The spirit of Peter Jensen’s awkward, gangly beauty manifests itself this season in the form of Shelley Duvall, the 70s star of Woody Allen and Stanley Kubrick’s films. Fresh with yellows, purples, and greens-the palette popped with the simple colour-blocking of crepe shirts tucked into pencil skirts, scalloped edge dresses and a silhouette that was unmistakably 70s. Long lashes exaggerated on the lower lid seemed to express the candour of a bright eyed ingenue. The mood was bright, atmospheric and pointed towards a season of optimism and youth.

Text and images by Ting Ting Qian

I love to rise in a summer morn,
When the birds sing on every tree;
The distant huntsman winds his horn,
And the skylark sings with me:
O what sweet company!

But to go to school in a summer morn, -
O it drives all joy away!
Under a cruel eye outworn,
The little ones spend the day
In sighing and dismay.

Ah then at times I drooping sit,
And spend many an anxious hour;
Nor in my book can I take delight,
Nor sit in learning’s bower,
Worn through with the dreary shower.

How can the bird that is born for joy
Sit in a cage and sing?
How can a child, when fears annoy,
But droop his tender wing,
And forget his youthful spring!

O father and mother if buds are nipped,
And blossoms blown away;
And if the tender plants are stripped
Of their joy in the springing day,
By sorrow and care’s dismay, -

How shall the summer arise in joy,
Or the summer fruits appear?
Or how shall we gather what griefs destroy,
Or bless the mellowing year,
When the blasts of winter appear?

The School Boy – William Blake

http://patrikervell.com/

To dance as if cutting a figure in the air, with a shirt and bow tie, they stand straight, suck in their stomachs, heads held high. Their moves are bold, legendary, quick, swift, slow, tender, gentle. They are the ballast upon which women lean. Strong and balanced.

She caresses the floor with her foot, tracing circles. Keeping her knees together tight, she follows the man’s signals, body and hands. Moving in time with the music, moving in time with her partner’s movements, she waits, senses, moves and anticipates. She is always giving. She raises her right hand only when the man raises his. Their heads touch lightly at the forehead.

Except “she” is not there.

When walking forward or backwards, the leader should place his feet where the follower’s was. This allows for continuity, equanimity, and balance. Though the leader leads & the follower follows, in a sense the follower is followed by the leader. The leader must listen as well to the partner. It is a conversation to which the two agree.

Would you like to dance? Meaning, do you agree to follow me?
Yes, they say.

Ryan McNamara performance at Louis Vuitton from Sang Bleu on Vimeo.

photography & video © Maxime Büchi & Jeanne-Salomé Rochat

Yesterday we attended to the Launch of the 26th issue of iconic french fashion magazine Encens. It took place at non-any-less-iconic NY store Atelier on Hudson street. Needless to say, the cream of the crop was to be found among the attendees. Pictured here Zana Bayne (wearing a very impressive new piece of hers), Nikki Moose & jewelry designer Jonathan Goldstein.

see you there!

Here are, finally, some views of the launch of Novembre Magazine at the Swiss Institute in New York City. Thanks to Clément Delépine, Gianni Jeltzer and their numerous assistants and interns, as well as ours, the evening took place in the best conditions.

In one room, people could leaf through the pages of our very precious first issue (only 8 copies touched the American ground until today, so you can imagine their unimaginably high value). Also, a few bloody beverages were served.

In the two other rooms, visitors could attend « ambient readings » and help themselves of a free poetry booklet.

Those situations were curated by Elvira Belafonte and Ariana Reines, featuring works by Dan Hoy, Brian Kerstetter and Filip Marinovich.

The also crowd attended a late performance by Anne-Lise Costes, Trevor Millay and Brad Taormina, aka the band YOU.

Thanks to the artists involved, and to the curious for coming!

RoxanneLola MovementMachine presents the premiere of Anne Zuerner’s first evening length work, NEAR THE FAR, a site-specific contemporary dance work for CPR’s brand new performance space. This emotionally intense, cinematic work, features remarkable dancing by Emma Desjardins (Merce Cunningham Dance Company), Ellie Kusner (Pam Tanowitz Dance), Adele Nickel (Sara Michelson’s Dover Beach, Liz Gerring Dance, CorbinDan…ces), and Anne Zuerner, as well as a haunting, original score for keyboard and synthesizer composed and performed live by Porcelain Skyline. Painter David Pappaceno contributes his visionary designs to CPR’s large white walls.

Performances will take place:

Wednesday and Thursday at 8:00pm,
Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and 9:00pm.

Tickets are $17 and available online at smarttix.com, (212) 868-4444, and at the door.

Only 30 audience members may attend each performance, so reservations are recommended!

More infos: Center for Performance Research