We’ve arrived in the South of France this week in class. So, we turn our attention to Bordeaux and the wines of Southwest France. The wines of Bordeaux are a revered French wine icon. They are age-worthy and highly prized. When Robert Parker launched Wine Advocate and fell in love with the 1982 Bordeaux vintage, … Read more
In the best tradition of minimalist music, austerity and sincerity – sometimes built on nothing more than a handful of pitches and rhythmic values – lead to surprising phenomena of musical experiences that often become ambient, transcendental or even psychedelic. Fifty years ago, composer Terry Riley saw his works – including ‘In C’ and ‘Dorian … Read more
The Loire Valley is known as France’s Garden. In 2000, the central (Middle) portion was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. With more than 300 castles and chateaux, the French say that the Loire is a queen that has been loved by kings as many have renovated and rebuilt glamorous summer retreats and … Read more
JazzSLC is a non-profit concert series that is produced and funded by the GAM Foundation. The GAM Foundation was founded by Gordon Hanks and Michael MacKay in 1994 in an effort to increase awareness and garner appreciation for our jazz community. Since its inception, the GAM Foundation has produced more than 200 concerts and featured … Read more
This week, we actually studied three regions in France: Savoie, Jura and Beaujolais. Beaujolais Beaujolais is a small wine growing region just to the south of Bourgogne. The land is only 34 miles long and 7-9 miles in width. The grapes of the Beaujolais region are few. 98% of the red grape plantings in Beaujolais … Read more
Pioneer Theatre Company bills The Crucible as “a landmark work of the American theatre, at once a powerful cautionary tale and a mesmerizing psychological drama.” The Crucible by Arthur Miller is based on true events surrounding the Salem witch trials—which began with several young girls (ranging in age from 9 to 20) accusing local townspeople … Read more
The most important lesson from our Bourgogne class: Bourgogne = Burgundy. For some reason, Bourgogne was the only French wine region to be translated, and in English-speaking countries is called Burgundy. It’s long caused confusion to consumers who find only Bourgogne mentioned on wine labels so a shift is currently occurring to return all references … Read more
Before Taylor Swift wore the Swan Lake costumes in her Shake It Off video, Tchaikovsky composed the heart-wrenching score for Swan Lake 138 years ago and Ballet West’s founder Willam Christensen created the first full-length American production in 1940. Swan Lake is the ultimate classical ballet. Filled with more than 50 dancers including ballerinas in … Read more
Going for a three-peat in Repertory Dance Theatre’s Iron Choreographer competition, Nathan Shaw, a full-time dance teacher at Judge Memorial High School in Salt Lake City, follows a few simple rules. Lay off the abstract. Tap into the humor vault. Be courageous, knowing the weakest link could be the strongest. In last year’s competition at … Read more
“I was 40 years old. I had a life. Especially with [daughter] Chiara — will we feel guilt forevermore? Of course, yes. But the truth is, I could not spend every day with her. I didn’t want to do that. I looked for all kinds of reasons not to do it. … I’ve been working … Read more