#zurich ballet company

[blackswaneuroparedux]

As soon as I hear music, something in me starts to vibrate.

Suzanne Farrell

It’s rare to find Bach music set to dance. When it does happen, it can be enchanting. Choreographer Heinz Spoerli set Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto n.3 to ballet. Entitled ‘Magnificat: If Today Were Tomorrow, and Yesterday Today’, the Ballett Zürich company offers a spectacle fill of grace and beauty.

[ballet-symphonie]

Which ballet companies and which ballet schools you consider to be currently world best? I see often Paris Opera listed as a number one, but who much this is about because of its reputation and history and what do you think about Mariinsky and Bolshoi, is their level declined / declining? Thank you for really interesting and great blog!

The companies referred to as the best tend to be the oldest and historic ones, think big national companies like The Royal Ballet, Paris Opera, Bolshoi, Mariinsky, La Scala, Dutch National Ballet, Australian National Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, San Francisco Ballet. Nowadays, I think its very hard to compete with the quality, emotional pull, and technical brilliance that comes out of the Royal Opera.

About Schools:

There are lots of good ones, Academie Princess Grace has to be near the top of the list. It's a finishing school, not a foundational one, but nearly everyone who graduates from there gets a job at a reputable company. They are also one of the few schools that has prioritized keeping its curriculum at the forefront of the dance world with a fantastic contemporary and neoclassical program.

I'm consistently impressed with the level of Royal Ballet graduates who have the skills and stability to rock up to any company and instantly demand attention. Look at Takumi Miyaki at ABT right now.

The level of talent coming out of South Korea in particular is absolutely stunning, schools like SunHwa, the YeWon School, and Korea National Arts University are producing complete, company-ready dancers left and right. Through the competition circuit, these schools are slowly starting to gain more international prestige.

I think BBA/MRAX has been in a state of disarray for a while now. Far less competent graduates, due to a lot of internal messiness in administration and a decrease in the rigor of acceptance with many 'paid' places. The level is just not there, especially if you go back and watch videos of exams from the 90s and 2000s. Now sure, many are still getting accepted into Bolshoi, but with the war....there isn't exactly a lot of choice in hiring. There are occasionally some bright lights, Kokoreva being the most notable recent grad, but they seem to be a rarity and not the norm.

Vaganova under Tsiskaridze has generally continued to produce decent female graduates- if you want to live and work in Russia. I pray Tsiskaridze goes back to coaching or teaching boys because the classwork shown by his class of girls left a lot to be desired. I think there are many better places to train for men, particularly after the retirement of some of the older, more experienced faculty. The casting in Mariinsky is already beginning to reflect this drop-off, performances are dominated by Kimin Kim, Nikita Korneyev, and Even Capitane - none of whom are VBA graduates. They've also been hiring graduates from Eifman- something they certainly weren't doing a decade ago. Compare their current videos to some of the talented students coming out of the US, Europe and South America...the level isn't always there. I'd urge a talented male student to consider John Cranko, Tanz Academie Zurich, or the Royal Ballet School. Stateside, Houston Ballet, The Rock School, and San Francisco Ballet have excellent programs.

[fatovamingus]

Throwing Ballet sHAde #3

I was thinking…companies that performed Nijinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps in the  early 90’s got a real feather in the cap.  You get Millicent and Kenneth to come spend 3 months training your dancers and BOOM!  your little dog and pony ballet company are on the map! Not the soloists who put the asses in the seats because, hey…they were nobodies. Anna Simondi, Zurich Ballet 1992 So what…

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Cendrillon (Glyndebourne, 2019): Reactions, Part I

I was going to watch Les contes d’Hoffmann from Zurich tonight but I am really not enthused about the production’s choice of tenor (particularly after seeing a frankly extremely lackluster performance from said tenor opposite Lisette Oropesa in the recent Rome Traviata), so this instead tonight, with the company of the ever-marvelous @sweatershowgirl​.

DANIELLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and mini-Danielle

repeating the past (mini-Danielle did the same thing earlier)

is that...is that KATE???

okay but she’s playing the prince I’m a bit confused

Lionel Lhote is my CHILD

“they’re going to bankrupt me oh well”

seriously I adore him

what are you going to do about that

what are you wearing???

unfortunately that is still very much a thing

selfie time

saran wrap??? around your butt???

Cendrillon gave the Prince(ss???)/Servant a heart cushion awwwwwwww

not foreshadowing at all

awwwwwwwwwwwwwww

she’s so precious also this aria is so pretty

every bit of this score just sparkles

baby...

is she the same lady who helped mini-Cendrillon in the beginning?

seriously this music is so ethereal

she’s in a little chrysalis thing awwwwwwwwwwww

gorg

I admired you from the beginning

and off they go!!!

????

omg this dude is FLOSSING

so they took out Kate’s heart and put in a pacemaker with saran wrap???

kindred spirits

Kate, you are a rockstar in your own way

“but whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy”

who’s this lady who’s hanging out with Cendrillon

this ballet music bops

we love a good game of musical chairs

we love to see it

here we go!!!!!!

yes we love you Kate

“...I am?”

oh WOW they turned the set into a huge digital clock

too sweet. love them.

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

at least you have the shoe

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[grad503-kayleigherwee]

Week 1: Herbert Matter

A Swiss American Photographer and Graphic Designer

A brief start to his timeline

1907 April 25- Herbert Matter was born into the world in a small village called Engelberg in Switzerland.

1925-1927 - He studied painting at École des Beaux-Arts in Geneva

1929 - Hired as a photographer and designer for the Deberny and Peignot concern

1932 - Expelled from France due to incorrect papers

1936 - Went on a round trip to the United states as a reward for his work with a Swiss ballet troupe, and decided to stay in New York

1941-1942 - Married his wife Mercedes Carles and had a son Alexander Matter

1944 - Became a design consultant at furniture company Knoll 

1950 - He directed and filmed a movie on Alexander Calder's work featuring his son Alexander Matter.

1952 - Started teaching photography and design at Yale

1954 - Worked on creating the corporate identity for New Haven Railroad

1960 - Started work on the Alberto Giacometti book which went on for 25 years

1978 - Herbert’s first exhibitions of his own work took place at Yale University, and another in Zurich

1980 - Received the Guggenheim Fellowship for Photography award

1983 - Awarded a gold medal from the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) for Life Achievement  

1984 - The death of Herbert Matter

Only some of his many achievements are noted here.

https://herbertmatter.org/welcome/timeline

[hong-kong-art-man]

“The Artistic Lawyer or the Lawyerlike Artist?”

(acknowledgement: Interview of Hong Kong Lawyer, publication of The Law Society of Hong Kong, with Maurice Lee) (by Sonali Khemka)

There is a widely accepted theory that people are either left-brained or right-brained, meaning that one side of their brain is dominant. If you are mostly analytical and methodical in your thinking, you are said to be left-brained. If you tend to be more creative or artistic, you are thought to be right-brained. In Maurice Lee’s case however, the equal dominance of both sides has shaped him into the person he is today – a lawyer with the soul of an artist.

Writing Right

Lee enjoyed writing from as early as his teenage years, when he would take part in and win several writing competitions in high school. Encouraged by these victories, he applied for an after-school-scriptwriting class organised by Hong Kong TVB in 1978 – a class that only had twenty spots and over 3,000 applicants. At the age of seventeen and still in high school, Lee managed to bag a place as the youngest member of the class. “The classes were intense. They were held five times a week in the evenings and for three hours each,” he recalls. His immense enjoyment of the activity and aptitude for it led him to not only complete the course but also work part-time as a scriptwriter for TVB for few years after graduating from high school. At the time, his heart was set on becoming a professional scriptwriter or director.

However, the left side of his brain nudged at this point and Lee was tempted to pursue a university degree and career that was more academically sound and commercially viable. “My family told me that if you are in the creative field in the early 80s, you will face a very rocky path with many ups and downs. But if you are a lawyer, you have a safe landing,” he shares. After an internal battle between the left and right side of his brain, Lee eventually accepted his place in The University of Hong Kong’s School of Law. Not keen on giving up on his creative side, he continued working as a part-time scriptwriter for TVB throughout his four years in law school, focusing primarily on hour-long dramas and eventually switching to comedy. “I was good at writing dramas, but the producer told me I was not emotionally mature for the material in the drama shows,” he recalls amusingly. “I wasn’t at the appropriate age to write about passionate love affairs and dramatic struggles, so I switched to comedy,” he adds.

Lee’s creative career has taken different shapes and forms – a result of his willingness to not over plan and make the most of any worthy opportunity. In the mid-1980s, he wrote as a columnist for local newspapers, contributing 500-word prose pieces in Chinese on various topics and in the 1990s, Lee even garnered a fair amount of fame as a program host for a talk show for Commercial Radio Hong Kong. Around the same time, he was invited to write fiction literature by Cosmos Books and channeled his very own John Grisham by opting to write legal fictions. His present creative career, which commenced around six years ago, stems from an invitation from two online news platforms – HK01 and Orange News – to write critiques on different forms of art and culture, varying from movies and plays to visual arts and cultural trends. He supplements this with his own Facebook page, named “HKArtMan” where he shares his views on the same in a personal capacity. In addition, Lee also takes on the role of performance organiser when time permits and has previously organised a play and a concert – something he believes Hong Kong is in more need of.

Hong Kong’s Art Scene

Lee believes that prior to the 2000s, the city’s art and cultural scene was plagued by apathy and was a severely overlooked area. In the 2000s, Lee feels the situation has improved but not enough. “There is more curiosity and awareness, but people do not do enough to support the development of art and culture. There is too much financial reliance on the government only,” he shares. “Hong Kong is in a serious need for rebranding,” he adds. “We are currently just a financial center – like Zurich or Luxembourg and relying too much on old industries like logistics and trading,” he explains. Lee envisions a Hong Kong that is on par with global cultural and financial hubs like London or New York City and believes moving towards intangible assets or intangible intellectual property such as the arts is crucial. “We need commercial energy to be put into the art and cultural circles and more money from private companies and investors. That way more people will feel encouraged to pursue artistic careers because they can earn a decent income, which will in turn drive Hong Kong’s art and cultural scene,” he shares. His ultimate dream is what he calls an “Art Economy for Hong Kong,” an environment whereby art becomes more than just a leisurely activity and can be pursued as a commercially viable career.

In order to help realise his vision for a more art-savvy Hong Kong, he plans on putting together a concert and a musical for export to the Greater Bay Area (GBA) next year. “If they are staged only in Hong Kong, there can be less than five shows. However, if I export them to eleven cities in the GBA region, I can stage sixty shows – it makes more sense as an economically sustainable activity,” he explains. Lee believes exporting Hong Kong’s artistic talent is key, if financial prosperity in the arts and cultures is to be achieved. He recalls Hong Kong’s former status as “Hollywood of the East”, a time when films made in the city were enjoyed fervently beyond the borders. Similarly, he is hopeful that other forms of home-made art will also someday be appreciated in different markets.

Critically Creative

For Lee himself, he is content with how his career and personality have shaped out to be. “People tell me as a lawyer I talk like an artist, and as an artist I talk like a lawyer,” he shares. “As a lawyer, I am more sentimental, humanitarian and expressive and as an artist, I always have a mental framework. Artists can be quite unorganised. I am very organised. I put bits and pieces under different headings and am good at fulfilling long-term artistic projects because as a lawyer you are always handling long term cases. You have to be systematic and strategic,” he explains.

Lee encourages lawyers to pursue a creative side too, albeit on a personal level – something he believes would only make them more professionally sought-after. “People think lawyers are checklist animals, I think they are more than that. There is a lot of creativeness and criticality involved in being a lawyer when we handle a case and we should keep those sides alive,” he shares. “There are two minds in demand nowadays – the creative mind and the critical mind. No matter what profession you are in, you should have both,” he adds. He is aware that evolving from executors who merely follow instructions to critical thinkers who ask questions and initiate change can cause adverse reactions – “People find this type of person to be very maa faan (annoying/troublesome), they know too much and ask too much,” he shares with a grin. “But it is important to stand out, both minds will help each other,” he adds.

As a consumer or spectator, his favourite types or forms of art include ballet, paintings by American artist Edward Hopper and the diminishing art of Cantonese opera. “I admire ballet because it is so physically challenging and difficult. I like paintings by Edward Hopper because they make me feel sad – his pieces are very poignant. And I treasure Cantonese opera because it is sadly disappearing. They use old Shakespearean style Chinese dialect which might someday vanish completely,” he explains.

Having enjoyed a rewarding career so far, with ups and downs, with legal wins and creative commendations in abundance, Lee has a particular memory that still lingers vividly. “Fifteen years ago, I was the Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. At that time, the famous movie director Johnnie To and I organised the first outdoor media art exhibition outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. The idea was to do some artistic projections on the external wall of the cultural centre and these projections were shut off by 11:00pm. I was at the exhibition till closing on the first day when a young boy came up to me, shortly past 11:00pm. He was 14-15 years old and he begged me to allow him into the exhibition area. He said his family is poor and he works at McDonalds at night. He lives in Tai Po and has come all the way to Tsim Sha Tsui to view the exhibition because he was so interested in what it might be like,” Lee recalls. Moved by the young boy’s passion and determination, he allowed him in as an exception. Till this date, Lee wonders what became of that young boy and whether he ended up pursuing something artistic. “I was so touched and amazed and I wonder how many boys and girls or men and women in Hong Kong have that kind of passion for something non-commercial, something artistic and spiritual,” he muses. If it fortunately turns out to be that the boy is one of our readers, Lee would be delighted to hear from you.

The Law Society of Hong Kong Journal

MLee

中文版 Chinese Version: 

https://www.patreon.com/posts/wo-de-2021nian-53673006?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copy_to_clipboard&utm_campaign=postshare

"Youth Dance"  Acknowledgement - 中國有嘻哈 official   https://youtu.be/PNlC__GiqaY

Movie: “Time” Trailer  Acknowledgement-安樂影片 Edko Films Ltd https://youtu.be/g0TT_mwq-DI

Interview of Petrina Fung and Patrick Tse  Acknowledgement – ATV 亞視數碼媒體  https://youtu.be/BJnMtmaLzwQ

[gramilano]

Swan Lake, photo by Brescia e Amisano © Teatro alla Scala

Such was La Scala’s confidence in Alexei Ratmansky’s Swan Lake that even before its premiere in Milan in June 2016 — the co-production with Zurich had had its world premiere four months earlier — it had already been chosen for a tour to Paris later that year and also programmed to be part of La Scala’s following season. So, a year on, there’s another chance to see Ratmansky’s immensely satisfying reconstruction of Tchaikovsky’s ubiquitous ballet. A construction of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov’s 1895 version for the Mariinsky, that is, not the original, but unsuccessful, first outing in 1877 when Julius Reisinger choreographed the ballet for the Bolshoi.

Ratmansky has a great deal of respect for Petipa and believes that dancers and companies should treat him with similar reverence. But ballet has moved on, is the cry from many balletomanes and dancers when elements of the style we’ve become accustomed to are changed to how they were intended. Yet, if modern technique is more advanced, why do dancers have problems keeping up with original tempi (thrilling played by La Scala’s orchestra under Michail Jurowski’s baton) or executing some of the fiendish steps? New, rediscovered technical elements need to be worked at and perfected, and then how many more shades will dancers (who understand) have at their disposal to colour their performances. There is nothing about going backward here; it’s about reclaiming something we’d lost.

Nicoletta Manni, Timofej Andrijashenko and Christian Fagetti in Swan Lake, photo by Brescia e Amisano © Teatro alla Scala

Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko in Swan Lake, photo by Brescia e Amisano © Teatro alla Scala

The musicality of Ratmansky’s staging is precise and logical, an example being when the Prince’s elderly tutor, Wolfgang, dances with a young villager and tries to grab a kiss. The whole scene is at one with the score, perfectly judged, as though Tchaikovsky and Petipa/Ratmansky had devised it together. At La Scala the scene was expertly played by Andrea Pujatti and Marta Gerani, who was also given some complex steps which she handled with skill.

The stools, flower baskets, and maypole are great fun during the Act 1 waltz, creating a stage awash with movement and colour: heads bobbing left and right, dancers leaping on and off stools, ribbons flying through the air around the maypole. Joyous. The peasant dance from the same act is also a delight, and the usual exiting of the corps during the final bars of the music, leading to a cinematic effect of continuum, is found elsewhere in this version: Odile rushes off during the last chord of the black swan pas de deux, and the Act 3 mazurka also finishes with the dancers moving into the wings. It pleasingly breaks the familiar pattern.

Nicoletta Manni, who shone a year ago as Odette/Odile, was again in sparkling form, and manages to communicate more through her dancing in this version of Swan Lake, than in any other piece I have seen her in. She combined the joy of a secure technique with the emotion of fully-rounded characterizations, and the result was magical.

Martina Arduino and Nicola Del Freo in Swan Lake, photo by Brescia e Amisano © Teatro alla Scala 2

Martina Arduino and Nicola Del Freo in Swan Lake, photo by Brescia e Amisano © Teatro alla Scala

Another cast featured Martina Arduino who is another dancer at La Scala with a well-stocked technical armoury, though she lacks some of Manni’s aplomb which, I imagine, is due to her lack of performances in a leading role (she is not yet even a soloist, though presumably that will change very soon). As a character, she was more convincing as Odile, where her flirting with Siegfried and conniving asides with Rothbart was all flashing eyes and capricious smiles.

The Princes — Timofej Andrijashenko (Manni) and Nicola Del Freo (Arduino) — were both less noticeable than their partners, yet such marvellous dancers. Together with the Benno of Marco Agostino, all three were timid in their mime, and created a wall between them and the audience which came down for the end of a variation as they took their applause. Only Christian Fagetti’s Benno was convincingly played. However, in the dancing department, both Andrijashenko and Del Freo were superb. Andrijashenko is long-lined and princely, yet copes with the lighting speed of the beats and footwork. Del Freo has the most incredible feet, his stretched leg is like a steel rod, and he possesses a clean and secure double tour en l’air, which both he and Andrijashenko finished with the deepest and softest of pliés.

Mick Zeni (Rothbart), Caroline Westcombe (the Queen) and Andrea Pujatti (Wolfgang) should give them all lessons in confident, clear storytelling through mime.

Virna Toppi and Alessandra Vassallo must be singled out for the excellent pas de trois, danced with the always reliable Fagetti on the opening night and Agostino in the later cast.

The corps de ballet is first-rate and the hard-working women are wonderful right to the last pianissimi as, with their backs to the audience, their rippling port de bras seem to push aside the water of the lake with their palms. There is no triumphant brass and timpani bellowing as the curtain closes, but a diminuendo over the final three chords, leaving an otherworldly hum in the auditorium… as Tchaikovsky intended. Music and choreography restored.

Swan Lake waltz, photo by Brescia e Amisano © Teatro alla Scala

Ratmansky’s Swan Lake delights once again at La Scala: music and choreography restored Such was La Scala’s confidence in Alexei Ratmansky’s Swan Lake that even before its premiere in Milan in June 2016 — the co-production with Zurich had had its world premiere four months earlier — it had already been chosen for a tour to Paris later that year and also programmed to be part of La Scala’s following season.

[iamdenisv]

'Swan Lake' from Alexei Ratmansky with Ballett Zurich last year. Great memories with this company and this beautiful ballet. #Tbt #ballettzuerich #swanlake #ratmansky Photo: Marc Haegeman

[lavotha]

Mission accomplished: 100% employment target rate!

In the trying times we are living Coronavirus has flooded the news outlets around the world, with little or no room for other coverage. So I have chosen to report on a very positive story happening in the heart of the Principality of Monaco.

The Princess Grace Dance Academy, founded in 1975 and currently lead by Luca Masala, who was appointed in 2009 by Princess of Hanover, is a top-level multidisciplinary dance school in the Principality and a hub for talent. The Academy has a 100% graduates employment target rate! (Photo insert: Luca Masala @David Herrero)

Under the Presidency of Princess of Hanover, the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, the Monaco Dance Forum and the Princess Grace Academy are governed as a single structure. Overseen by Jean-Christophe Maillot, this entity now boasts the excellence of an international company, the benefits of a multi-disciplinary festival, and the potential of a premium school to transform Monaco into a hub in which all activities related to choreographic art meet.

Since its inception, the Academy has trained several generations of dancers, many of who have become soloists or principal dancers with leading international dance companies. Luca’s final objective is for his students to join reputable dance companies all over the world, and every year he reaches his target 100%!

I asked Luca Masala to put it in his own words: “The mission of the Princess Grace Academy is to educate and train young students to become dancers. When students reach the end of their training, there is only one goal left; find a job to be able to put into practice everything they learned during these years of education. For 11 years, the Princess Grace Academy has achieved 100% results.” He enthusiastically added: “With employment contracts at stake, and I’m happy to announce that the 11th year is a success, our recent 11 graduates have all found jobs!”

(Photo: Luca Masala surrounded by the 11 graduates 2019/2020, during his 10th year anniversary at the Academy @Princess Grace Academy)

Meet the 2019/2020 graduates of the Princess Grace Academy 

Mackenzie BROWN (USA), Prix de Lausanne 2019 – Stuttgarter Ballet, Germany  

Mackenzie Brown @David Herrero photographer

Mackenzie Brown, USA – PGA graduate 2019:2020 @Princess Grace Academy

Anna Cecilia MEYER (USA/Sweden) – Royal Swedish Ballet, Stockholm, Sweden 

Anna Cecilia Meyer @David Herrero photographer

Anna Cecilia Meyer, USA:Sweden – PGA graduate 2019:2020 @Princess Grace Academy

Greta CALZUOLA (Italian) – Ballett Zurich, Switzerland

Greta Calzuola @David Herrero photographer

Greta Calzuola, Italy- PGA graduate 2019:2020 @Princess Grace Academy

Giovanni D’AGATI (Italy) – Ballet Royal de Flanders, Belgium  

Giovanni D’Agati @David Herrero photographer

Giovanni D’Agati, Italy – PGA graduate 2019:2020 @Princess Grace Academy

Luca FERRO (Italian) – San Francisco Ballet, USA 

Luca Ferro @David Herro photographer

Luca Ferro, Italy – PGA graduate 2019:2020 @Princess Grace Academy

Yuika FUJIMOTO (Japan) – Tulsa Ballet, Oklahoma, USA 

Yuika Fujimoto @David Herrero photographer

Yuika Fujimoto, Japan @PGA graduate 2019:2020 @Princess Grace Academy

Juliette KLEIN (Monaco) – Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Monaco  

Juliette Klein @David Herrero photographer

Juliette Klein, Monaco – PGA graduate 2019:2020 @Princess Grace Academy

Giulia Gemma MANFROTTO (Italy) – Ballett Dortmund, Germany  

Giulia Gemma Manfrotto @David Herrero photographer

Giulia Gemma Manfrotto, Italy – PGA graduate 2019:2020 @Princess Grace Academy

Marco Pio MASCIARI (Italy), Prix de Lausanne 2020 – Royal Ballet, London, UK  

Marco Pio Masciari @David Herrero photographer

Marco Pio Masciari, Italy, Prix de Lausanne 2020, PGA graduate 2019:2020 @Princess Grace Academy

Bruno SERRACLARA (Spain) – Northern Ballet, Leeds, UK 

Bruno Serraclara @David Herrero photographer

Bruno Serraclara, Spain PGA graduate 2019:2020 @Princess Grace Academy

Kotomi YAMADA (Japan) – American Ballet Theather New York, USA 

Kotomi Yamada @David Herrero photographer

Kotomi Yamada, Japan, PGA graduate 2019:2020 @Princess Grace Academy

A prestigious dance institution

Each year around 40 to 50 dancers from all over the world join Princess Grace Academy under the direction of Luca Masala. During 4 years, students 14 to 18 years old take courses in classical, contemporary and character dance, composition, Pilates, music, and dance history. In parallel, the dancers follow standard school instruction, and foreign students take language courses. The teaching staff at the Academy is comprised of professors and artists with international careers that helped reach excellence in teaching.

The Academy has gained prestige and international recognition for its multi-disciplinary training excellence by accomplished teachers and caring staff attentive to the wellbeing of the students in a loving atmosphere. The young dancers blossom to become not only expert dancers but, at the same time, versatile individuals. In this school of life, students learn the importance of responsibility and are encouraged to build their own careers

The Academy’s goal is for students to learn to live together, away from their country of origin and their families, thanks to the help of professional teachers and staff who are really caring human beings. This is a school where students flourish not only into accomplished dancers but also into cultured, well-rounded individuals.

Luca scouts young dancers all over the world by attending reputable contests and selecting the most gifted youngsters. Not an easy task as most academies compete for the same talented dancers. The students of the Academy work very hard in a friendly ambiance and learn the trade that will enable them one day to make their dream come true.

It costs approximately Euro 15,000 for the tuition of each student, who are all granted a scholarship on their merits, only paying for food and lodge. The Princess Grace Academy counts with a partial subvention from the Monaco Government but relies heavily on donations to offset their total yearly costs. In making a contribution, you will help talented students make their dreams come true and become professional dancers!

Students recognized with the illustrious Prix de Lausanne

Both Mackenzie Brown and Marco Pio Masciari, both recent graduates of the Academy Princess Grace, won the Prix de Lausanne in 2019 and 2020, respectively, following the Academy’s trend since 2014.

2014 – David Yudes, Spain, 4th Prize, and Public Prize

2014 – Mikio Kato, Japan, 6th Prize

2015 – Rina Kanehara, Japan, 5th Prize

2017 – Marina Duarte 2nd Prize and Audience Favorite Prize

2018 – Shale Wagman Gold Medal and Nureyev Prize

2019 – Mackenzie Brown Gold Medal, Contemporary Dance Prize, and Audience Favorite award

2020 – Marco Masciari Gold Medal and Contemporary Dance award

The Prix of Lausanne is a contest for non-professional talented ballet dancers between the ages of 15 and 18, aiming to measure their future potential. In this year’s 48th edition that run from February 2-9, 2020, 77 out of the 84 initially selected candidates participated in the competition, and 21 reached the Finals in front of a full house at the Auditorium Stravinski in Montreux. At the end of the Finals, the jury, presided this year by Frederic Olivieri, Director of the Ballet Teatro Alla Scala in Milan and Prizewinner of the Prix de Lausanne 1977, selected 8 Prize Winners.

Thanks to their scholarships, these 8 promising dancers will have the opportunity to enter one of the prestigious partner schools and companies of the Prix de Lausanne.

Finalists who did not won a scholarship receive the sum of CHF 1.000 (approximately 800 Euros). This contest is known for launching the career of most excellent ballet dancers, opening the doors to the best companies.

Today’s Quote

 “The Academy is not only a dance school, but it is also a school of life that will help the students integrate into a complex universe. Because to dance is not a job, it is a real way of life!” Luca Masala.

Princess Grace Academy graduates are Monaco’s cultural ambassadors around the world Mission accomplished: 100% employment target rate! In the trying times we are living Coronavirus has flooded the news outlets around the world, with little or no room for other coverage.

[nobletransfer]

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With more than 10 tourist attractions and luxury hotels, the city is offering lots of things and to make your travel easier and comfortable, we are sharing this Zurich Travel Guide that only points out the absolute highlights of Zurich no-one should miss. Check it out:

Top Places To Visit In Zurich:

1. The lake of Zurich 2. The old town 3. Swiss National Museum 4. Grossmunster 5. Opera, Ballet and Theatres etc..

Top Hotels In Zurich

1. Storchen Hotel 2. Hotel Baur Au Lac 3. Savoy Hotel Baur En Ville 4. Widder Hotel 5. Park Hyatt Zurich 6. The Dolder Grand 7. Atlantis by Giardino 8. Renaissance Hotel 9. Marriott Hotel Zurich

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[heidikaybegay]

Episode 102: An Interview with Sarah Ouakrat

Flute 360 | Episode 102: “An Interview with Sarah Ouakrat” (31:43)

In today’s episode, Heidi talks with Sarah Ouakrat who is one of the guest artists at the upcoming Tampere Flute Fest held in Finland on April 25-26, 2020. Sarah discusses her orchestral career and offers advice to flutists who’d like to pursue this musical path. Listen to her amazing pick at the end of the episode! To keep updated with the festival’s deadlines, check-out their website here!

Episode 102 – Main Points:

0:50– Gold Sponsor: Carolyn Nussbaum Music Company

2:03 – Welcome & Introduction!

2:40 – Paris, France

4:10 – Ballet: Frida Kahlo

5:06 – Heidi: Please share with us your background.

5:20 – Sarah’s Answer

5:25 – Mathieu Dufour, flutist

5:41 – Lyon, France

5:57 – William Bennett, flutist

6:16 – Royal Academy of Music, London

6:36 – Zurich, Switzerland

8:10 – Dvorak, Symphony No. 9, Op. 95

9:00 – How to memorize music? Read an article – here – from Dr. Kageyama!

11:28 – National Flute Association, Dallas, TX (2020)

11:49 – Tampere Flute Festival, April 25-26, 2020

12:09 – Question: What advice do you have for students who will be performing and/or competing in an upcoming festival?

12:16 – Sarah’s Answer

14:20 – Tampere Flute Fest’s Schedule

14:40 – Question: What advice would you give to a flutist who wants to have an orchestral career?

14:46 – Sarah’s Answer

15:28 – Question: How have you prepared in the past for an audition? What advice would you offer other flutists that are going through the audition process?

15:36 – Sarah’s Answer

17:48 – Heidi Comments

20:10 – Seattle Symphony & MET Orchestra

20:44 – Beatriz Macías, flutist

21:43 – NFA in San Diego, California

22:00 – Question

22:11 – Answer

22:46 – Question: How do you program repertoire for your recitals?

22:50 – Sarah’s Answer

24:55 – Repertoire: Dutilleux “Sonatine” & Sancan “Sonatine”

25:14 – Question: Any last sentiments that you’d like to share with us?

25:18 – Sarah’s Answer

26:07 – Check-out Tampere Flute Fest’s Deadlines – Here!

26:26 – PICKS!

30:29 – Bronze Sponsor: J&K Productions

PICKS!

Sarah:

Digital Concert Hall with the Berliner Philharmoniker

Heidi:

Podcast: Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef

12-Part Series: “You Want Me To Do What?!”

Licks ZEN Calming Aid & Stress Management Pill-Free Cat Supplement

Episode 102 – Resources Mentioned:

Heidi Kay Begay’s Website

Follow the Carolyn Nussbaum Music Company via Facebook!

“How to Eliminate Memory Slips” by Dr. Kageyama

Powell Flutes

Tampere Flute Festival’s Website

Tampere Flute Festival’s Guest Artists

Tampere Flute Festival’s Masterclass Application – Due 03/01/2020

Tampere Flute Festival’s Young Artist Competition – Due 03/15/2020

Episode 102 – Sponsors:

Gold Level: Carolyn Nussbaum Music Company

Silver & Bronze Level: J&K Productions

Check out this Flute 360 Podcast episode!

[micaramel]

Artist: Tobias Kaspar

Venue: Urs Meile, Beijing

Exhibition Title: Horn of Plenty

Date: November 2 – January 5, 2020

Click here to view slideshow

Full gallery of images, press release and link available after the jump.

Images:

Images courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing

Press Release:

Galerie Urs Meile is pleased to announce Horn of Plenty, Tobias Kaspar’s (*1984, lives and works in Riga, Latvia and Zurich, Switzerland) first solo exhibition in China. The “Horn of Plenty” is a symbol of bountiful harvest from ancient Greek and Roman mythology. “Horn of Plenty” was also the title of Alexander McQueen’s 2009 Autumn/Winter fashion collection, his last before committing suicide. At this landmark runway show, the fashion designer turned a critical eye on the excesses of the fashion industry that uses the name of “creativity” to maintain the cycle of consumption, thus shifting the subjectivity of “creation” from specific creators to the capital production and sales process—a perpetual motion machine driven by human desire.

A decade after McQueen’s collection, Tobias Kaspar turns this critical view of the fashion industry on a forgotten corner and shifts it to the art world. Since 2015 Tobias has been producing artworks using the infrastructure of a Swiss textile company known for producing fabrics for haute couture, and in the process became interested in a series of embroideries the company developed for the Asia market from the 1960s to the 90s. For the exhibition in Beijing, Tobias Kaspar photographed a series of these embroideries, which were originally sent out as markers of the Western lifestyles to which Asian consumers aspired, which Kaspar is now questioning. With the use of photography, a method for capturing images with a sense of distance, he has produced pictures with bright colors and clean, simple forms, and is now “re-exporting” them to Asian countries in the name of art. In the photographs, we see women wearing ballet costumes, the famous YSL Mondrian dress, street scenes of London or Paris, and polo players. The metaphor of old desires returning as spiritual products is not only an exploration of the power of criticism in today’s international art market, but also a look back over a process—of how a material is infused with a fleeting allure.

Another part of the exhibition is connected to the artist’s stay in Beijing with Galerie Urs Meile this spring. The artist collected birdcages—these cages used for raising and enjoying birds by Qing dynasty elites can still be found among Beijing’s elderly in 2019, but are now no longer attracting the interest of a new generation of youth—and adorned them with elegant, fashionable “new clothes.” In the artwork Delivery, this vehicle and symbol of express package delivery, that indispensable yet unassuming facet of commercial circulation, has been draped in cotton, just like the bird cages, and applied with acrylic and ink drawings made by the artist himself with motifs based on the current September issue of China’s biggest fashion magazine. Tobias uses concealment to render it visible, while also beautifying this concealment, as if he is showing pity for them. In Soymilk and other sculptural works, the artist has created nearly identical, life-sized replicas of everyday consumer items such as soymilk as bronze sculptures. For the artwork Raven, which takes the form of a carpet, the artist has geared up with Chinese fashion and home textile brand JNBY.

Tobias Kaspar’s works have been shown in institutions including the Kunsthalle Bern (2018) (solo); Kim? Contemporary Art Center Riga (2017) (solo); Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (2016); Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art, San Francisco (2015); Solo Shows, Sao Paulo (2015) (solo); CAFA Museum, Beijing (2014); Kunsthalle Wien (2014); Kunsthalle St. Gallen (2014) (solo); Midway Contemporary Art, Minneapolis (2013) (solo); Artists Space, New York (2013); Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2012); Kunsthalle Zürich (2011); Kunsthalle Basel (2011); Museum Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (2011); Kunsthaus Bregenz (2011); and Künstlerhaus Stuttgart (2010).

In early 2020, Kaspar’s first monograph Independence, covering works from 2009 to 2019, will be published by Kunsthalle Bern and Koenig Books. Tobias Kaspar’s practice includes several offsite projects that attempt to challenge and extend his own practice and the system he works in, these include Kaspar’s blockbuster The Street, which was staged 2016 inside the Cinecittà Film Studios Rome making use of Martin Scorsese’s crumbling outdoor studio street which was erected for the production of the film Gangs of New York (2002). Its documentation and continuation in form of a book — The Street Cards — was published in 2018 by Koenig Books. But also his own jeans line (since 2012), ballet costume designs for the choreographer Adam Linder, the publishing of the bi-annual publication series PROVENCE (since 2009). Since 2018 Tobias Kaspar co-runs the “tank to think through contemporary art” Longtang in Zurich, which host also his studio.

Link: Tobias Kaspar at Urs Meile

Contemporary Art Daily is produced by Contemporary Art Group, a not-for-profit organization. We rely on our audience to help fund the publication of exhibitions that show up in this RSS feed. Please consider supporting us by making a donation today.

from Contemporary Art Daily http://bit.ly/2rYD3Fh

[topfygad]

45 Fun Holiday Activities & Spirited Things to Do

The vacations all the time appear to reach approach too shortly, and normally by the point I even take into consideration adorning with boughs of holly it has changed into ‘oh crap’ I forgot to purchase Aunt Mary her annual set of dish towels after which additionally frantically calling the native bakery for my contribution to the cookie trade. Ugh!

How about this yr all of us overworked, frazzled procrastinators have a enjoyable plan to maintain us on monitor? A Christmas Bucket Listing stuffed with enjoyable issues to do might be that plan.

Begin this vacation bucket record in early December and it’ll not solely preserve you on a greater schedule for the season, however the actions may even get you within the spirit of Christmas.

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1. ✧ Mail a Letter to Santa

Get some fancy paper and sparkly pens to put in writing a letter to Santa. His mailing handle is tough to overlook: Santa, North Pole. If you happen to really desire a response from Saint Nicholas, right here’s some directions from USPS on tips on how to correctly write and obtain a letter from Santa.

2. ✦ Attend a Tree Lighting Ceremony

Many cities or landmarks could have a ceremony honoring the lighting of their tree. It’s an evening the place crowds of individuals load up on scorching cocoa, gown of their warmest apparel and collect across the tree ready for the flip of the change.

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3. ✧ Get Your Image with Santa

Whether or not you might have a baby or are a baby at coronary heart (like me!), go to the native mall and get a cute snap of you with good ole Saint Nic. If you happen to don’t need the everyday vacation picture, try these humorous concepts: 20 Adults Making Issues Bizarre with Santa.

4. ✧ Go to a Native Christmas Pageant

Whether or not is be a competition of bushes, parade of lights or a welcoming of Santa coming to city, attend an area competition in your metropolis. My city has a beautiful silent public sale occasion the place native enterprise house owners adorn and donate a tree for a superb trigger. Then town individuals can come and drink scorching cider whereas perusing the handfuls of bushes (and hopefully outbidding one another!).

5. ✦ Make a Selfmade Reward

There may be all the time one thing particular about giving and receiving a selfmade reward (it’s a enjoyable factor to do in any season!). It may very well be a glass body with pressed wild flowers or fairly smelling cleaning soap or infused vodka—the chances are countless! I’m actually loving these flavored salts with these cute glass jars.

Caught for concepts? Listed here are dozens of cool DIY issues to do for items:

6. ✧ Join With an Out of City Good friend

The vacation season is the right time meet up with an outdated buddy that you just haven’t related with shortly.

7. ✦ Make an Decoration

Put your inventive exercise hat for this Christmas bucket record thought and make your personal vacation ornaments to your tree or somebody elses. Most craft shops carry clear bulbs (or you should purchase them right here) that may be stuffed with an array of festive issues or get much more artful with these 30 DIY Christmas ornaments. If you’re not so artful, StayGlam has obtained you lined with their straightforward DIY ornaments.

8. ✦ Sip on Sizzling Chocolate by the Fireplace

There’s nothing fairly like sipping some scorching cocoa whereas watching a fireplace blazing. It’s the right approach to write your Christmas record! You can also make your self a easy Previous-Normal Sizzling Chocolate or spruce it up by whipping up a Crimson Velvet Sizzling Chocolate. You’ll be able to preserve your cocoa heat all day in Yeti’s insulated mug (they make nice items too!).

9. ✦ Create Handmade Christmas Playing cards

With a set of papers, ribbons, glue and a few ornamental items you’ll be able to create some fairly festive Christmas playing cards that may WOW your loved ones and associates. Nation Dwelling has some tremendous cute DIY card concepts (the mini wreath playing cards are my favourite!).

10. ✧ Make a Christmas Tune Playlist

Christmas music has come a great distance through the years—it looks as if each main artist has a tune or album. Use spotify to create your excellent playlist!

Having a tough time considering of songs? Esquire has made it straightforward with the 30 Finest Christmas Songs of All Time.

11. ✦ Donate a Toy

Christmas is all about giving, and giving a present to a baby in want is without doubt one of the most rewarding issues to do that vacation—a heartwarming addition to your Christmas bucket record! Annually I usually gather toys at my restaurant to donate to Toys for Tots, however there are numerous different locations in want too. Attempt your native homeless shelter, kids’s hospital or hearth division. Plus, many retailers and companies could have Christmas Angel bushes, the place the ornaments hung are needs from kids in want.

Don’t know what the recent toys are this season? Right here’s Amazon’s record of the High 100 Toys.

12. ✦ Chop Down Your Personal Christmas Tree

13. ✦ Watch a Vacation Film Favourite

Slip into your comfiest pjs (you realize, that fuzzy onesie with the toes), make some popcorn and watch a vacation film that may get you into the spirit. You’ll be able to even go one step additional and make it a film marathon. A few of my favorites are:

It’s a Fantastic Life

Elf

A Christmas Story

Miracle on 34th Avenue

14. ✦ Make a Wreath for Your Entrance Door

Give your company a heat welcome by inserting a fantastic crafted wreath in your entrance door. You’ll be able to select one of many 65 DIY Christmas Wreaths from Nation Dwelling (I am keen on this Birch-Bark Leaf one!).

15. ✧ Cover or Discover the Elf on a Shelf

Firstly of the vacation season, this cute elf is positioned throughout the house appearing as Santa’s eyes and ears, ensuring all the kids are behaving. Every night time after the kids have gone to mattress he goes again to the North Pole to report back to Santa. He returns to the house within the morning, however all the time to a distinct location. You probably have kids (and even wish to play alongside along with your housemate), it’s enjoyable to cover and discover him. It’s a type of actions for all ages!

Make certain to get yours nicely upfront! You’ll be able to order Elf on a Shelf right here.

16. ✦ See the Nutcracker Ballet

Whether or not it’s simply on a small native stage or an enormous metropolis manufacturing, a quintessential factor to do in the course of the holidays is to flee right into a dreamland with the beautiful ballet efficiency of the Nutcracker. This traditional Christmas story is centered round a younger woman’s Christmas Eve celebration and is a should factor to do at the least as soon as in your lifetime!

17. ✧ Learn ‘Twas the Night time Earlier than Christmas

It’s the traditional poem that ought to have a spot in each Christmas lovers house. You may get your personal copy right here.

18. ✦ Construct a Snowman or Make a Snowman Angel

Escape to a winter wonderland to make a snow angel or construct a superb quaint Frosty. Have enjoyable plopping your self proper into the snow, waving your legs and arms to create the right angel or stacking large balls on high of one another for a jolly snowman (don’t overlook the carrot nostril, hat and stick arms!). Bucket record bonus should you do each!

For assist learn The Final Step-by-Step Information to Constructing a Snowman and only for enjoyable right here’s 31 Epic Snowman Designs. For an excellent straightforward possibility simply purchase a equipment.

19. ✧ Make a Popcorn Garland for the Tree

20. ✧ Roast Chestnuts on an Open Fireplace

One in all my favourite issues to do whereas in Zurich within the winter was hitting up the roasted chestnut stands scattered alongside the streets. It made me wish to begin the custom of constructing them at house for the vacations. So why not purchase your self a chestnut roaster and observe this How To Roast Chestnuts on an Open Fireplace article.

21. ✦ Spend an Night Wrapping Presents

Wrapping presents is certainly one of my favourite vacation actions! I save all of the items till only a few days earlier than Xmas then spend the night time listening to vacation music and overlaying all of them in fairly paper. Listed here are 39 Reward Wrapping Concepts to get your inventive juices flowing—my favourite is the Reindeer Thumbprint Paper!

22. ✧ Construct a Gingerbread Home

There nothing that claims Christmas fairly like the home stuffed with the scent of gingerbread and a desk prepared for house building. Do this recipe or for one thing approach simpler, simply purchase a gingerbread home equipment.

Learn extra: 60 or the Finest Gingerbread Home Concepts

23. ✦ Cling Stockings

24. ✧ Volunteer

Throughout the vacation season there are all the time individuals in want of some further Christmas cheer. Unfold some pleasure by serving to ultimately. You’ll be able to volunteer at a soup kitchen or deliver pleasure to a kids’s hospital. Decide a trigger near your coronary heart and spend the day giving. Discover alternatives close to you on the United Means or Volunteer Match web site.

25. ✦ Make Paper Snowflakes

Making paper snowflakes is a type of actions for the entire household. You can also make some to hold on the tree, adorn presents with others and even stick just a few on the home windows of your private home for the neighbors to see. If you happen to’ve by no means made one earlier than, right here’s a straightforward Snowflake How-to.

26. ✦ Go Ice Skating

Throughout the Christmas season, outside ice skating rinks begin popping up—even in locations that don’t have any snow! Placed on a pair of blades and glide across the rink. Comply with it up with a cup of scorching cocoa.

27. ✦ Attend Midnight Christmas Eve Service at Church

28. ✧ Go Christmas Caroling

Get a gaggle of associates collectively, apply some Christmas carols (Rudolph the purple now reindeer is certainly one of my favorites!) after which stroll across the neighborhood spreading the spirit by means of tune.

Don’t know what to sing? Right here at some high Christmas carols with the lyrics.

29. ✦ Get Dressed Up and Attend a Vacation Occasion

30. ✧ Donate Your Unused Mittens and Jackets

Child it’s chilly exterior! And there are some unlucky individuals who want a heat jacket or a pair of cozy gloves to get them by means of the frigid winter season. Take up a set from associates, household and neighbors after which deliver them to the native homeless shelter.

31. ✦ Do a Random Act of Kindness

Random acts of kindness are a few of the most fulfilling and most humane and human issues you may ever do. Particularly when it’s performed for a whole stranger.

Donate some meals

Pay the bridge toll for the particular person behind you

Go to an animal orphanage and assist out for the day

Feed somebody’s parking meter.

The probabilities are countless. One of the best ways to strategy that is to have a look at your area people and see what it’s they want probably the most. Or try my put up for concepts: 75 Random Acts of Kindness Concepts: Examples of Variety Issues to Do.

32. ✦ Spend the Day Baking Christmas Cookies

Who doesn’t like a house stuffed with the smells of fresh-baked cookies? It doesn’t matter whether or not it’s snickerdoodles, crinkles or easy sugar cookies, spend a complete day simply baking. Afterwards, you’ll be able to even set up a cookie trade with family and friends.

For some scrumptious cookie concepts see the 36 of the Finest Christmas Cookie Recipes. Don’t overlook the cookie sheets! The Rachael Ray Yum-o! Nonstick Pans are wonderful, or at the least get your self some silicone baking mats that make the method a lot simpler!

33. ✧ Arrange a Secret Santa Reward Change

On the lookout for a straightforward and enjoyable approach to trade items with household, associates and coworkers? The a Secret Santa Reward Change is the reply. One in all my favourite secret Santa items are these “If you happen to can learn this, deliver me some wine” socks (in addition they have ones for chocolate and low!). You’ll be able to you should purchase them right here.

34. ✧ Make an Creation Calendar

An creation calendar is used to rely the times till Christmas. The everyday ones are stuffed with chocolate and hanging out on the grocery retailer checkout line (like this one). However, with slightly creativity you’ll be able to create your personal utilizing matchboxes, clothespins or absolutely anything else you’ll be able to presumably consider!

Want Concepts? See Buzzfeed’s 33 Intelligent And Lovable DIY Creation Calendars and Condominium Remedy’s 35 DIY Creation Calendars to Make Now So You’re Prepared for December

35. ✦ Drink Eggnog

Ingesting eggnog is sort of a custom in the course of the vacation season, so why not partake to your Christmas bucket record? Sometimes the drink is made with sugar, milk, cream, whipped eggs, spices and a contact of alcohol (although those you purchase on the grocery retailer is perhaps sans the liquor—insert unhappy face).

If you wish to make your personal, do this recipe by Alton Brown. Not an enormous eggnog fan? How about simply including slightly eggnog taste to your espresso with this eggnog Torani syrup.

36. ✧ Make and Put on an Ugly Christmas Sweater

You might not be thought of a diehard Xmas fan till you might have sported an unsightly Christmas sweater! There are many locations on-line to purchase one, but it surely’d be a lot extra enjoyable to make your personal customized sweater. Need assistance? These 51 Ugly Sweater Concepts will certainly be inspiration.

37. ✦ Have a Snowball Combat

With a lot contemporary snow exterior are you able to limit your self to the indoors. Get exterior for a superb quaint snowball combat! Invite some associates, make groups and let’s see who wins the struggle of snow.

Don’t get on the market unarmed, study Find out how to Make the Good Snowball first!

38. ✦ Make Your Christmas Listing

39. ✦ Begin a New Custom

With a lot pleasure, Christmas is the right time to begin a brand new custom that may reside on in years to return. It may be something from a particular dish you prepare dinner each vacation season to volunteering on the native shelter to Christmas caroling. Something goes! Yearly I adorn and donate a tiny tree—it instantly will get me within the vacation spirit.

40. ✦ Eat a Sweet Cane

41. ✦ Kiss Somebody Below the Mistletoe

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42. ✦ Take a Household Christmas Picture

43. ✦ Take a look at the Vacation Lights in your Neighborhood

Fill your thermos with scorching chocolate, load up the automotive with your loved ones and provides your eyes a particular vacation deal with by driving by means of the neighborhoods searching for one of the best mild show. Examine along with your metropolis, a lot of them make vacation mild maps so that you can observe.

44. ✦ Put on a Santa Hat in Public

45. ✦ Depart Cookies for Santa Claus

Final, however not least to your Christmas bucket record, on December 24th depart cookies for Santa Claus…even should you don’t imagine in him anymore. You’ll be able to eat them within the morning!

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This put up incorporates affiliate hyperlinks, which implies I could obtain a fee should you make a purchase order utilizing that hyperlink. You’ll be able to learn my disclosure right here.

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[biofunmy]

A Ballet ‘Jane Eyre’? Reader, She Dances With Him

“You feel trapped, like the walls are closing in,” said the ballet mistress, demonstrating a sequence of frantic, elbow-jutting arms. “Keep the legs low, it’s not about the height, it’s about wanting to get out of here.”

Devon Teuscher, Misty Copeland and Isabella Boylston, the American Ballet Theater principals who are all cast in the title role in Cathy Marston’s “Jane Eyre,” opening at the Metropolitan Opera House on Tuesday, listened intently as they copied the movements and tried to absorb the intentions behind them. It was February, and an early rehearsal for the full-length ballet, based on Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel.

With its first-person narrative and intense focus on an interior consciousness, Brontë’s novel isn’t an obvious candidate for a ballet. But Ms. Marston, 43, a British choreographer who has slowly forged a reputation for her ability to create narrative works, seems undaunted by the challenges of transmuting literary complexity into dance.

It was the strength and unpredictability of Jane’s character that attracted her, she said, adding that she was often drawn to strong women as protagonists, including Mrs. Alving in Ibsen’s “Ghosts,” Cathy in “Wuthering Heights” and Queen Victoria — all characters around whom she has created ballets.

Jane, she added, “is a kind of early feminist, fighting both the world and questioning her own emotions and reactions.”

“Jane Eyre,” to a score by Philip Feeney that incorporates music by Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn and Fanny Mendelssohn, was first created for Northern Ballet in England in 2016. It has proved a game changer for Ms. Martson.

British critics praised the clear storytelling in “Jane Eyre,” Ms. Marston’s craft and her innovative physicality. This Jane is “emancipated from the conventional tropes of the ballet heroine,” Judith Mackrell wrote in The Guardian.

After years of relative obscurity, Ms. Marston was suddenly on the radar. Helgi Tomasson, the director of the San Francisco Ballet, invited her to create a work (“Snowblind”) for the company’s “Unbound” festival last year; she also made a full-length ballet, “Victoria,” about the queen, for Northern Ballet. A new piece for the Royal Ballet is scheduled for February 2020.

“It’s funny how things slowly trickle through,” Ms. Marston said over coffee at the Royal Opera House in London recently. “Once you have a couple of big companies backing you, others follow suit.”

She acknowledged that the pressure on ballet directors to find and feature female choreographers, hasn’t hurt. “The woman thing is certainly part of it,” she said. “And I think that companies know that narrative ballets often end up being productive for all in the end, and I have a lot of experience with narrative ballets by now.”

Kevin McKenzie, the director of American Ballet Theater, said he first heard about Ms. Marston after “Snowblind” was commissioned. “Then her name kept coming up,” he said. “I liked that she was a storyteller at heart and the sound of her process.” Still, when he met her after her stint in San Francisco, “I had to be blatantly honest and say I had never seen anything she had done.”

After that meeting, Ms. Marston sent Mr. McKenzie videos of her work, including one of “Jane Eyre,” which he found “unusual and fascinating.” He asked her to create a new one-act ballet for Ballet Theater’s fall 2020 season. Then a crisis loomed. A full-evening program planned for this year’s Met season fell through. Mr. McKenzie thought of “Jane Eyre.” “I told Cathy that if she could figure out how to stage the ballet in a short time, let’s do it.”

Ms. Marston didn’t hesitate. “You have to grab the moment,” she said firmly.

Her interest in choreography began early. She took part in workshops and looked up to older students like Christopher Wheeldon and David Dawson, who were making choreographic inroads. There was certainly a glass ceiling, she said.

“I wasn’t the ballerina type, and I didn’t get offered a place in the company,” she said. “The fact that I was a choreographer, and had won the school’s choreographic prize, didn’t make a difference, whereas I think for a man it probably would have.”

Instead, she joined the Zurich Ballet in Switzerland, later moving to companies in Lucerne and Bern. She continued to make dances and in 2001 returned to Britain, determined to focus on choreography. There she created “Ghosts,” her first full-length work, in 2005.

“Ghosts” led to an offer to direct the Bern Ballet, where she worked from 2007 to 2013, choreographing more than a dozen works, but also commissioning pieces. It was, she said, “a huge wake-up call about what it means to be a director.” (And for the moment that’s off the table: “I have two children, and I want to be a mother and a choreographer and a cultural leader,” she said. “But I’ve realized I don’t have to do all of that fully at the same time.”)

Her exposure in Bern to German regietheater (or, director���s theater), in which the director plays freely with the playwright’s original directions or intentions, was important in helping her develop a method of storytelling, she said. “I began to question whether I really had to use period costume if I was telling a period tale, whether I needed props, how much could be symbolic,” she said. “Without a point of view, I realized all the work just looks the same.”

Her love for narrative ballets, she said, comes from her home life — her parents were both English literature teachers — and from training at the Royal Ballet School, where she absorbed the influences of Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan, “all those costume dramas and great stories.”

So far, Ms. Marston has intrepidly tackled “A Tale of Two Cities,” “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” “Three Sisters” and “Dangerous Liaisons,” among other literary subjects. “I am drawn to relationships, the development of emotion, history, memory,” Ms. Marston said. “Of course there are things dance can’t say, and that’s a stickier corner to get around.”

But as Jenny Tattersall, the ballet mistress teaching the Ballet Theater dancers, indicated as she demonstrated the steps, Ms. Marston, unusually, gives every step a specific meaning or intention. “It’s very different from what we are used to, which is learning the steps and then figuring out how you want to interpret it,” said Ms. Teuscher, who is performing the role of Jane on the first night. “Here, it happens all together, and at first I found it difficult to process. But then once you have it, everything is very clear: This is the story, and this is how it’s told.”

Although Ms. Marston’s sources tend to be set in the past, her physical vocabulary can be contemporary and unconventional, with a considerable amount of floor work and off-balance partnering in which the women often bear their partners’s weight.

“There is a lot of counterbalancing in the partnering,” said James Whiteside, who performs the central male role of Rochester in “Jane Eyre.” “In conventional ballet, the man is often just holding the woman upright. Here we do a lot of dropping to the ground, and I make a lot of noise. I’m working on finessing that.”

Ms. Marston said she was very conscious of the way that classical ballet suggests gender roles. “A contemporary vocabulary allows us to show women differently,” she said. “You need the full range, so that women can partner and support men, in order to express what women actually feel and do. There is a long way to go there. It should give me a job for the next 20 years.”

Jane Eyre

Tuesday through Monday at the Metropolitan Opera House, Manhattan; abt.org.

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[watchilove]

De Bethune announces partnership with the famous Russian Ballet Jewels: 11 of the world’s greatest ballet stars, 9 world-renowned choreographers, 7 legendary ballet companies, an exclusive selection of classical and contemporary ballet performances in one breathtaking program.

An exceptional gala to be held in Geneva on 23 March 2019 at the Théâtre du Léman.

Geneva, March 13, 2019 – Since its foundation, De Bethune has remained true to the idea of combining tradition and modernity. As an independent “Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie,” all of its timekeepers are designed and produced in-house in the spirit of striving for excellence in a continuous quest for perfection. These are values shared with and exemplified by the Russian Ballet Jewels whose breathtaking performances, in which the world’s best dancers give their heart and soul, celebrate the most beautiful ballets ever choreographed.

The greatest stars – including Elena Vostrotina, Xander Parish, Ekaterina Osmolkina, Yannick Bittencourt, Nancy Osbaldeston, Anna Nikulina, Mikhail Lobukhin, to name but a few – from the ballet companies of the Bolshoi Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre, the Royal Flemish Ballet, the Zurich Opera Ballet, the Yakobson St. Petersburg Theatre and the Paris National Opera will grace the stage of the Théâtre du Léman in Geneva, performing legendary pas-de-deux and solos of classical ballet that have become the references of Russian choreographic art, and masterpieces of contemporary ballet created by the most talented choreographers of our time.

From The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake to Gorsky’s experiments and Fokine’s stylizations, complemented by contemporary works by Nureyev, Fallen… – an evening with the Russian Ballet Jewels is a major event, both for a discerning audience and for those keen to discover fabled masterpieces and a selection of recent productions performed by world-class dancers.

To support this truly contemporary celebration of classicism and eternal elegance is a genuine privilege.

De Bethune is particularly proud to support the Russian Ballet Jewels, a production brought to life by Vladimir Ippolitov whose mission is to promote not only the art of classical and contemporary ballet, but also to share this passion with the world through the best dancers of our time.

By supporting the Russian Ballet Jewels, De Bethune celebrates the historical and steadfast bond that has been forged over the years between the watch brand and Russia.

Prominent Russian clients, great connoisseurs of contemporary Fine Watchmaking, have been loyal to De Bethune since the foundation of the first workshop. Indeed, the very first “starry night” dial created by De Bethune, now a hallmark of the brand, faithfully captures the firmament of the mythical White Nights above St. Petersburg on a 21st of June.

For requests regarding interviews with the organizers and dancers, and seats reserved for the press, please contact De Bethune: De Bethune – International Press Contact: Ouldouze Nadiri – ouldouze.nadiri@debethune.com – T +41 79 853 74 82

PROGRAM

“ Grand Pas Classique”– D. Auber, choreography by V.Gsovsky E. Vostrotoina, Y. Bittencourt

“The Grand Pas Classique” choreographed by Victor Gsovsky was first staged in Paris in 1949. Since then, this duet, which requires excellent technique and skill to perform a demanding “choreography text” with elegance and poise, became one of the most performed pieces at the Galas and competitions.

White adagio from the “Swan Lake” – P.I. Tchaikovsky, choreography by L. Ivanov

E. Vostrotoina, Y. Bittencourt

“The Swan Lake” is a real icon of the Russian ballet. The duet of Odette, the enchanted swan princess, and prince Siegfried, who came to hunt swans at the lake, is one of the most important and beautiful scenes of the ballet depicting their emerging love. In response to a sad “story” Odette tells the prince about her being enchanted to stay imprisoned in a swan’s body during the day, Siegfried gives a passionate promise that his love will break the spell. Duet from the ballet “Rodin: Eternal Idol” – Claude Debussy, choreography by Leonid Yakobson

A. Bocharova, D. Klimuk

The ballet “Rodin” is composed of chorographical miniatures inspired by works of a great master of sculpture, Rodin. Rodin has revolutionised and created a new language in the art of sculpture. Half a century later Yakobson revolutionised choreography and created a new language in art of movement. Leonid Yakobson created these pieces in different time periods and combined into one composition at a later stage. “Viennese Waltz” – -R. Strauss, choreography by Leonid Yakobson

A. Bocharova, D. Klimuk

The miniature ballet “The Viennese Waltz” is almost a piece of drama on its own. It has everything: an intrigue, a climax and an impressive ending. The plot is quite simple: it is a story of a meeting of a young lady with a young dandy. First she pushes him away, then gives him hope. The mood constantly changes: her capriciousness changes to coquetry; and it all ends with her leading him away. “Requiem » – Gabriel Fauré, Wim Henderickx, choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui N. Osbaldeston, C. Cangialosi

Fauré’s requiem – traditionally, a Mass for the repose of a dead soul – already unusual in its surprising optimism: free of the bluster and heavy religious overtones typically associated with the funereal mass. It receives new interpretation by a Flemish composer Wim Henderickx and one of the most prominent choreographers of our time Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. In their Requiem, with great respect for the various traditions the artists blend eastern and western cultures in serene and contemplative plea for the freedom of humankind.

Pas de deux of Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré from the “Sleeping Beauty” – P.I. Tchaikovsky, choreography by M. Petipa E. Osmolkina, X. Parish

It was in “The Sleeping Beauty” ballet in 1890 that the two geniuses – Tchaikovsky and Petipa – worked together for the first time and created the world’s greatest ballet masterpiece ever.

The real jewel of the ballet is the wedding duet of Aurora and Prince Désiré glorifying love and harmony, the victory of good over evil. “Ballet 101” – Jens-Peter Abele, choreography by Eric Gauthier X. Parish Xander Parish performs a routine based on the 101 ballet positions, a demanding voice over calls out the numbers of 101 poses to put him through an increasingly frantic routine.

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An exceptional gala to be held in Geneva on 23 March 2019 at the Théâtre du Léman.

De Bethune announces partnership with the famous Russian Ballet Jewels De Bethune announces partnership with the famous Russian Ballet Jewels: 11 of the world's greatest ballet stars, 9 world-renowned choreographers, 7 legendary ballet companies, an exclusive selection of classical and contemporary ballet performances in one breathtaking program. 992 more words

[katrinratto]

20 Most Influential Graphic Design Companies From Around the World

Graphic design is a notoriously competitive field and it can be tough for companies to stand out.

But, at least twenty graphic design firms from around the world have proven to be the best in their field, with gorgeous portfolios filled with impressive clients and prominent design campaigns.

These are the design firms that clients with virtually unlimited budgets turn to when they need a brand identity, packaging design, or help with other types of design.

These design firms drive graphic design trends around the world and are responsible for some of the best, and often, some of the most controversial designs from the past several decades.

Here are the 20 (in no particular order) most influential graphic design companies from around the world.

Sagmeister & Walsh

Wolff Olins

Landor

Pentagram

MetaDesign

House Industries

Happy Cog

Leo Burnett

Metalab

Frog Design

AKQA

Urban Influence

SuperUnion

Turner Duckworth

Winkcreative

Mucho

McFaul+Day

Chermyeff & Geismar & Haviv

Studio Dumbar

Dessein

Sagmeister & Walsh

Stefan Sagmeister is a world-famous graphic designer and provocateur with deep ties to independent musicians and the arts. He’s had clients like Lou Reed, David Byrne, the Guggenheim, and many more.

The studio he created with Jessica Walsh is renowned for its edgy, unpredictable style.

You don’t need to look further than the studio’s homepage for an example of this: it features a live webcam that shows what’s going on in New York-based studio right at that moment.

Headquarters: New York City

Notable Clients: Snapchat, 7Up, The Gap, BMW, The Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim Museum, NYTimes Magazine, Lou Reed, Jay-Z, Brian Eno, David Byrne, Random House Publishers, the AIGA, Autodesk, Levis, Adobe

  Wolff Olins

Look back at the last two or three decades of graphic design.

If there was a controversial rebrand, chances are Wolff Olins was involved.

The design studio has a reputation for bold design choices. Upon its release, their design for the London 2012 Olympic games was infamously compared to something accidentally dropped, a puerile mess, a health hazard, and even cartoon character Lisa Simpson playing her saxophone.

The studio has never shied away from unorthodox choices, and their drive for innovation has made them one of the most sought-after design firms in the world.

Headquarters: London, UK

Locations: London, New York City, and San Francisco

Notable Clients: Uber, Alibaba, Zigbee Alliance, GrubHub, The Metropolitan Art Museum, Spotify, Orange, The Hyatt, Virgin Media, (RED), AOL, Target, Unilever, GE, PwC, Microsoft, Google, Skype, Expedia, FutureLearn.

  Landor

Nike is one of Landor’s many prestigious clients.

This storied design studio is one of the undisputed giants of graphic design and branding in the world. Started by Walter Landor in 1941, the company has grown exponentially over the years and now has 23 offices in 20 countries.

High profile work for clients like Coca-Cola, the WWF, FedEx, Levis, Apple, and BP have firmly established this studio as one of the greats.

Headquarters: San Francisco

Locations: Bangkok, Beijing, Cape Town, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dubai, Geneva, Hamburg, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, London, Melbourne, Mexico City, Milan, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo

Notable Clients: Nike, Coca-Cola, the WWF, FedEx, Levis, Apple, Volvic, Kraft, Jameson, BMW, Henkel, Old Spice, Citroën, Proctor and Gamble, Juicy Couture, Rolex, John Deere.

  Pentagram

It’s impossible to create any list of noteworthy design firms without including Pentagram.

The National’s Sleep Well Beast campaign and album design, by Pentagram

The studio’s design talent boasts some famous names among the list of partners, including Paula Scher, Michael Beirut, Alan Fletcher, Colin Forbes, Harry Pearce, and many more.

The client list is equally impressive.

Headquarters: London

Locations: Austin, Berlin, New York, San Francisco.

Notable Clients: Citibank, United Airlines. Saks Fifth Avenue. Harley-Davidson, Alexander McQueen, Clear Channel, The National, The Daily Show, One Laptop Per Child, Revlon, Cosmopolitan, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Grey Goose, Tiffany and Co, Vanity Fair.

  MetaDesign

Metadesign Berlin, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

MetaDesign was founded in 1979 by three German designers, including famed typographer Erik Spiekermann. Since then, it has taken on design work for clients large and small, including big names like The Economist and Apple. Spiekermann has stayed active as a type designer, creating such acclaimed typefaces as FF Meta and Officina.

Headquarters: San Francisco

Locations: Beijing, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Geneva, San Francisco, Zurich

Notable Clients: Apple, AT&T, eBay, FIFA, Intuit, Lamborghini,, Netflix, Sony, Intel, Polo Ralph Lauren, 23andMe, Volkswagen, The Economist, New York Philharmonic, Texture, San Francisco Ballet.

  House Industries

If you come across a gorgeous, retro-influenced type design, there’s a good chance it was created or influenced by the design studio House Industries.

Courtesy of House Industries

Luminaries from Cher to Jimmy Kimmel and The New Yorker to Uniqlo have worked with the small and fiercely independent studio.

They are known just as much for their type design as they are for the eccentric selection of products they sell. Whether it’s books, clothing, cycling accessories, or assorted kitchenware, each product is meticulously designed.

Headquarters: Delaware

Notable Clients:  Hermes, The Cher Show, Eames, The New Yorker, Design With Reach, Ford, John Mayer, Heath Ceramics, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Vogue Japan, Agent Provocateur, MTV, Chronicle Books, Uniqlo, Baccarat, Herman Miller

  courtesy of Happy Cog

Happy Cog

Happy Cog is a studio founded by web pioneer Jeffrey Zeldman, whose influence helped drive forward web technology and standards in the early 00s. Specializing in web and digital design, Happy Cog’s client list is diverse and impressive.

Locations: Philadelphia, New York

Notable Clients: MTV, Papa John’s, Harvard Business School, Ben & Jerry’s, McGraw-Hill Education, US Holocaust Museum, Nintendo, Georgetown University, Fonts.com, Thomson Reuters, Zappos.com

  Leo Burnett

courtesy of Leo Burnett

Leo Burnett is a Chicago-based company that has its hands in almost any creative disciple you can think of.

In addition to branding and marketing, an in-house design team tackles a variety of projects for clients of all sizes and industries.

Founded by legendary advertiser Leo Burnett in 1935, the company now has 85 offices in 69 countries and more than 9,000 employees.

Headquarters: Chicago. Illinois

Locations: Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Santa Domingo, Guaynabo, Guatemala City, London, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Prague, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Manila, Jakarta, Sydney, Johannesburg

Notable Clients: Kelloggs, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, P&G, Samsung, GM, Fiat, Bell, LCBO, Ikea, Elections Canada.

  Metalab

courtesy of Metalab

Metalab is a design studio based in Victoria, British Columbia. In its 12 years of operation, the company has worked for some of the biggest companies online, including Google, Disney, Slack, Medium, and more. It also has online services its created, including Ballpark (an invoicing app), and Flow, (a project management app).

Headquarters: Victoria, British Columbia

Notable Clients: Slack, Google, Finery, Amazon, Facebook, Lonely Planet, TED, Otter

  Frog Design

courtesy of frog design

Frog was founded in 1969 by German industrial designer Hartmut Essilinger.

It has worked for some of the most influential companies and products, like Apple, the San. Francisco MOMA, Hyundai, Porsche, GE, and more.

With 15 offices located in major cities everywhere, Frog is consistently one of the best known and admired design companies in the world.

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Locations: San Francisco, Austin, New York, London, Milan, Munich, Shanghai, Gurgaon, Seattle, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Sydney

Notable Clients: Apple, Lumen, SiriusXM, SuperSonic, Porsche, BT, American Dental Association, Associated Press, Audi, GE, Honeywell, UNICEF. Bill Gates, Intel, Sharp

  AKQA

courtesy of AKQA

Based in London, AKQA is a firm that specializes in creating digital products and services. It has over 2,100 employees spread across 22 offices in cities like London, San Francisco, Sao Paolo, Singapore, Tokyo, Melbourne, and Paris.

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Locations: Aarhus, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, London, Milan, Paris, Venice, Atlanta, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Gurgaon, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney

Notable Clients: Nike, Nissan, Microsoft, Visa, Fiat, Coco-Cola, McDonald’s, Gap, VW, Amazon, Evian, David Beckham, Oakley, Palms, Netflix, Rolls-Royce, Volvo, Google, Activision, Eurostar, Jagermeister,  Tommy Hilfiger, Elton John, Burger King

Urban Influence

This Seattle-based agency has been “creating kick-ass brands since 2001,” according to its website. In that time, it has helped businesses to “craft honest, emotional experiences through strategy, brand development, graphic design, web design, and storytelling.”

Its clients range from small businesses and consumer products to tech companies and real estate firms.

Headquarters: Seattle, Washington

Notable Clients: Intego, Revelry, SEO Moz, Endurance, Sprout, Polaris, Chef’n, Watson, Cinchshare, Pronto, Redfin, DNA

  SuperUnion

courtesy of SuperUnion

SuperUnion’s name is appropriate: it’s the union between five separate agencies (Brand Union, The Partners, Lambie-Nairn, Addison, and VBAT) into one super agency.

The unified company boasts 23 offices across 18 countries and has clients like BBC, London Symphony Orchestra, Dell, Deloitte, Ford, Nestle, and Tesco.

Headquarters: London, UK

Locations: Amsterdam, Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Cape Town, Dubai, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Moscow, Mumbai, Munich. New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore

Notable Clients: Colgate-Palmolive, WPP, BBC, London Symphony Orchestra, Dell, Deloitte, Ford, Nestle, Tesco, Equinox, Level, Chivas, Pizza Hut, Land Rover, Invictus Games, Pfizer, AirAsia, Mazda, Audi, Electrolux, FIFA, Cirque de Soleil, HSBC, Credit Suisse

  courtesy of Turner Duckworth

Turner Duckworth

Turner Duckworth may be a division of Leo Burnett, but deserves to be called out for the quality and quantity of amazing work that it produces.

Founded by David Turner and Bruce Duckworth in 1992, the firm now has three offices that are its “secret weapon,” according to the site.

Clients include Levis, Coca-Cola, Amazon, Metallica (!), Glenlivet, and many more.

Locations: London, San Francisco, and New York City

Notable Clients: Levis, Coca-Cola, Glenlivet, Burger King, Kellogg’s, Kraft, Toblerone, Kettle Chips, Longmorn. Coors, Popchips, Essential Parent, Dripp, Conté a Paris, Tassimo

Winkreative

Air Canada’s logo, designed by Winkreative

Founded by Monocle magazine publisher Tyler Brûlé, this creative agency makes “brands desirable through elegant visual ideas and a distinctive tone of voice, based on a defined strategic positioning,” according to its website.

Its clients include airlines, automakers, fashion and lifestyle companies, and more.

Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland

Locations: Zürich, London, Toronto, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong

Notable Clients: Air Canada, Porter Airlines, Lexus, MINI, BBC, Sky, Dia TV, H&M, TAG Heuer, Dunhill, Adora, Louis Vuitton, LG, Toyota, Cathy Pacific, China Daily, Corriere della Sera

  Mucho

courtesy of mucho

Mucho is a design studio headquartered in Barcelona.

Founded by friends Marc Català and Pablo Juncadella in 2003, the company grew quickly and now has offices in five cities around the world.

The offices often collaborate across time zones on projects that the company describes as “ideas-based.” eye magazine described their style as having “a level of visual fastidiousness and typographic detail that distinguishes their work from that of other branding agencies.”

Headquarters: Barcelona, Spain

Locations: Newark, Barcelona, Paris, San Francisco, New York, Sydney, Berlin, London

Notable Clients: AIGA, Alma Hotels, BCD, Betway, BMW, Canal+, El País, EMI Music Spain, Future Designs, Gap Inc., Google, HP, Kodak, Majestic Hotel Group, Mars, Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Phaidon Press, Random House Mondadori, San Francisco Art Exchange, San Francisco Civic Center, The Collection, The Observer, University of California

  McFaul+Day

courtesy of mcfaul+day

MCFaul+Day was founded in 2002 by John McFaul in Portsmouth, England. It has worked with clients ranging from LucasFilm and Pepsi to the BBC, IBM, and Samsung.

In 2014, designer Justin Day joined the agency and the name was updated. According to its site, Mcfaul+Day “passionately created, observed and rigorously executed solutions, de-layering a proposition to its simple truth.”

Headquarters: Chichester, UK

Notable Clients: LucasFilm, New Balance, Pepsi, BBC, IBM, Microsoft, SXSW, Clarks, Audi, Virgin Atlantic, Sony, Levis, Samsung, Kidrobot

  Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv

courtesy of Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv

Some of the most recognizable logo designs were created by this studio, founded in 1957 by two Yale alumni, Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar. The company was joined by logo designer Sagi Haviv in 2003.

Its work includes iconic logos for NBC, National Geographic, Mobil, Showtime, Chase Bank, PBS, and many others.

Headquarters: New York, NY

Notable Clients: NBC, Pan Am, Mobil Oil, PBS, Chase Bank, Barneys New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Xerox, Smithsonian Institution, NBC, Cornell University, National Geographic, State Farm, Armani Exchange, Showtime, Animal Planet, Merck, EPA

  Studio Dumbar

courtesy of Studio Dumbar

Formed in The Hague in 1977 by Gert Dumbar, Studio Dumbar has since relocated to Rotterdam and spread to Shanghai and Seoul.

In 2016 the agency merged with a number of other studios as part of the international mega-agency Dept. Studio Dumbar’s work is considered highly influential and has attracted a top-tier selection of clients like Apple, Nike, and Rijksmuseum.

Headquarters: Rotterdam, Holland

Locations: Rotterdam, Shanghai, and Seoul

Notable Clients: Apple, Nike, Rijksmuseum. Dutch National Police, Transavia, Vincent Van Gogh Museum, Dutch Railways, EUNL, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, NPO, Randstad, The Dutch Government

  Dessein

courtesy of Dessein

Tracy Kenworthy and Geoff Bickford founded Dessein in 1987 in Perth, Australia.“We want to create brands of the heart – brands which engage, excite and evoke a personal rapport,” says the agency’s website.

It is an award-winning agency with a diverse client base that includes many Australian and international businesses and brands.

Headquarters: Perth, Australia

Notable Clients: Black Swan State Theatre, Northbridge Brewing Company, EPM, Ezyfix, Great Temptations, Mondo Nougat, Zwena, Albany Entertainment Centre, Whiteman Park, Poach Bear

  from http://bit.ly/2Sb2cbK