The George Piper Dances, or “Ballet Boyz,” attempted to push the boundaries of ballet and contemporary dance this past weekend at Royce Hall. Known for their reality-TV-like clips projected in-between dance moves, the Boyz fed the public’s obsession with seeing celebrities at their most human level.  Whether it was the company’s founders falling on their backs trying to master a piece of choreography, consistently getting lost looking for the theater at each stop on their tour, or practicing arm positions in the bathtub, the audience relished every chance to laugh. Read more...

One of the great things about Clint Eastwood is his uncanny ability to infuse stoicism and apathy into the protagonists of his films, whether he’s in front of the camera or behind it. Read more...

Asking a musician whether he prefers teaching or performing is like asking a first year student his major. It’s one of those questions everyone tries to avoid having to answer. Read more...

Department of Ethnomusicology Chair Tim Rice began his two-year term this past Saturday as the newly elected president of the Society for Ethnomusicology. The SEM is a U.S.-based organization with an international membership of over 2,000 from six continents and a mission statement to promote the research, study and performance of music in all historical periods and cultural contexts. Read more...

Good things do come to those who wait ““ at least at jazz shows they do. Sunday night at Royce Hall, the Michael Brecker Quintet and the Roy Hargrove Quintet overcame a forty-minute delay and a few minor sound problems to successfully stage two very different and satisfying sets of innovative jazz music. Read more...

Yucca Mountain, a barren strip of land about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is revered by its native Shoshone tribe as a place of deep spiritual and religious importance. Read more...

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