UCLA music school admin to speak on Orwellian power of streaming industry

Music streaming services like Spotify are watching you. With the ability to ascertain consumers’ activities based on time of day and type of music, streaming companies know about the granular data of their customers, from when they exercise to when they sleep, said Gigi Johnson. Johnson, the director of the UCLA Center for Music Innovation, […]

Alumna brings female protagonist to forefront in modern adaptation of Greek myth

“Eurydice” twists the classic tragedy of Orpheus by giving its neglected female protagonist a voice. Although the original myth follows the Greek hero’s quest to the land of the dead to rescue his muse Eurydice, this modern adaptation reunites Eurydice with her deceased father. The play, told from Eurydice’s perspective, reaches its climax when she […]

Dance alumnus uses choreography to explore, teach new styles

Alex Swift Almaraz’s first tattoo reads, “Live hard, die free.” The tattoo reflects a mantra he would later devise, taking inspiration from the words of house dance pioneer Marjory Smarth: “Live true, dance free.” Almaraz, a UCLA alumnus, will share his passion for teaching and performing hip-hop, house dance and Chicago footwork this summer. After […]

Faculty composers to showcase musical pieces inspired by poems, nature

Faculty composers will present their original works at a concert Tuesday, showcasing a myriad of inspirations from birchwood trees to poetry. The works of members of UCLA’s composition faculty will be played in Schoenberg Hall. Peter Golub, an adjunct professor of composition and film music, said faculty concerts allow students to experience a range of […]

Student designs appealing socks based on UCLA’s banana obsession

Tina Li designed a pair of socks inspired by the UCLA trend of students swiping copious banana from the dining halls.   The socks, called “The Most APPEALING Crew Socks,” depict the yellow fruits lined up in rows. The first-year pre-business economics student launched her sock company HapiThreads on April 2 and currently sells three […]

HOOLIGAN’s “Sister Act” changes up show’s musical, design conventions

Erin Harris will trade a sequined dancing dress for a nun’s habit in HOOLIGAN Theatre Company’s production of “Sister Act.” Harris, a fourth-year economics student, plays Deloris Van Cartier, a nightclub dancer who is forced to abandon her love for performing and embrace life as a nun after witnessing her gangster boyfriend commit murder. While […]

Theater review: ‘Swan Lake’

The Los Angeles Ballet’s “Swan Lake” found its wings after a rocky start. The ballet performance Thursday at Royce Hall featured elegant costuming and special effects that transported the audience into Odette’s world. Though the dancers occasionally struggled with timing, the production delivered the story with just enough pageantry as to not distract from the […]