This year, the art world’s ability to rally and produce engaging and vital works has been a constant glimmer of hope amidst global turmoil. With the revived Friday Five, we bring you our weekly choice of the top five things to check out in the near future—highlights from all over, as well as from the Flynn. And as you enjoy, please consider supporting these artists and arts organizations. Every donation counts. We hope these diverse works from all corners of the art world ignite your curiosity, fuel your imagination, and help strengthen and energize our community.
In addition to these weekly selections, we also keep a more comprehensive rolling list of ongoing and upcoming happenings at our ONLINE ARTS GUIDE.
In this duet, Vermont dancers Christal Brown and Lida Winfield explore their similarities. Even as they recognize their differences—some superficial, others deeply-rooted—they keep an unwavering focus on how their individual paths led them to this point of collaboration and connection. Both artists are 41 years young. Both recently lost their mothers. Lida grew up in the North, Christal in the South; both come from small towns. Lida is white; Christal is Black. They’ve both lived the rigor of being artists, educators, and survivors.
Same But Different is presented by the Flynn and was created with support from Middlebury Performing Arts Series. This performance will stream through the Flynn website and is available January 30 at 7 pm through February 6. Tickets can be purchased and redeemed any time within that period.
Mountainfilm on Tour showcases a selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed and incredibly inspiring documentary films curated from the annual Mountainfilm Festival held in Telluride, Colorado. In lieu of a traditional in-person gathering, the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in Stowe will be hosting a virtual screening of Mountainfilm on Tour with an inspiring program of films that explore themes connected to Mountainfilm’s mission of using the power of film, art, and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world.
Presenting masterful renditions of classic blues greats like Albert King and Lighting Hopkins, covering songs by their vocal heroes Mavis Staples, Jimmy Witherspoon and Etta James, and creating their own original music, this duo has garnered a lot of attention and developed quite a fan base. Joined by drummer Ezra Oklan and with Nicole’s expressive, emotional, and nuanced singing and Dwight’s dynamic guitar, their music is sure to get you dancing and singing in your living room.
It’s time for Andy and Laura’s Painting for Two–the BEST paint-a-long instructional show on public access WBPP! By signing up for this week’s show, you’ve received your canvas and paints in the mail, and you’ll be following along with Andy and Laura to make it a masterpiece in a night where wine and canvas meets live theater. One small change: Laura isn’t here. She’s gone. But… Andy’s here, live… from the living room they once shared… and he’s ready to make this blank canvas into a stunning piece of art with YOU! Also, due to budget cuts, we may need him to host a few more shows throughout the evening… also the future of the station may be at stake. But… it’ll be fine, right? Yeah… yeah it’ll be… fine…
Painting for One was written by Hank Greene and Emily Goodson and is directed by Chad Rabinovitz.
Launch into a brave new world with actor/singer Cathy Ang (Fei Fei), producer Peilin Chou and composer Marjorie Duffield as they take us behind the scenes of this landmark animated musical adventure. Co-hosted by Naomi Lam '21. You can join this live conversation with questions and comments via YouTube.
And kids have a special opportunity to submit a question via video! Record a 10–15 second video asking your question and submit it by 8 pm ET on Sunday, February 7th. If selected, we'll play your video during the show and the guests will respond live!
In celebration of Black History Month, you’re cordially invited to a groundbreaking live conversation with a panel of current and former Black dancers of Houston Ballet to continue the conversation around “Breaking Boundaries” in the world of dance. Building upon the series of interviews released last fall, Breaking Boundaries Live takes a deeper dive into the experiences of Black men and women in ballet as well as discuss the BIPOC movement that has made an impact since summer 2020.
Hosted by ABC 13’s Melanie Lawson, with co-hosts Lauren Anderson and Harper Watters, the panel features dancers across multiple generations of Houston Ballet fame, including Adrian Vincent James, Sandra Organ, Kiya Sturm, Deon Allen, Caleb Mitchell, Ayisha McMillan, Cleopatra Williams, Chavo Killingsworth, Daniel Durrett, Kellen Hornbuckle and Naazir Muhammad.
Explore Mark Morris’ Dido and Aeneas, a danced opera to Henry Purcell’s score, through a week-long series of talks and classes around the screening of the filmed version of the work from 1995. The film will be available to stream on demand for the entire week. The first screening day will be followed by a live Q&A with Morris and Barbara Willis Sweete, the director of the Dido and Aeneas film. Other weekly activities include talks with dancers and artistic collaborators, Dance with MMDG classes for all levels to learn excerpts of the work, Dance for PD classes appropriate for anyone with mobility concerns, and more. Dido and Aeneas Week is free.
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