On today's show:
Dancing at home
(Starts at 9:15)
It's been a little over a year now since the L.A. Dance Project (LADP), founded in 2012 by Benjamin Millepied, opened its own performance and rehearsal space in the Arts District. The company presents performances 3-4 times a year in its space and also tours to cities around the world. It also offers workshops, classes and residency opportunities for local artists. Millepied, a former New York City Ballet principal and former director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet, spoke with The Frame about his unique approach to choreography for his latest work, "I fall, I flow, I melt." The work, which is being performed through Jan. 20, is staged in the round and set to music by Bach and Pulitzer Prize winner David Lang, and performed by violinist Etienne Gara.
Turns out, there is an 'Upside'
(Starts at 1:15)
It's admittedly a slow time of the year at the box office, but "The Upside" won the weekend with almost $20 million in business. The movie was originally developed by The Weinstein Co. and has been in limbo while the company's legal and financial issues were sorted out. And the film's performance also didn't seem to suffer from the recent controversies involving co-star — and exiled Oscars host — Kevin Hart. Pamela McClintock of The Hollywood Reporter sorts it all out with John Horn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt1EEV-Szu4
String Theory
(Starts at 20:40)
Fifty years ago, jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby recorded an album called “Afro Harping.” The album became well known in hip-hop circles after J Dilla, Pete Rock, Madlib and others sampled it. Ashby pioneered the use of harp in jazz and pop, a legacy that is continued today by Brandee Younger. She has collaborated with the likes of Moses Sumney, Ravi Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Lauryn Hill, and worked to reintroduce modern audiences to Ashby’s music. Younger and retired harpist, Sarah Lawrence, discuss Ashby’s legacy with Frame producer Jonathan Shifflett. They tell the story of how Lawrence came to own Dorothy Ashby’s harp.