Russian Event: Tania Stavreva - Brooklyn Recital Debut, 12/02/10 NY

Dec 2 - Dec 2  7:00pm - 9:00pm
Where:
FEZ ART CAFE - Brooklyn
Category:
Concerts
Created by:
LILITH_STUDIO


Once Upon A December!

Winter Classical Music Series at Fez Art Cafe Presents:

Tania Stavreva - Brooklyn Recital Debut
...
The program will include works by:

Debussy,
Mason Bates,
Stravinsky,
Prokofiev,
Chopin,
Scarlatti,
Erik Satie,
A. Vladigerov.

Detailed program: TBA

Described by the New York critics as "exceptional", "magnificent", "bold" and "dynamic", Bulgarian pianist Tania Stavreva made her New York Recital Debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in April 2009, as part of the Artists International’s 36 Special Presentation Winners Series.

This season, Tania Stavreva appeared at major venues including Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Williams, Brown and Seully Halls in Boston, Kosciuszko Foundation Auditorium, Lincoln Center’s Paul Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Yamaha Artists Services Piano Salon, Steinway Hall, Tenri Cultural Institute, Roulette, the Bulgarian Consulate General and the CSV Cultural Center in New York where she was featured on NY1 News by NBC reporter Asa Aarons. Recent recital performances include appearances at Steinert Hall, Boston Public Library, Boston Symphony’s Higginson Hall, Fogg Museum of Art at Harvard University, Goethe Institute-Boston, United University Church in Los Angeles, National Ethnographic Museum-Plovdiv, Bulgaria and “Sala dei Notari” Perugia, Italy. In August 2007, Tania appeared as soloist with Sinfonia Perugina, conductor Maestro Enrico Marconi at Cathedral San Lorenzo Perugia. Other orchestral experiences include performances with the Boston Conservatory Symphony Orchestra at Sanders Theater, Harvard University under the baton of Maestro Bruce Hangen. Invited by Amanda Palmer from the internationally-acclaimed band The Dresden Dolls, Tania is one of the first pianists of her generation to perform modern classical music at such rock club venues as the Webster Hall in New York and the Paradise Rock Club

Pink Party For a Good Cause- Helping Children at Foster Homes in Russia, 12/01/10 NY

Fundraiser Event Wed, Dec 1 at 7:30pm @ China 1, 50 Ave B, Manhattan
All proceeds from the admission and donations will be sent to a small Russian Detskij Dom in the Stavropol Region, to be received before the New Year's Holidays

Wear a Crazy Pink Outfit and have tons of fun!
Oracle and Tarot Cards Reading by Zhannet
Face Painting and Glitter Tattoo by Gulchik
Cash Bar
Min donation $10
RSVP: Elbruscenter@gmail.com
                                                                                                                                                                           Dec 1  7:30pm
Where:
China 1 - New York
Category:
Nightlife


Videos from Ismailova Theatre of Dance: Winter-Spring 2010 Ismailova Theatre of Dance, RSA Dance Ensemble [HQ]



Russian Event: MY LAST TEACHER - physical theatre play, Toronto, Canada

Time
Friday, November 26 · 8:00pm - 9:30pm

LocationUnity Toronto auditorium
173 Eglinton Avenue West
Toronto, ON

Created By

More Info
Ismailova Theatre of Dance proudly presents a physical theatre play My Last Teacher and you are invited to come. Your support and feedback are important for us. Mark you calendars for November 26th, Friday, 8 pm. We have been working hard for this and are very thankful for your wonderful support all this time!

The unique style of the play, bringing together theatre, music and dance, makes it a strong emotional experience for the audience. It is a story about the last day of childhood, making life choices, first love, and a high-school teacher involved in the graduation madness.

Come see the show and then stay for a reception to socialize and meet the artists.

My Last Teacher is produced with the help of the RSA Dance Ensemble.

Date: November 26th, Friday
Time: 8 pm
Address: 173 Eglinton Ave West, 5 min from Eglinton Subway Station
Pay-what-you-can admission

The cast:
Blythe Haynes
Lindsay Bellaire
Jennifer Fraser
Janet Li
Edgar Isturiz
Mariel Marshall
Lucy Ibarra
Alexandra Howells
Beekaa Abraham
Noor Mohammed

Emily Eyles
Yevgeniy Liokumovich
Tian Tian
Slava Chirikov
Inna Uretzki
Alexandra Goultyaeva
Alex Lisnyak
Twyla Kowalenko
Guest actor Alberto Abbud

Director: Merey Ismailova

Lights: Polina Radtchenko
Stage manager: Fabiola Ferrusquia


Tanya Derev'yanko In love with Salsa (hosted Russian Student Association at UofT):



Russian Event, UTDC Fall End Of Term Party, Toronto Canada

Time
Saturday, November 27 · 6:00pm - 11:00pm

LocationWycliffe College
5 Hoskin Ave

Created By

More Info
To celebrate yet another successful term of dance classes, we invite you to The Fall End of Term Party! Come to brush up on your dance skills, meet fellow dancers and to see live performances! Free Cover! Free Dance Lesson! Last but not least...FREE FOOD!!!

EVERYONE is welcome to attend!

Tentative program:
6:00-7:00 Social dancing to Latin music and Top 40, mingling, eating
7:00-7:30 Beginner Salsa lesson/Social Dancing
7:30-8:00 Social dancing
8:00-9:00 Performances
9:00-11:00 Social dancing

Music: DJ MoJoe and DJ^2.
MCs: Anna and Freeman


Tentative performances order:
# Class Teacher
1 Salsa Beginner Greg and Svitlana
2 Samba Sarah
3 Bachata Beginner Greg and Svitlana
4 Zouk Junyan
5 Korean Dance -
6 Salsa Beginner Christina and Jackson
7 Contemporary Adrienne
8 Sexy Hop Adina
9 Bollywood Romilla
10 Cha-Cha JP
11 Blues Demo Danielle Nash, Jules Nerestant
12 Salsa Intermediate Christina and Jackson (Choreo DJ)
13 Hip-hop Beg/Int Denny
14 Salsa Int/Adv JP
15 Popping Phil
16 Bachata Int/Adv Greg and Lucy


Russian Event, In love with Salsa (hosted Russian Student Association at UofT), Toronto, Canada


Salsa Night (hosted by RSA) on Thursday, February 15, 2010 - Hart House, U of T
Toronto, Canada

Putin praises 'real man' DiCaprio

Leo DiCaprio is a “real man”, according to Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin.
The two met in St. Petersburg on the final day of an international conference to protect tigers – with the Hollywood star braving a plane-crash scare to join the big event.
And he arrived with a gift of $1 million for the campaign to save the big cats.
“I would like to thank you for coming,” Putin said. “A man with less strong nerves might have refused and thought [the emergency landing] was a sign that you should not come.”
The actor, no stranger to trans-Atlantic tragedy after his role in Titantic, admitted that the thought did cross his mind, RIA Novosti reported.

Family connection
The tiger campaigner who came to tea
The tiger campaigner who came to tea
While DiCaprio has long campaigned for animal welfare, he also had a personal reason to come to Russia.
“The name of my ancestors was Smirnov,” he said. “I always wanted to bring my grandmother to St. Petersburg but that never came to fruition before she died two years ago.”
Although DiCaprio speaks no Russian himself, he was promised a warm welcome beside the Baltic.
“I’m sure that when you get to know St. Petersburg you will be proud of your Russian roots,” Putin told him.

Big cats
Aside from the star-gazing – which also featured supermodel Naomi Campbell and Russian rock star Ilya Lagutenko of Mumiy Troll – there was some serious discussion about how to save the world’s dwindling tiger population.
From the taiga of Russia’s far east to the depths of Bengal, the big cat is under threat from poaching and from loss of habitat, seeing the population in the wild plummet to as little as 3,000.
And Putin explained that Russia is planning a special programme to support the native tiger population and preserve the northern-most species of the big cat.
“We have to do much more,” said the PM. “However experts believe that at the moment we have the optimum number of tigers, based on the land that exists for them.
“It is not just territory, proper food supplies are equally important.”
The conference was attended by representatives of the 13 countries where tigers live and leaders of the WWF wildlife charity.
This year’s “Save the Tiger” campaign has raised $20 million, and the heads of state at the former have agreed a declaration to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022.

A school for Snow Maidens

Russia’s New Year demands Snow Maidens – and to ensure only the best are available more than 20 would be Snegurochkas are heading to Kostroma to learn how to be the perfect companion for Ded Moroz.
It’s no easy task to become Russia’s top Snegurochka, apparently. The 20 candidates will have to show off the calibre of their New Year’s handicrafts, demonstrate a rapport with children, sing, dance and show off their erudition, RIA Novosti reported.
And preparation for the contest will last for four days at the Regional House of Folk Art in the historic golden ring city.

The snow factor
A special Snow Maiden school, including guidance from choreographers and vocal coaches, will give the contestants the best chance to show off their charms before they compete for the title of Kostroma maiden.
And the honour has attracted entrants from Moscow, Yaroslavl, Vladimir and Kirov as well as the host venue.
“The title of Kostroma Snegurochka traditionally goes to the most beautiful, kind, intelligent and sociable girl,” said competition organiser Lyudmila Tarabrina.
Meanwhile the training will help the winner cope with a rigorous festive season of charity events, balls and fairs.

The Snegurochka legend
Tradition has it that Snegurochka is the grand-daughter of Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), the bearded, blue-robed Russian Santa Claus.
While Ded Moroz is said to live in Veliky Ustyug, Vologda Region, Snegurochka’s homeland is traditionally said to be the Kostroma Region community of Schelikovo.
An alternative version of the legend has her as the daughter of spring and frost, whose heart melts after she falls in love for the first time.
This tale has been made into a play by Alexander Ostrovsky – who owned an estate near Kostroma – and an opera by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

Putin's new pet overshadows South Stream deal

Vladimir Putin has returned from Sofia with a signed contract on the construction of the Southern Stream Pipeline and a new pet.
Under the agreement Bulgaria will increase its revenues from gas transit by 3-4 times. At this price Russia has gained the real chance to win customers in Eastern and Central Europe from its main competitor Nabucco project.
Not only pipelines are set to compete though. Russia’s top dog, Connie the prime ministerial Labrador, has a new rival in the kennels of power.

Fluffy surprise
But it wasn’t potential gains for the Russian economy that touched the Russian public. A Bulgarian shepherd puppy was given to the Russian PM as a gift from his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov. The three-month-old puppy was raised on Borisov’s personal dog farm, and the politician said it was Putin who wanted to introduce his new pet at the press conference.
The dog stayed oblivious to camera flashes and just sniffed its new master, who cuddled it and kissed it twice – in the nose and the head – in the end of the conference.
Putin’s press-secretary Dmitry Peskov told MK that it was a big surprise for the whole Russian delegation, and Putin personally. “The gift was totally unexpected. It was a pleasant surprise for PM. Even our organising group didn’t know anything in advance,” he said.

Choosing Yorgo’s doghouse
The puppy is called Yorgo, though Putin can change its name if he wants. However, the condition is that any new name would have to start with a “y”, which limits the options for Russian names.
And Putin’s latest pooch has yet to decide on an official residence, facing a choice between the official Moscow Region dacha at Novo-Ogaryovo or the family home in Sochi.
If he stays closer to the capital he will need to share with Connie and a few poodles owned by the PM’s spouse Lyudmila.
The Labrador has been Putin’s top dog since 2003, when she was given as a New Year gift by Emergency Situations minister Sergei Shoygu.
But she might actually lose her fight with the new rival – Yorgo will be at least 10 kilo heavier and 15 centimeters taller when he grows up.

Back to business
Away from the dog show, two years of negotiations have finally yielded a deal with Sofia – one which Putin hailed as an obvious boost for the Balkan country.
“Bulgaria’s financial gains are obvious,” said Putin at the press-conference on Saturday. “At present Bulgaria receives 600 million for gas transit, and with the Southern Stream project its profit will be 2.5 million,” he said.
The Russian PM didn’t clarify which currency he was talking about. Experts say the transit tarif would be three times higher than Ukraine’s if the PM meant US dollars, and four times more if counting in euro, Kommersant reported.
The rate, however, would sink significantly if Gazprom pays land lease fees.
With the agreement Russia has got a chance to win the battle for consumers in southern and central Europe, although it’s not the end of the campaign. The EU-backed Nabucco route might come first in this pipeline contest, as Turkish officials haven’t given their permission for laying pipes on the Black Sea Shelf yet.

Children of Russia’s Elite Accused of Living Above the Law



A Russian official’s daughter, who knocked down two people when driving, killing one, is facing a retrial. A Russian court says there were major violations in procedure during the first hearing.
Images of the crash caused public outrage. They showed Anna Shavenkova, daughter of the head of Irkutsk’s election committee, checking the damage to her car and not the victims.
The accident in December 2009 claimed the life of one woman and severely injured another. Shavenkova was given a three-year suspended sentence which was recently revoked.
The retrial is expected to start soon, but that brings little hope to Yulia Pyatkova, one of Shavenkova’s victims.
“A person can commit a crime and remain unpunished. Anna Shavenkova was not and will not be punished properly for what she did to us. I am sure of it.”
It is not the first time that children of high-ranking officials have caused controversy with their reckless driving and apparent lack of punishment.
When Valery Fadeev was mowed down by a car, it was just the beginning of a long and very difficult road to recovery.
Five years ago, Valery was knocked down at a bus stop and seriously injured. Since then he has been unable to gain a full investigation.
The memories of that day are still very clear in his mind.
“I remember exactly how it all happened – moment by moment,” Valery said. “My friend Ilya and I were standing here. As we parted, he left to cross the street on the green light – I remember the green light vividly. I had turned and begun walking in that direction, when I heard a sound and saw something flying towards me.”
The driver of the car was 18-year-old Evgenia Arbuzova, daughter of a former high-ranking FSB officer.
Valery’s case made it only to the civil courts after being denied a criminal trial.
“We asked for three million rubles in compensation. She was sentenced to paying 100,000 rubles to me. And she did, in installments. But before the trial, she was a shareholder at a major commercial bank in Moscow. At the time of the trial, it appeared she was just a poor student with 600 rubles monthly maintenance allowance,” Valery said.
Valery made eight attempts to have criminal proceedings opened but was refused every time.
“If an ordinary person had been in her place, they would have faced criminal punishment long ago,” notes lawyer Vyacheslav Popkov. “The incident is too serious to refuse to open a criminal case. There’s a category of the population in Russia which is immune from criminal prosecution.”
Valery's repeated attempts to get the case tried in the criminal courts led to Arbuzova’s family making accusations against him. They are claiming he jumped in front of the car and was trying to extort money from them.
In response, Valery made an online plea to Dmitry Medvedev: “I hope for your objective help, Mr. President.”
An investigation into the legitimacy of the refusals to launch criminal proceedings has now been ordered.
“I made my online statement not because I want compensation for my health, but because I have been accused falsely and because of all the corruption. I want justice,” – said Valery.
With a full investigation yet to be conducted, Arbuzova remains in the driving seat whilst Valery is left to slowly rebuild his life with the help of his friends and family.

Fred Weir, a journalist from the Christian Science Monitor, said similar cases occur in other countries, because the rich and powerful always have more means to defend themselves. He believes the reason some high-ranking officials and their family members can go unpunished in Russia is related to its Soviet past.

“I well remember that in the Soviet Union a party member could not be arrested. It doesn’t mean that party members could get away with anything, but the party charged them first. If they judged that he should be arrested and tried for a crime, they would be expelled from the party before they would go into the justice system,” he recalled.
“It was only like twenty years. Now that’s gone but it’s probably still fixed in every policeman’s mind – that certain people are untouchable,” Weir concluded.

Lev Tolstoy – A blogger of our time?



If Lev Tolstoy, who died 100 years ago, were alive today, he would likely be labelled an opposition extremist and possibly wind up in jail.
It may seem hard to believe, but in September 2009 a Rostov-on-Don region court, considering whether to close down a Jehovah’s Witnesses church in Taganrog, ruled that Tolstoy should be considered an extremist because he incited religious hatred.
The evidence chosen as proof was this Tolstoy statement: “I am convinced that the doctrine of the [Russian Orthodox] church is theoretically insidious and harmful lies, almost the same collection of the grossest superstition and witchcraft, hiding completely the whole meaning of Christian teaching."
Mikhail Ugarov, a Moscow theatre director and writer, says that if Tolstoy – a self-proclaimed Christian anarchist and pacifist – were living in today’s Russia, he would be a blogger in opposition to the government and the Orthodox Church.
His views would definitely land him in jail, Ugarov said.
“You know, looking at Tolstoy’s philosophical and religious writings, I’d say they would get him into a lot of trouble, because of our modern laws on extremism in Russia,” said Ugarov, who will be one of the speakers at a November 23 debate held by The Moscow News on “Tolstoy’s legacy for Russia”. 
No Orthodox forgiveness
Ahead of the 100th anniversary of Tolstoy’s death, on November 20, a leading Russian Orthodox official weighed into the controversy by saying that Tolstoy, who was excommunicated in 1901 for his non-conformist religious views, would never be forgiven by the church.
Archimandrite Tikhon, a secretary to Patriarch Kirill, wrote in an open letter that the church would not grant a request to forgive Tolstoy in time for the anniversary.
“It’s not possible for the Russian Orthodox Church to grant such a wish, since Lev Tolstoy never reconciled with the Church,” Tikhon said in the letter, which came in response to a request by Audit Chamber chief Sergei Stepashin to let bygones by bygones.
On November 18, Rossiiskaya Gazeta published a letter from Stepashin, who is also president of the Russian Book Union, to Patriarch Kirill, where he asked for the church to forgive Tolstoy.
Many other followers of the Orthodox Church believe that there is no point in reconciling with Tolstoy, even 100 years on.
Ten days prior to his death in 1910, Tolstoy left his home at Yasnaya Polyana to make a pilgrimage to an Orthodox monastery in Optina, but never arrived – instead dying of pneumonia en route at Astapovo station.
Orthodox Church experts insist, however, that Tolstoy would not have been reconciled with the church – even if he had made it to the monastery in time.
“We do have an absolutely clear answer here – he very clearly and repeatedly stated that he did not want to belong to the Russian Orthodox Church and did not want to take part in the sacraments,” Anna Danilova, editor-in-chief of “Orthodoxy and the World”, told The Moscow News.
While the Orthodox Church remains determinedly anti-Tolstoy, today’s Communists – who in Soviet times severely persecuted Tolstoyans – are much more in sympathy with the writer, who was well known for his Christian-anarchist and pacifist views.
“I think Tolstoy would have not been in favour with the Russian Orthodox Church now, because the church supports our government, and Tolstoy would have been opposed to that,” Sergei Malinkovich, leader of the left-wing Communists of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, told The Moscow News.
Other commentators said that, while Tolstoy’s views were non-conformist, they would not necessarily have landed him in trouble – just left him marginalised and kept off TV screens.
Yet Tolstoy, an avid diarist, would have been right at home in today’s blogosphere, experts agreed.
“The blogosphere would have been a good platform for Tolstoy,” said Pavel Basinsky, author of “Escape from Paradise”, a book about the last 10 days of Tolstoy’s life. “He loved being interactive and fancied technology – he even used a prototype of a modern pen for writing.”
Tolstoy would have been into LiveJournal-type discussions, too. “He liked such interaction between people,” Basinsky said.

Opponent of injustice
According to Malinkovich, Tolstoy’s social conscience would have led him to strongly criticise officials in power today.
“It’s a fact that even Lenin called him a mirror of the Russian revolution,” Malinkovich said.
But Lev Ponomaryov, head of the For Human Rights NGO, told The Moscow News that Tolstoy – while having opposition views – “wouldn’t go out in the streets – he would write instead, and write a lot.”
A serving FSB officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the press, said that Tolstoy would definitely be in opposition to the government today, but would have sought a peaceful way to protest.
“Lev Tolstoy didn’t recognise violence,” the officer said. “He was a patriot of his country and believed that weapons can only be used to defend the country, not the other way round.” 



Events commemorating the centenary 

Film:



The Last Station (Germany, Russia, UK)



35 mm: Fri. 10:40 pm, Sat. 4:50 pm, Sun. 10 am, Mon. 12:10 pm and 10:40 pm, Tue. 9:10 pm, Wed. 5:10 pm and 9 pm



Oscar-nominated historical drama about Lev Tolstoy’s struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a righteous life.

Public events:

International Tolstoy forum – Saturday, November 20. In Moscow, Tula and Yasnaya Polyana.



In Moscow, November 24-25, Lev Tolstoy State Museum.

November 21, 2pm. Lecture: “Lev Tolstoy – Christianity after Jesus Christ” at the Lev Tolstoy State Museum. 

November 20 – Free entrance to Lev Tolstoy’s mansion in Khamovniki, Moscow.


Russian Event, Can Can Russian Dancers NYC



Russian dancers, "Barynya" Russian folk dance



Russian judge, Mikhal Smirnov is a judge on Superstars of Dance on NBC



Russian magician, Magic Show Alex



Amazing Russian circus contortionist Natasha



Russian talent, Fire performance by Padoclab

Fire Show "Padoclab" (Russian: «Радослав») - consist of 11 fire performers. Solo fire performance, walkabout jugglers, stilt-walkers, fire-eaters, fully choreographed group fire show, professional fire performers


1st Russian Festival in Denver,"Russkij Sarafan"



Russian Event, Industry Mixer, November 26, 2010 NY

Please join Oceana Halls Event Staff as we open our doors for a monthly wine and cheese mixer starting August 26th at 7pm.

This is an open invitation for individuals to view our venue and interact with others in our area.

Come out and mix with Event PRoducers, Promoters, DJs, A&R reps, Media and Marketing companies and many, many more.

Entertainment will be provided as well.

Get to know the New Oceana Hall.

Event will be hosted by
Jamie and Yana

Contact info is on flyer.

Visit our website
www.oceanaballroom.com
718-513-6616
jamie@oceanahall.com
yanina0201@aol.com

Venue

Oceana Hall
Click to enlarge
Map
Venue:
Oceana Hall   -   Website
Street:
1029 Brighton Beach
ZIP:
11235
City:
Brooklyn
State:
NY