Music, Movement and Mirth
There is no such thing as being too short for Carnegie Hall. This venerable institution is entertaining even the tiniest children with free online projects ranging from writing lullabies to learning about the orchestra, all accessible from its website.Do you have a hyperactive preschooler? Sing With Carnegie Hall is a six-part immersive video series about rhythm, creativity, and play. Each short session, hosted by singer-songwriter Emily Eagen, features a guest artist who provides both movement and music. With Sonia De Los Santos, children can count in Spanish, pretend to toss stinky socks with Onome, and mimic Nick Demeris’ expressive antics.
Demeris also has a role in “Camille’s Rainbow,” which is described as a “baby opera.” (Yes, you read that correctly.) With soaring vocals and Riza Printup’s harp, this work by Thomas Cabaniss and Saskia Lane celebrates color with a libretto by Zo Palmer. Dan Scully produced animations for the six online segments that are as dreamy and lyrical as the score.
Glastonbury Makes a Mud-Free Comeback
Music festival organizers have started announcing lineups for the summer and fall, indicating that a post-Covid future is finally on the horizon. However, the fields of Worthy Farm in Somerset, England, will be largely deserted for the second year in a row: Glastonbury, the country’s flagship music festival, will not return until 2022.Instead, this weekend, a virtual programme will provide attendees with a mud-free option. Coldplay, Damon Albarn, Idles, and Wolf Alice are among the British acts on the rock-oriented bill, with sets from the festival grounds. Haim and Jorja Smith join them on the farm, bringing a West Coast viewpoint with their summery pop-rock and silky R&B. P.J. Harvey and Jarvis Cocker will also make spoken word appearances.
The festival will provide a variety of time-zone-specific streams, including one on Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern, with repeat broadcasts at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Worthyfarm.live sells tickets for each stream starting at $27.50.
Remaking a Problematic ‘Tea’
Final Bow for Yellowface was created by New York City Ballet soloist Georgina Pazcoguin and arts administrator Phil Chan a few years ago to put an end to obsolete, derogatory portrayals of Asian people in ballet. What started as a mission to modernize the classical canon — specifically, the “Tea” segment of “The Nutcracker” — has grown into a broader forum honoring Asian dancers and choreographers.
Yellowface.org is hosting 10,000 Dreams: Virtual Choreography Festival during May to honour Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Every day, a choreographer of Asian descent presents a short digital work. Jessica Chen (Friday), Keerati Jinakunwipat (Saturday), and Pallabi Chakravorty (Sunday) are among the writers contributing this weekend (Sunday). Final Bow has also teamed up with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago to present “Unboxed,” a project in which three choreographers have created their own versions of “Tea.” The first two, by Yin Yue and Edwaard Liang, have already been released; the third, by Peter Chu, will be available on Monday at hubbardstreetdance.com/unboxed.
