuring pioneering prima ballerina Marie Tallchief (Osage ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ธ๐๐ค๐๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ธ๐ฒ๐) in the principal role, following after her revolutionary performance in Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird as choreographed by George Balanchine, the premier of The Nutcracker under the same creative team behind the staging by the company of the New York City Ballet on this day in 1954. Enchanting thanks to Tallchief’s magical moves, it has been an annual tradition ever since.
musiclm: a Google sandbox experiment for audio generation from rich captions—via Waxy and Web Curios—see previously
krewe of karens: i would like to see the Mardi Gras manager
semi-stagionato: an ancient method for surviving the COVID cheese glut made have improved the region’s pecorino cheeses
taming of the shrew: voles manage to bond and form long-term relationships without the “love hormone” oxycotin
party (of one): Broadway Barbara’s “Dance for Your Life!”—see also
an absurd italian gastronomic religion: the ironical, fascist sauce that outlived the war on pasta—via Nag on the Lake’s Sunday Links—lots more to explore there
you know i always wanted to pretend that i was an architect: attribute these quotes to either Seinfeld’s George Costanza or GOP darling George Santos
magic voice: more prompts and audio continuation courtesy of Google’s suite of AI tools
shift happens: a comprehensive history of keyboards by Marcin Wichary—via Waxy
luni-solar: the people who are living in multiple timelines—see previously
poly canon: a showcase of strange, experimental architectural students senior projects at scale
hydraulic press interpretive dance: the impressive choreography of Sarah “Smac” McCreanor—see previously
nangajo: prominent figures of the Japanese design community present their greeting cards for 2023 (see previously), the Year of the Rabbit
franklin ace 100: the Apple clone (see previously) with a bizarre users’ guide—via Waxy
lettuce rejoice: a bit of highly monitored produce outlasts the prime minister
cincinattus: the real and fraught possibility that Boris Johnson could be brought back as the Tory leader
jazz swing and joy wheel: revisiting the playground and its antique architecture—via tmn
hive mind: how studying the decision making approach of bumble bees can lend insights into the mechanics of human memory
on pointe: ballet dancers caring for the tools of the trade
not another experiment: UK opposition political parties call for a General Election
every inch of you: a punny produce display
symphony of the birds: CBS Radio director Jim Fassett’s 1960 experimental arrangement
home row: Google Japan develops a long, horizontal keyboard for messy desks—reminded us of the iPhone Taller that doubles a guitar
benevolent dictator: a profile of President Kevin Baugh and his micronation of Molossia—via the New Shelton wet/dry
kunstradfahren: a graceful bicycle ballet by a skilled practitioner of this 130 year old sport
barcalounger: ten homes whose decor is tied together with classic Eames chairs—see previously
unreliable narrator: microbrews and hipster beer names
peer-reviewed: birdsong helps alleviate human anxiety and paranoia
on pointe: an Australian ballet company recites an alphabet of foot poses
detour: experts urge adding a Venus-flyby to first crewed mission to Mars
suaviter in modo, fortiter in re: the Royal Mail’s Investigative Branch is the oldest recognized crime fighting organisation in the world—via Messy Nessy Chic
puffling: with blรกsa Icelanders help to reset sea bird chicks internal compass
bisexual lighting: the story of a strange picture and other Wikipedia articles in need of an illustration—via Super Punch
only you could be so bold: whilst Putin invades Ukraine, a studio in Kyiv is creating the voice of Darth Vader
asteroid! coming in from the void: ripped from the headlines
tiptoe: performer dazzles with their bottle-walking routine
the fiume endeavour: Neutral Moresnet and other countries that fell off the map
international male: thirty-three national costumes from the 2022 Mister Global pageant via Miss Cellania
odette and odile: a diminutive chihuahua and human handler perform Swan Lake
smpte colour bars: a BBC test pattern jumper and mural—see also
bad actor mode: an AI normally tasked with developing new, novel medications had its parameters switched seek out toxicity and suggests tens of thousands of chemical weapons and poisons in the space of a few hours—via Slashdot
cameo appearance: Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams portrayed the President of United Earth on the season finale of Star Trek and brought the planet back into the Federation
state-of-the-art: ten breakthrough technologies online now that could change our trajectory for the better—via Kottke
geopolitics: charting the advance of democracy
Considered one of the greatest operatic works of all time, the Italian language dramma per musica based on a 1705 stage play by French tragedian Prosper Jolyot de Crรฉbillon about the eponymous King of Crete 
the year that was: Miss Cellania’s Winterval tradition of annual lists—including arts and entertainment, animals and more
a sight for sore eyes: a coffee table edition from rock royalty The Residents
where the wild things are: Maurice Sendak directed a darker version of The Nutcracker ballet, truer to the original narrative and far more captivating
ultimate rendering: Picasso’s first and last self-portraits—see also—via Messy Nessy Chic
boop: robot reacts to a poke in the nose
lend me your ears and i’ll sing you a song about a sad, dysfunctional d.c.: US president Joe Biden’s first year in review presented by Politico
the dance of the proletariat: a cultural revolutionary ballet
reefer madness: an excerpt from “Cocaine, the Princess of Perdition” (1939)
music to moog by: Melbourne’s Electronic instrument museum
old growth: an anthology of the most memorable trees in the literary canon
ambiguate: a notable lacuna, lexical gap for a word that ought to have been formed
rhythm is a dancer: a comprehensive dance music archive covering the recent past—via Things Magazine
glass menagerie: a Murano bestiary on display in Venice
glow up: beauty tips from Ancient Roman—via Strange Company’s Weekend Link Dump
coconuรritter: a short about Foley artists and creating soundscapes
culaccino: a database of words that do not readily translate succinctly, like this Italian term from the mark left on a table by a cold glass—via Swiss Miss
electrobat vi: antique electric forerunners side-by-side with modern EVs
the perils of everybody: a ‘mistake waltz’ that illustrates the pratfalls all ballet recitals are prone to
where the buffalo roam: restoring the ecosystem of the North American Great Plains by reintroducing charismatic megafauna
kitchenette: re-examining Liza Lou’s beaded exhibits
segmentation and targeting: A/B testing “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”—see also
light house customer: we appreciated the chance to revisit a new and improved version Lights at Sea—via Nag on the Lake—both times
nice.walk.ruined: award-winning global addressing scheme what3words (previously) subject to some juvenile humour with locations mapped in smutty language, both real and bespoke
apartment d3: seven printed homes around the world
l’art de payer ses dettes et de satisfaire ses crรฉanciers san dรฉbourser un sou: credit culture in nineteenth century France
alpha version: drag and drop personal, old school websites from mmm—via Kicks Condor
sovietwave radio: broadcasting a selection of the sub-genre’s best space age and syntho-pop—via Dark Roasted Blend
the writers’ block: a suite in Chelsea Carlyle mansion home to Henry James, T. S. Eliot and Ian Fleming on the market
Debuting in Saint Petersburg on this day in 1892 (Old Style, 6 December), the stage, fairy ballet (ะฑะฐะปะตั-ัะตะตัะธั) adaptation of the short story by E. T. A. Hoffmann—The Nutcracker and the Mouse King—opened as a double-feature with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ultimate opera Iolanta, a one-act performance about the Duchess of Lorraine, Yolande de Bar—a romanticised biography of figure who was more retiring and reserved in real life. Though initially not well-received and critics using rather harsh language, the overture and suite that the composer score was an enduring success, with countless Christmas season performances accounting for an incredible forty percent of attendance for ballet companies in North America in normal times.
A short movement in the final act of his ballet Gayane, premiering in Moscow in 1942, composer and choreographer Aram Khachturian (*1903 – †1978, the Georgian artist’s music later denounced by the state as “anti-people”) lamented how this one section based on an Armenian folk dance deflected from the rest of his repertoire, in 1948 becoming a jukebox hit in the United States and elsewhere and being reinterpreted by various charting artists, including a lounge and boogie version in the early 1960s.
