Strictly Come Dancing’s “curse” used to be shorthand for a minor infidelity between a celebrity and their professional dance partner, adding an extra dose of excitement to the ballroom drama. For the past few weeks BBC bosses could be forgiven for thinking that their biggest show, Strictly itself, was cursed. The corporation’s executives were forced… Read More »
Since Pina Bausch’s death 15 years ago, the unique German choreographic collective Tanztheater Wuppertal has been plagued by speculation about its future. The constant question is not how to keep the flame of her haunted dance theatre alive, but how to transcend the art of revival (no matter how meticulously undertaken) and move forward by… Read More »
German photographer Thomas Hoepker, who has died aged 88, became renowned for his humanistic approach to capturing the joys and tribulations of the human condition. He is best remembered for his iconic portraits of Muhammad Ali, taken over a two-week period in Chicago in 1966, and is best known for his controversial photograph of five… Read More »
April Cantelo, who has died aged 96, was a gifted and versatile English soprano with a clear, brilliant voice who rose from the Glyndebourne choir to create the role of Helena in Benjamin Britten’s opera A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Aldeburgh Festival in June 1960; she went on to find a special place in… Read More »
Tenerife is a laid-back destination at the best of times, but if you want maximum holiday with minimum fuss, then all-inclusive is for you. The island has a number of hotels and resorts where all expenses are pre-paid, meaning your focus is on pampering 24/7 rather than looking after your cat. Choose an adults-only retreat… Read More »
It can be easy to feel like we have America figured out. Its music, movies, television, literature, and landscapes are everywhere in our daily lives. And this being a presidential election year, you can follow every twist and turn leading up to the White House in real time, if you will. It’s the stuff of… Read More »
It’s a day that feels very British – around 20 degrees, sunshine, drizzle – but my surroundings are very different. We’re talking to ballet star and company director Nina Ananiashvili in her office in the ornate neo-Moorish opera house in Tbilisi, ahead of the Georgian State Ballet’s first visit to the UK. “Do you see… Read More »
The list of services offered ranges from the fantastic to the painful, the tear-jerking to the bizarre. There is everything from organ replacement procedures to bariatric surgery, Brazilian butt lifts to hair transplants and full-body MOTs. This is not the body modification menu from a sci-fi novel but the packages on sale at the Health… Read More »
Sir Richard Branson has always been a class warrior. His airline Virgin Atlantic was the brash David who took on British Airways’ pukka, clipped-voiced Goliath and won. On his first jet, a leased Boeing 747, Branson introduced Upper Class, a cabin between business and first class. Virgin was the first major carrier to introduce Premium… Read More »
A big summer vacation is a double-edged sword: A glimmer of hope on the horizon, but also a source of stress (last-minute deadlines, the knowledge that leaving the office won’t put off the boss). Regular weekend getaways are easy resets. So where to go? Below are 12 of our favorite restaurants with rooms that will… Read More »