If you’re in New York (and you won’t be at work next Monday afternoon, Jan. 11th), absolutely do not miss SLSG favorite assoluta Veronika Part up close as she performs a duet choreographed for her and Matthew Renko by another SLSG favorite, choreographer Avi Scher. The free performance will be in City Center’s studio 4 (upstairs). It starts at 3:30 and should last an hour or two.

Top image of Part taken from here (this was when she arrived for her stint on the David Letterman show). Second photo by Kokyat, taken from the event’s Facebook listing. Visit Oberon’s Grove to see some more excellent photos by Kokyat of the duo rehearsing.

Also, the Ballet Bag has honored James Wolcott and SLSG by including our coverage of the fabulous Ms. Part as among their favorite blog posts of the year.  Thank you Bag Ladies!

There’s an excellent interview with young, newish ABT virtuoso (and very intelligent-sounding) Daniil Simkin at the Ballet Bag. Simkin talks about his experiences thus far with American Ballet Theater, dancing with major stars at the World Ballet Festival over the summer in Japan, and a gala he’s organizing next month in Athens. He also talks about how dance professionals can use social media to connect with fans and what he thinks ballet companies need to do to keep ballet alive. Excellent interview, superb questions, “bag ladies”!

And it gives me the opportunity to post, for people who don’t have the opportunity to regularly see ABT, some of his more astounding YouTube clips. Enjoy:

And The Flames of Paris, the first thing I ever saw him do (but with Sara Lane, at ABT). Look for the barrel turns around the 5:55 mark:

For more clips, go here.
Above photo, by Gene Schiavone, taken from Simkin’s blog.

Carlos Acosta is interviewed in the London Telegraph Travel section.

His worst traveling experience?:

“One of the worst was arriving in London to dance at just 18 and not being able to speak the language. I rented a room but didn’t know what anybody was talking about. I felt lost because I just couldn’t communicate. I wanted to see a movie, but everything was in English. When I went to a store to buy something I didn’t know what to say. I bought books and taught myself English, but it was six months before I was ready.”

Via tweet by the Ballet Bag.

Photo by Julian Andrews.

tonight (Monday, August 3rd), late night on CBS.

via James Wolcott.

Above photo of Veronika Part by Marc Haegeman, taken from Bailarinas.

Here’s a nice, detailed overview of Part from those wonderful “Bag Ladies” across the pond.

Also on TV, showing on local public-access stations across the country now and in the near future, is the rock opera, Remember Me, a collaboration between the East Village Opera Company and choreographer David Parsons, with dance performed by Parsons Dance. I haven’t seen it but it’s been called “a high energy mix of contemporary dance, opera, and rock music” and was popular when it premiered live here back in January. Here are the broadcast times:

KQED, San Francisco, CA – 8/2 at 8pm (also on KTEH/San Jose and KQET/Monterey), 8/3 at 2pm
WGBH, Boston, MA (presenting station) – 8/2 at 8pm, 8/5 at 3am and 3pm, 8/6 at 7:30pm
KCET, Los Angeles, CA – 8/7 at 3:30pm
AETN, Conway, AR – 8/9 at 8pm
WUSF, Tampa, FL – 8/9 at 8pm and 8/15 at 3:30pm
KLRU, Austin, TX – 8/10 at 8pm
WMHT, Albany, NY – 8/10 at 8pm
WLIW, New York – 8/13 at 7:30 pm

Photo of Remember Me by Yi-Chun Wu, taken from Explore Dance.