Mikhail Baryshnikov

A wonderful video of Mischa Baryshnikov dancing the principal part of Albecht's variation, Act II of Giselle, 1977. Poise, control, technical brilliance in abundance. It's no wonder male ballet dancers are hot and that he gets an uprurious reception.



Amazing amateur filmed video of Baryshnikov taking a ballet class during the Festival Internacional, Habana, Cuba, 2007. Great insight into how the great dancer trains and works in private and how he instructs those following in his footsteps (excuse the pun). Like Picasso giving an Art Foundation class in a town hall.



From the great 1985 film, White Nights, Mischa Baryshnikov dances to Vladimir Vysotsky's famous folk song Fastidious Horses. Amazing combination of classical ballet and modernism dance. Just perfectly mixed to create one of the most amazing dances ever! The film is perfect too, with a cast including Helen Mirren, Gregory Hines and Isabella Rossellini. Also, fact fans, Helen Mirren met her husband, the director Taylor Hackford on this film.



And finally, Mischa dances a male variation of the Coppelia.

One Day like This by Elbow

One Day like This by Elbow. Beautiful video but the song itself: swooning strings to a subtle heartbeat drumbeat. Beautiful, beautiful lyrics. "Drinking in the morning sun/blinking in the morning sun/shaking off a heavy one/yeah heavy like a loaded gun". "Kiss me like a final meal/kiss me like we die tonight".

The Genius of Rimsky-Korsakov

Portrait of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov by Ilya Repin. 1893.

Portrait of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov by Valentin Serov. 1898.

Shangri-Las, the best girl group/group ever?

One of the best songs about mother/teenage daughter strife ever. A fucking brilliant breakdown after the 2 minute mark. Just amazing. Heartbreaking. Exemplary. "I'm gonna hide/if she don't leave me alone/I'm gonna run away/ - don't!", "Listen, does this sound familiar?/you wake up every morning/go to school every day/spend your nights on the corner/just passing the time away/your life is so lonely/like a child without a toy/then a miracle/ - a boy!", "I packed my clothes/and left home that night/though she begged me to stay/I was sure I was right/and you know something funny/I forgot that boy right away/instead I remember being tucked up in bed/and hearing my mother say/hush little baby, don't you cry".

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Darcy Bussell

The wonderful Darcy Bussell demonstrates perfect port de bras technique to the ending of Swan Lake. Quite aside from the ballet, that room is fit! Minimalist, cool clean lines.

A Bit o' the Dust

Great black and white photograph of Dusty, working the denim shirt. Probably the only person ever to have been able to work a denim shirt. Except for maybe Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain, but even that was borderline.

Dusty performs at the Hippodrome. Nevermind that her outfit clashes with the curtains. Notice how her head is perfectly positioned in front of the O, what I like to call, 'The vOgue Head' effect.

Wonderful TV performance of Dusty singing I Only Want to Be With You on Dutch television, 23/01/1964. The spotlight is the moon and Dusty is a star, against the blackness of the sticky-taped wired floor. Oh, it happens to be true, I only want to be with you, Dusty. (Best record of all time?)