Known for his participation in the pre-Spanish Civil War avant-garde movement, Federico Garcia Lorca was an emblematic writer, poet, painter and musician of the early 20th century. He wrote fearlessly about controversial issues such as homosexuality, the consequences of living under a dictatorship, the price of censorship and the class system defining his country. However, […]
Author: Aiyanna Sezak-Blatt
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Pulses and Rhythms: An evening of eclectic, colorful dance
In an upcoming performance by Center Stage Dance Ensemble, the power of music and movement in the body is explored in a colorful concert appropriately titled Pulses and Rhythms.
Hanson’s big welcome ***UPDATED WITH PHOTOS***
More than 400 screaming fans gathered in front of the Orange Peel this afternoon for a chance to join the pop band Hanson on a one-mile barefoot walk through downtown Asheville.
All around the world
Even on the remote island of Kauai, where I grew up, there was no escaping the craze caused when three fair-haired brothers from Oklahoma released their pop-powered major-label debut album, Middle of Nowhere. Those who experienced the burst of popularity sparked by Hanson’s chart-topping song “MMMBop” know that Hanson mania was a force beyond reckoning. […]
The Guardian’s eye on the Asheville blog scene
The Asheville Performing Arts Reviews blog has received international attention from The Guardian, a British newspaper based in London.
Show Review: Feist at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Feist has a graceful, commanding stage presence. Once she began to sing, her raspy, sexy voice captured nothing less that the audience’s complete attention. There are few performers who shine as brightly as this Canadian songbird.
Visionary movements
Choreography can be an intensely personal art form. More than just a combination of postures and movements, choreography is also a reflection of the thoughts, insights and personal resolutions of its creator. It’s a kind of art that, first and foremost, exists in the choreographer’s imagination, and must translated by the dancers into something an […]
The greatest story ever retold
In 1968, then-unknown writing and composing duo Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber decided to follow up their rock-music-meets-musical-theater experiment Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with something a little bigger. Updating biblical themes was an interesting challenge, so the duo opted to take on what has been called “the greatest story ever told.” The […]
A journey through dance
Ron K. Brown/Evidence Dance Company present their latest work, One Shot, at Diana Wortham Theatre.
The tangled and the peculiar
Innovation can take many forms. For the local dance collective Moving Women, innovation is less a matter of advancing any particular form and more about presenting a fresh social and personal perspective through movement. Together forever: Moving Women present a unique tale of conjoined twins in Thin Walls. Photo By Julie Becton-Gillum In their upcoming […]
A night of improvisational theater
As part of their 13th season, Playback Theatre will present “Stories of Race and Privilege” at N.C. Stage.
Changing Literary Culture reading at the Asheville Area Arts Council
In Asheville there are many poets and writers who tread off the beaten path of the publishing industry and have invested in creating a community of their own.
A dance by any other name
What exactly is dance? Sure, we all know about moving to a beat, but in the larger, artistic sense of the word, dance is a little harder to define. The art of movement: The Nelson Reyes Dance Company has a decidedly innovative and modern take on dance. From the deeply internal, careful practice of Japanese […]
A reception to make them green with envy
Weddings celebrate and announce a union of unconditional love, so it makes sense that such a ceremony should give to the earth instead of harm it. With a green wedding, celebrations of the heart honor the needs of the earth. But what’s the best place to hold it, exactly? How about a eco-friendly wedding reception […]
Southern charm, Hollywood headache
Behind every great work of fiction, there’s usually another great story about how hard it was to make it great in the first place. For instance, the classic movie Gone With the Wind was at first expected to be a huge Hollywood flop. Blown away by Gone With the Wind: The cast of Moonlight and […]
A royal affair
History is filled with stories of powerful, influential rulers. Their lives and legacies are often considered reflections of their times, representing the culture and the people during their reigns. Their stories can bring the past to life in profound ways, with their turmoil, triumphs, passions and torments becoming symbolic of something far greater than a […]
Groundhog Day at the Nature Center
Every year, a tradition featuring an unlikely star—a furry rodent—is celebrated across the country. The humble groundhog, also called a woodchuck and, in some regions, a whistle pig, is enlisted to predict the weather. Meet Nibbles: The Nature Center’s newest resident is ready to predict the weather. Ever since the practice began in the late […]
The edge of the stage
Abstract and experimental art takes center stage in the fifth annual Asheville Fringe Arts Festival. From body-painted performers to shadow puppets, installation art to dance, the festival continues to chart the artistic terrain of the strange, the new and the original. The many artists involved in this four-day marathon of performances are asked to push […]
Keeping the promise
Parrots are truly companions for life. They’re beautiful, highly intelligent and have an amazing amount of personality. Perhaps that’s why so many people are eager to share their homes with a feathered friend. The wind beneath their wings: Ann Brooks of Phoenix Landing with two of her feathered friends Fred, at left, and Phoenix. Photo […]
Over the mountains
Western North Carolina’s roads and trails draw thousands of adventure-seeking cyclists every year. Tackling this daunting terrain isn’t easy, but for the members of Asheville Women’s Cycling, the area amounts to a year-round playground, with each season bringing a new set of challenges. Patricia Pinner, the group’s founder and current president, raced with the Champion […]
Telling stories in Swannanoa
Nestled in the Swannanoa Valley is a small liberal-arts college with a nationally acclaimed writing program. Known for its rigorous and extremely personalized curriculum, the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College has earned an impressive international reputation. More than words: Writer Peter Turchi heads Warren Wilson College’s MFA program. He will join a […]