From one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world comes one of the most dynamic ballet companies, the Semperoper Ballet in Dresden, Germany, and its performance of La Bayadere (The Temple Dancer).
The classic tale has been infused with an Indian inspiration: set in ancient India, it chronicles the love and intrigue between Nikiya, a temple dancer, her rival, the Rajah's daughter Hamsatti and Solor, a noble warrior passionately loved by both women.
This version of the classic ballet has stunned audiences across the world, with its bold set design and costumes, as well as its innovation in storyline, reshaping ballet for a 20th-century audience.
La Bayadere will be performed tomorrow and Saturday, 8-11pm, at the Emirates Palace Auditorium, as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival. Tickets, from Dh295-495, are available at www.timeouttickets.com.
Pop song gives Mad Men new star
A sultry French pop song from the 1960s has become an instant 2012 internet buzz phrase, all thanks to the season premiere of AMC's Mad Men on Sunday.
It has also propelled the actress who sang it, a 30-year-old Canadian with no musical training, into the spotlight. Jessica Paré stole the show when she performed Zou Bisou Bisou (which translates roughly to Oh Kiss Kiss) during a scene where she surprised her new husband and the lead star Don Draper, played by the actor Jon Hamm, on his 40th birthday.
Paré told E! News after the broadcast she had no idea how popular the moment would become when she was filming it: "I had a lot on my plate at that moment. I just was like, 'I can't believe I'm new on the show and the first thing I have to do is an entire song-and-dance routine for the whole cast!' That's really intimidating!"
The song has since been released as a single on iTunes.
Photo prize announces winners
The inaugural Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (shortened to HIPA) awarded US$100,000 (Dh367,000) on Tuesday night to a France-based photographer who scooped the grand prize.
Pierre Gable described his winning image as a representation of the age-old connection between men and trees. The photograph shows a tree, swathed in fog, shot in the early hours of the morning in Provence. "Nature, for me, is a symbol of love and honour," Gable said. "A woman is looking at the tree, and realises that they are in connection yet somehow different from each other."
Gable will use the prize money to buy a new camera and travel to Dubai and Africa on photography expeditions.
In the Emirati award category, in the section "Love in the Homeland", Mohammed Abdullah Al Hashimi took first prize. It is the first time that the UAE-based photographer has been awarded for his work.
The award attracted 4,046 contestants, with a total of 5,597 competing images, under six different winning categories.
Disney stars to land in Dubai
The teenage actresses Bella Thorne and Zendaya Coleman from the Disney Channel's Shake It Up are the latest celebrities to create their own concoction at Millions of Milkshakes in The Dubai Mall.
The stars will begin their trip at the mall's Virgin Megastore at 10.45am today for a session with fans. Later, they'll head over to Millions of Milkshakes to unveil their signature flavours, following in the footsteps of Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner, who attracted thousands to the shop last November.
Tomorrow, the girls will travel to Abu Dhabi to dine at the Al Wahda Grand Millenium's Alhan restaurant with their fans. Those who want to meet Thorne and Coleman can buy wristbands at Millions of Milkshakes and Virgin Megastore. The cost is Dh400 per person for a regular wristband and Dh600 for a VIP version.
Avatar producer: Asia largest film market
Jon Landau, the producer of Titanic and Avatar, has predicted that the Asian region will become one of the largest movie markets in the coming years.
Passing through India to promote the 3D version of Titanic, Landau told the trade magazine Box Office India: "The Asian market is becoming vastly important … Collections-wise, it will be one of the largest markets in the next decade."In the same interview, Landau denied rumours that Avatar's sequel has been delayed.
Music and dance for a cause
Tonight at 8pm at the Sheikh Rashid Auditorium in Dubai, the International Association of Human Values will present Rang de Rhythm, a live music and kathak event featuring a unique blend of performances by the Bollywood singer Hema Sardesai and the acclaimed dance group Gurukul, lead by Pali Chandra.
The event aims to raise funds for charitable initiatives such as the Sri Rakum School for the Blind in Bangalore.