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American Ballet Theater continues it's 2012 season with Swan Lake. The unmistakably enchanting tale of the forbidden love between the beautiful Princess Odette, and the impassioned Prince Siegfried.  Evil sorcerer Von Rothbart captures Princess Odette and turns her into a swan by day, the spell only broken if a young man, like Prince Siegfried, pledges his love and marries her.  If he were to betray Princess Odette she would remain a swan forever.

This romantic tale is gloriously depicted through the late Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky’s musical compositions, costumes and set by Zack Brown, choreography by Kevin Mckenzie, and lighting by Duane Schuler.  Do not miss out on the magnificent choreography, extravagant costumes, breath-taking sets, and brilliant music compositions. An all-inspiring must see.

Final performances tonight and tomorrow at the Metropolitan Opera House

Acclaimed photographer Christer Strömholm (1918-2002), though little known outside of Europe and his native Sweden, is considered one of the great photographers of the 20th century. His most renowned series of photographs are now on display at the International Center of Photography, marking the first presentation of Strömholm's work in an American museum.

The exhibit Les Amies de Place Blanche, originally published in 1983, is a journey deep into the red light district of Paris in the late 1950's - 1960's and focuses on young transgendered "ladies of night" who worked the streets of the Place Blanche district in hope of raising money to complete their gender transformation. The portraits both glamourous and gritty capture a sleazy yet stylish Paris long gone and recall the photography of Brassai with subjects in lush night scenes; lounging in hotel rooms, bars, and working the streets of Paris.

As Strömholm wrote in 1983: “These are images of people whose lives I shared and whom I think I understood. These are images of women—biologically born as men—that we call ‘transsexuals.’ As for me, I call them ‘my friends of Place Blanche.’ It was then—and still is—about obtaining the freedom to choose one’s own life and identity.”

Les Amies de Place Blanche is on view till September 2nd at ICP
The Book, now a cult classic, has also been reissued in English and French.

We knew the Deborah Needleman helmed glossy edition to the Wall Street Journal/ WSJ Magazine was going to be our new go-to when Anjelica Huston graced the February issue cover chic and legendary as ever in the Cedric Buchet spread and totally cool interview. The Jacques Grange editorial made us fall even harder, not to mention the addictive Tracked spread. Fast forward to today– we are honored to be featured in the latest issue, The Designed World– with our story highlighting Atelier Demiurge– BUILDING A BETTER ANTIQUE. Head to WSJ MAGAZINE to read the story. We suggest picking up a copy– It is a really wonderful issue.

This past Tuesday marked the return of Ángel Corella to New York City Center with his dance company Barcelona Ballet, which until recently was known as Corella Ballet. This year we find the primier danseur and his troupe doing things a bit differently than their 2010 appearance, most notably with the world premiere of the third and final set, Pálpito.

Choreographed by Spanish dancers Á�ngel Rojas and Carlos Rodríguez, Pálpito is a mixture of several traditional Spanish styles of dance infused with a classical ballet influence. Set to a score by Héctor González, the performance is haunting and driving at the same time, filled with eerie flamenco vocals and magical tango rhythm and strings, a mixture of Spanish heartbeats with striking and ornate Spanish flavored costumes by Vicente Soler. Pálpito also marks Ángel Corella’s only appearance of the evening and it is well worth the wait. With each twist and turn Corella shows strength, stamina, and grace as his energy practically erupts from the stage during his intense and contemporary solo.

Its final viewing tonight, Barcelona Ballet with a new name, a new style, and new choreography shows that its artistic growth and development continues as this young company vies to establish it self further as Spain's only classical ballet company.

The world's first subterranean park, Delancey Underground, moved one step closer to reality this past Friday when the public funding drive, via KickStarter, for this innovative design proposal closed. Since dubbed The Low Line, the initial target of $100,000 was easily surpassed attracting donations totaling more than $150,000 since February 22nd.

The underground space, formerly The Williamsburg Trolley Terminal, was built in 1903 and served as a depot for streetcars and ferrying passengers between Williamsburg and the Lower East Side. When the trolley service ended in 1948, the terminal closed, and has lain dormant since. Despite six decades of neglect, the 1.5-acre space still retains some of its original features; including remnant cobblestones, crisscrossing rail tracks, and vaulted ceilings.

With no natural light, the underground terminal may not seem like the most natural park locale. However, creators Dan Barasch and James Ramsey plan to utilize new technology that directs sunlight below ground transforming The Low Line into a "year round public space", supporting farmers markets, concerts, and art installations.

CREATURES OF LIGHT

This past weekend, Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence, opened at the American Museum of Natural History. The exhibit reveals some of the most magical, wondrous, and truly extraordinary creatures and phenomena found in the natural world and aims to educate us on how and why these fascinating creatures emit light.

However academic, Creatures of Light manages to preserve that other worldly mystery, even cherishes it. Treating its installations as if they were an actual bioluminescent bay of glowing plankton in Puerto Rico, or bright strands of glow worms hanging from the massive ceilings of the Waitomo Caves of New Zealand, and the pitch blackness of the deep sea where angler fish use a luminous bulb of bacteria dangling above their heads to lure prey into its gaping jaws.

The exhibition department has worked hard to create a hushed, dimly lit habitat throughout. Recreating the conditions under which any bioluminescence is actually seen, giving you a pretty good sense of these worlds and there inherent strangeness.

Visitors will surely treasure the experience of exploring the deep sea homes of luminous fish, shuffling through a field of flashing fire flies, investigating caves strung with jewel like glow worms, and wading through a digital bioluminescent bay that glitters underneath each step. Creatures of Light's fabulous simulations are encaptivating and provide an insightful glimpse of a world that we cannot readily sample.

EMPRESS OF
FASHION

Tracing the history of American fashion it is hard to miss the trails of Eleanor Lambert. Renowned American publicists and founder of Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), The Costume Institute, Fashion Week, and The Best Dressed List. Lambert is the ultimate small town girl who made it big, not only for herself but notably for the American industry of fashion and art. Due to her passion for fashion, interior design, philanthropy and contemporary art, her endeavors made her a groundbreaking pioneer that brought international fame to American fashion and designers alike.

Eleanor Lambert: Still Here is a remarkable biography written by her assistant and fashion historian, John Tiffany. From being appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to the National Council of the Arts , to organizing events in America and Europe, and being involved in directing and founding Museums, Eleanor Lambert accomplished beyond her dreams. In this book, the author depicts her signature styles, skills, and business savviness that are all still emulated today and marked by her indelible footprint traced from history to today’s fashion.