"I am on you, you are on me" dance performance celebrates IDAHOT in downtown Yerevan, Armenia

While Armenian LGBT activists are not quite able yet to openly celebrate IDAHOT, they find creative ways to make sure that the event is marked in the very heart of Armenia’s capital Yerevan.

"I am on you, you are on me" creative dance performance was staged instead. Bravo.

Love is unprotected in a street,
love is fragile at home,
when there is no love.

«Ես քո վրա, դու իմ վրա» պարային ներկայացում

Սերն անպաշտան է փողոցում,
սերը խոցելի է տանը,
երբ չկա սեր:

 

Epress.am provides more details (AM) and video of that performance.

Սերն անպաշտպան է փողոցում, սերը խոցելի է տանը Երեկ Հյուսիսային պողոտայում «Ես քո վրա, դու իմ վրա» պարային ներկայացումն էր։ Միջոցառման հրավերը տարածել էր «Հանրային տեղեկատվութուն և գիտելիքի կարիք» (Փինք Արմենիա) հասարակական կազմակերպությունը հետևյալ մակագրությամբ. Սերն անպաշտան է փողոցում, սերը խոցելի է տանը, երբ չկա սեր:  

Միջոցառումը սկսվեց շատ հանկարծակի. երկու աղջիկ իրար ձեռք բռնած նստել էին մայթեզրին։ Հետո դանդաղ պարելով սկսեցին իջնել դեպի Աբովյան-Հյուսիսային պողոտա խաչմերուկ։ Աղջիկները կանգնում էին, նստում, գետնին թավալվելով առաջ շարժվում, իրար շալակում։  

Պարի ընթացքում մեծ թվով անցորդներ հավաքվեցին։ Նրանց արձագանքները հիմնականում բացասական էին.
- Դե էլ սանիտեկը (աղբահանություն և սանմաքրում իրականացնող ընկերություն-խմբ․) ինչի ա աշխատում, սրանք լավ էլ մաքրում են պոլերը։
- Անբարոյականնե՛ր։
- Սենց թավալվելով գնան, մեզ մինչև Ռասիա կհասցնեն։
- Վայ քո, ուր հասանք։
- Արա, լավ կինո ա, մենակ կինոյում սենց բան կանեն։
- Ինչ էշություն ասես կանեն։
- Դե հա անում են, որ Եվրոպայից փող ստանան։
- Լավ, սրանց ծնող չունեն։
- Լավ է ապե, հելանք ստուց, ստեղ ուրիշ շուխուռ ա։
Մոտենում են տղա և աղջիկ։ Աղջիկ. – Էս ի՞նչ ա։ Տղա. – Գործ չունես, մի նայի տենց բաների, գնացինք։  

Վերջում պարող աղջիկները ինչքան հանկարծակի հայտնվել էին, այնպես էլ հանկարծակի անհետացան։ Հյուսիսային-Աբովյան խաչմերուկում տաքսին կանգնեց, նրանք գնացին։

And here is a beautiful photo story of the performance on Hetq.

From English National Ballet to my letterbox

English National Ballet definitely knows what kind of letters I would appreciate receiving in my letterbox ;))

P.S. New production Lest We Forget (2-12 April 2014) at Barbican, London. Already booked.

Boys with Attitude - pics of the day

Boys with Attitude is a new dance project by well known gay magazine Attitude. They headlined Attitude's 18th birthday party in central London. My fave picture among those I took during the party is No.3 :))

Cute Emmy + hot Greek dancers. Things started looking better for Armenia in Eurovision

While I have big reservations about Emmy’s Boom-Boom song, I started getting a little bit excited about her performance. Well, the picture says it all ;) Good choice of hot Greek dancers + cute Emmy. After all, this might not be as bad as I have thought before. Will keep an eye.

*picture - by Alain Douit (EBU) via Eurovision.tv

YES to SEX... NO to AIDS - party at Aftershock Republic for a worthwhile cause to mark World AIDS Day in Yerevan on 1 December

Participate in World AIDS Day events in Yerevan and finish the day in style and for a very worthwhile cause. Party at Aftershock Republic. Say "Yes" to Sex, and "No" to AIDS. Many surprises will be awaiting you there. Even more - the entrance is only 500 AMD, which will be donated to PINK Armenia.

For details of the event - see its Facebook page.

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake - Christmas theme for Fortnum & Mason famous department store in London

Unfortunately, when I was there today, I did not see the dancers (real ones). Apparently, they did pose for windows displays, as per these 2 pictures below via Fortnum & Mason website.

If you have not seen Matthew Bourne's production of Swan Lake, do it. It's on Sadler's Wells over December 2009 - January 2010. It's fresh, it's daring, it's sexy. I enjoyed it in full. Modern ballet at its best. I wish it would be possible to show Matthew Bourne's works, including Swan Lake and Dorian Gray in Yerevan too. It would be something, I promise.

Dorian Gray by Matthew Bourne

Matthew Bourne is one of my favourite contemporary British choreographers. I make sure not to miss his productions. So far, my top favourite among his works is the all-male Swan Lake.

And here is another treat: Matthew's interpretation of Oscar Wildes story of Dorian Gray . It's on Sadler's Wells in London 7-19 July. I've already booked my tickets. A must see, in my opinion. Below is a preview video clip of Dorian Gray.

...on my way from work (London, Friday evening)

...This is why I love London. Friday evening. On your way home from work you see this.

Yes, it’s a part of a sale PR campaign. But there is also money being collected for cancer charity. DJ is good, music is uplifting, girls are cool, men are sexy and naked. Can you ask for a better way to kick off the weekend? Well, unless you are having a date with one of them ;)

This is what I call survival in recession.

Obama and the Pope on dancers' naked bodies

ITN: US President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict have appeared in a dance show at the Acropolis in Greece - painted on the naked bodies of the performers.

It is the work of a Swiss artist who goes by the name of Dave, who said he chose the Pope and Mr Obama because they provoke conversation.

The work was inspired by fusionism which is an art form that combines abstract painting and choreographed performances.

It is part of an art marathon. The plan is that one artist will be sent to a different country every year for the next 42 years to exhibit their work and create discussion on how art can make the world a better place.

But it has not been easy for Dave. He said it took several days to create and plan the performance particularly the choreography, to make sure the picture fitted together properly. There was also a fair bit of re-touching when his art work got smudged.

Dave said: "This is really hard. Then it's the performance you have to plan and the painting... So I start at 8am and I'm still here."

Figure skating school named after Yevgeny Plushchenko opens in Yerevan

As a big fan of figure skating, I was thrilled with the news of opening new figure skating school in Yerevan named after one of my favourite figure skaters Yevgeny Plushchenko. This new school will operate at the Yerevan Sports and Concert Complex after Karen Demirchyan. Plyushchenko himself was in Yerevan to attend the opening ceremony (27 December) which was marked by an amazing show. Famous Hungarian composer and violinist Edvin Marton was in attendance too.

During Eurovision 2008 song contest Plushchenko and Marton took part in Dima Bilan's on stage performance as part of the winning Russian song Believe.

Below are couple of clips from the Yerevan show (via Tert.am). Simply fabulous!



Yevgeny Plushchenko and Edvin Marton



Elena Berezhnaya & John Timberman and Edvin Marton

Buenos Aires: To Do travel

Buenos Aires is on my To Do travel list of places to visit. There are number of reasons for that. This brief report by The Economist provides some of them. Despite complaints that gay scene in Buenos Aires became "too mainstream", and financial crisis affects gay tourists too, capital of Argentina seems to me a fascinating place to go. I definitely wanna try one of those tango classes. As they say, "it takes two men to tango" ;)

"[...] Tourism officials reckon that at least a fifth of foreign visitors to the city are homosexuals.

In recent years, Buenos Aires has hosted a gay tourism symposium, a gay football tournament, a gay film festival and the first gay cruise in South American waters; it is now home to a gay hotel, a gay bookstore, and a network of stores providing discounts to customers wielding a “gay-friendly Buenos Aires” card. The influx of so-called “pink money” has become a pillar of the city’s economy. Gay tourists, most of whom are affluent and childless, spend on average around $250 a day on top of their hotel bill.

The city’s combination of European architectural elegance and Latin American flair at knock-down prices has attracted tourists of all sexual orientations. But unlike many other Latin American cities, Buenos Aires has established a reputation as being open and tolerant in a region where homophobia remains prevalent. It has been a regional leader in expanding gay rights.

The city council has approved a law authorising same-sex civil unions, and taken other measures that provide for benefits to pass to surviving partners in such unions and to require hospitals to refer to transgender patients by their chosen rather than legal names. And its array of gay-themed or gay-friendly venues comfortably eclipses the offerings in other Latin American capitals. [...]"

*photo - by AFP, via The Economist

Breaking the boundaries: Man and Machine dance duet

‘The romance of the season’ (The Guardian)



Dance Umbrella's international festival of contemporary dance 2008 breaks boundaries with a performance uniting man and machine like never before.

*source: Telegraph and Dance Umbrella

This must be inspired by Cronenberg's Crash.