See Saw

The US Chamber Doesn't Speak For Me: Kevin Buckland and Hans Hansen

 

I have to bring you this wonderful video. Yay agit prop!!

 

Made by Hans Hansen for 350.0rg

Pierre Bennu: Black Moses Barbie

 

Black Moses Barbie commercial #2 of 3 from pierre bennu on Vimeo.

This video contains many of my favorite elements: progressive politics, dolls and deconstruction of images and fakery. Wow.

"This mock commercial for a Black Moses Barbie toy is the 2nd in a series of 3 celebrating the legacy of Harriet Tubman. It is part of Pierre Bennu's larger series of paintings and films deconstructing and re-envisioning images of people of color in commercial & pop culture."

 

source 

 

Les Ballets Russes - film footage found!

The Ballets Russes on stage during their first visit to the Fêtes des Narcisses when they danced Les Sylphides and Aurora’s Wedding (which is shown in this photograph). source- V&A Museum

The film won't embed, but do click this link to British Pathe to see film.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=79902

This is the only known footage of the Ballets Russes, the most exciting dance company of the 20th Century. Impresario Serge Diaghilev was adamant that no films be made of his ballets. This is a rehearsal of Les Sylphides, 1928 at the Fetes des Narcisses at Montreux, Switzerland. Serge Lifar dancing the lead.

 

see also THIS blog from the V&A museum curator Jane Pritchard:

 

What we see is I believe the June 1928 Festival (the topiary arch indicates this is the Ballets Russes second visit to Montreux when they danced Les Sylphides, Cimarosiana and the Polovtsian dances from Prince Igor). I believe that Serge Lifar was dancing the lead role – sometimes referred to as the poet. No doubt the long wig worn confused the cataloguer to suggest ‘One female dancer (representing Narcissus?)’.

 

See also this   from the Ballets Russes exhibition website at the Victoria & Albert Museum