Art Nu

Traditional Portuguese Songs, also Known as FadoSpeak of Life, Struggle and Passion.Fado is a profoundly melancholic music genre originating in 1820s Lisbon, characterized by expressive vocals, themes of fate (saudade - longing), and intimate tavern performances. Accompanied by 12-string guitars, it is a national treasure often performed in Alfama or Bairro Alto, reflecting daily hardships.  Fado quickly took its place as the music of the country. 

Music 🇵🇹 Português 🎼 Versão Fado 🎸 👇 🖥️ 👇

Stunning Photos That Show The Art Of Ballet In A New Light, As Captured By Brad Walls

Ballet is often thought of as an art form rooted in tradition, with elegance, symmetry, and timeless discipline. But Australian aerial photographer Brad Walls has taken this centuries-old dance and reframed it, quite literally, from above. His latest series of photographs reveals ballet in a way we rarely get to see, transforming movement and form into breathtaking patterns of light, shadow, and geometry.

Looks from the Met Gala 2026 red carpet and the art that inspired them...

Ciara + Nefertiti Bust

Sam Smith + Erté

Cardi B + Hans Bellmer

Angela Bassett + Laura Wheeler Waring

Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo + Nike of Samothrace (Winged Victory)

Claire Foy + John Singer Sargent

Luke Evans + Tom of Finland

Rachel Zegler + Paul Delaroche

Alexi Ashe + Yves Klein

Apparently, it is very hard to get away with terrible behaviour, even if you are Nureyev.

Hailed as a superstar, his legendary status still shines 30 years after his death as arguably the most famous ballet dancer ever. But I'm not sure many are aware of his problematic and incredibly erratic behaviour, on and off stage.

What shocked me the most?

In 1969, during the premiere of Giselle with La Scala ballet, he slapped a ballet dancer WHILE ON STAGE.

Yes, you read that correctly, DURING THE PERFORMANCE.

The reason? After landing a bit off, Nureyev found himself too close to the corps de ballet. Upset, he proceeded to INSULT the closest ballerina, who DARED to respond in kind. And low and behold, the great Nureyev thought it appropriate to SLAP the girl who, understandably shocked and upset, fled the stage.

But this is not the end. Nureyev then FOLLOWED her backstage, where he had to be restrained by stagehands, all while "Giselle" had to IMPROVISE a variation because her "Albrecht" was suddenly missing.

Of course, the theatre tried to shut the whole thing down, but it is hard to hide from A LITERAL AUDIENCE, and so news of this shenanigan travelled quickly all over the world.

To save face, La Scala pulled the entire upcoming production of the Nutcracker, of which Nureyev was going to be the star, and replaced it with a recast Giselle. The exile didn't last long though, and mere months after the incident he was cast again to open the summer season.

As for the girl, who filed a formal complaint for slander and battery, she was painted as an arriviste who was only after fame and was downgraded as an understudy for two years.

Experiment with Nureyev's fluid movement from sepia rest to b/w pose. A loss to humanity in his passing, but he comes to life within 3 seconds. The photos transforming here were found on Tumblr.

Nureyev is a highly acclaimed and historically controversial biographical ballet created by stage director Kirill Serebrennikov, choreographer Yuri Possokhov, and composer Ilya Demutsky. It chronicles the monumental life, spectacular defection, and open homosexuality of Soviet-born dance icon Rudolf Nureyev. https://kirillandfriends.com/en/events/nureyev/

2017 Bolshoi Premiere: The work originally premiered at Moscow’s legendary Bolshoi Theatre on December 9, 2017. Its initial July debut was abruptly cancelled by Russian authorities, officially due to "unpreparedness," though reports heavily cited its prominent LGBTQ+ themes. Serebrennikov himself could not attend the premiere as he was placed under house arrest by the Russian government on unrelated, highly disputed financial charges.

The Russian Ban: Despite its massive popularity and winning Best Ballet Performance at Russia's prestigious Golden Mask National Theatre Awards in 2019, the production was officially banned and pulled from the Bolshoi's repertoire in 2022/2023 under Russia's stricter anti-gay propaganda legislation. [1, 2, 3]

2026 International Renaissance: Following Serebrennikov's exile from Russia, the production made its monumental international debut outside of Russia in March 2026. The Staatsballett Berlin successfully resurrected the exact staging, featuring former Bolshoi principal dancer David Motta Soares in the titular role.

The Auction Frame: The entire narrative unfolds around a lavish auction after Nureyev's death, where his real-life possessions are sold off, with each item triggering a memory from his past.

The Male Pas de Deux: It pioneered male-centric storytelling in classical spaces, utilizing an emotionally raw, intimate dance between Nureyev and his lover, Erik Bruhn, to anchor the production's emotional core.

La bohème (Zeffirelli, 1965)

Full opera with English subtitles

Music: Giacomo Puccini Libretto: Luigi Illica, Giuseppe Giacosa

Conductor: Herbert Von Karajan. Director: Franco Zeffirelli.

Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Alla Scala

Mimì: Mirella Freni Musetta: Adriana Martino Rodolfo: Gianni Raimondi Marcello: Rolando Panerai Schaunard: Gianni Maffeo Colline: Ivo Vinco

Producer: Zeffirelli Cinematography: Semmelroth English Subtitles: Cipriani

When Puccini completed La Bohème in his study at midnight on 10 December 1895, three years after he had begun it, he burst into tears, so great was his own emotion. Sentimental though it may seem, it was the death of Mimi that did it to him. The man who has often been accused of 'manipulating' his audience clearly found it easy to manipulate his own emotions, to the extent that, on finishing Bohème, he admitted that he 'had to get up and, standing in the middle of the study, alone in the silence of the night, I began to weep like a child. It was as though I had seen my own child die.'"