|
Trepak (The Nutcracker)
Trepak (russian: Трепак; uk, Трoпак, Трiпак) is one of the character dances from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous 1892 ballet ''The Nutcracker''. It is based on the traditional Russian and Ukrainian folk dance also called the trepak. In the Ukrainian language the trepak is known as tropak (or tripak).Humeniuk, Andriy (1962): Ukrainian Folk Dances (Українські Hароднi Танцi). Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. The piece is also referred to as the Russian dance and is part of the Divertissement in Act II, Tableau III. The other character dances in this divertissement are: Chocolate (Spanish dance), Coffee (Arabian dance) and Tea (Chinese dance). Tchaikovsky's Trepak is written in AABA form. Its tempo is molto vivace – prestissimo, the time signature is , and the key is G major. In popular culture * The Trepak is used in the Disney film ''Fantasia''. In the sequence, flowers take the place of the Cossack dancers, with thistles resemb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Character Dance
Character dance is a specific subdivision of classical dance. It is the stylized representation of a traditional folk or national dance, mostly from European countries, and uses movements and music which have been adapted for the theater. Character dance is integral to much of the classical ballet repertoire. A good example of character dance within ballet is the series of national dances which take place at the beginning of Act II of ''Swan Lake''. The ballet ''Don Quixote'' also features many character variations based on traditional Spanish dances. Popular character dance adaptations for ballet also include the national dances of Hungary , Russia, Poland, Italy and Spain: csárdás, mazurka, tarantella, flamenco, etc. One of the best known schools that incorporate character dance to teaching syllabus is Vaganova Ballet Academy. Outside of Russia and the former republics of the late Soviet Union, there is little training in the art of character dance. However, it is still ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thistle
Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. These prickles are an adaptation that protects the plant from being eaten by herbivores. Typically, an involucre with a clasping shape similar to a cup or urn subtends each of a thistle's flower heads. The comparative amount of spininess varies dramatically by species. For example, ''Cirsium heterophyllum'' has minimal spininess while ''Cirsium spinosissimum'' is the opposite. Typically, species adapted to dry environments have greater spininess. The term thistle is sometimes taken to mean precisely those plants in the tribe Cardueae (synonym: Cynareae), especially the genera '' Carduus'', ''Cirsium'', and ''Onopordum''. However, plants outside this tribe are sometimes called thistles. Biennial thistles are particularly noteworthy for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hopak
Hopak ( uk, гопа́к, ) is a Ukrainian folk dance originating as a male dance among the Zaporozhian Cossacks, but later danced by couples, male soloists, and mixed groups of dancers. It is performed most often as a solitary concert dance by amateur and professional Ukrainian dance ensembles, as well as other performers of folk dances. It has also been incorporated into larger artistic opuses such as operas, ballets and theatre. The hopak is often popularly referred to as the " National Dance of Ukraine" and has become very popular in Poland. There are similar folkloric dance tunes known as ''Sirmpa'' in Leros, Greece. Etymology The name ''hopak'' is derived from the verb ''hopaty'' ( uk, гопати) which means "to hop," as well as the corresponding exclamation ''hop!'' ( uk, гоп) which can be uttered during a jump as an expression of surprise or amazement. It is also referred to as gopak from the Ukrainian form. History Medieval history The Hopak developed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hungarian Dances (Brahms)
The ''Hungarian Dances'' (german: Ungarische Tänze, links=no) by Johannes Brahms (WoO 1), are a set of 21 lively dance tunes based mostly on Hungarian themes, completed in 1879. They vary from about a minute to five minutes in length. They are among Brahms's most popular works and were the most profitable for him. Each dance has been arranged for a wide variety of instruments and ensembles. Brahms originally wrote the version for piano four hands (piano duet: two players using one piano) and later arranged the first ten dances for solo piano. Background In 1850 Brahms met the Hungarian violinist Ede Reményi and accompanied him in a number of recitals over the next few years. This was his introduction to "gypsy-style" music such as the '' csardas'', which was later to prove the foundation of his most lucrative and popular compositions, the two sets of ''Hungarian Dances'' (published 1869 and 1880). Only numbers 11, 14 and 16 are entirely original compositions. The better ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kalinka (1860 Song)
"Kalinka" (russian: Калинка) is a Russian folk song written in 1860 by the composer and folklorist Ivan Larionov and first performed in Saratov as part of a theatrical entertainment that he had composed. Soon it was added to the repertory of a folk choral group. Song The refrain of the song refers to the ''kalinka'', which is the snowball tree ''(Viburnum opulus)''. It has a speedy tempo and light-hearted lyrics. The main refrain (Kalinka, Kalinka ...) increases in tempo each time it is sung. One of the best-known singers of this song was Evgeny Belyaev (1926–1994). Lyrics sample Recordings and cultural influence Kalinka is considered one of the most famous Russian folk and folk-style songs in Russia, and all over the world. Instrumental organ versions of this song can be found playing in North American ice hockey arenas.CBC Sports"My Russia: Kalinka" 2014 Sochi Olympics, airdate: 2014 February (VIDEO) It appeared in the 1953 film ''Tonight We Sing'', perfor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crash Tag Team Racing
''Crash Tag Team Racing'' is a 2005 kart racing game developed by Vancouver-based Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games under the Sierra Entertainment label for the GameCube (NGC), PlayStation 2 (PS2), Xbox, and the PlayStation Portable (PSP). The game was released in North America on October 19, 2005 and in Europe on November 4, 2005. The PlayStation 2 version was re-released in the three-disc "Crash Bandicoot Action Pack" compilation (alongside ''Crash Nitro Kart'' and ''Crash Twinsanity'') in the United States on June 12, 2007 and in Europe on July 20, 2007. ''Crash Tag Team Racing'' is the third racing game in the ''Crash Bandicoot'' video game series, following ''Crash Nitro Kart''. The game's story centers on the exploits of the protagonist, Crash Bandicoot, who must win the ownership of a dilapidated theme park by finding its missing Power Gems before his nemesis, Doctor Neo Cortex, can. ''Crash Tag Team Racing'' received generally mixed reviews; wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Tell Overture
The ''William Tell'' Overture is the overture to the opera ''William Tell'' (original French title ''Guillaume Tell''), whose music was composed by Gioachino Rossini. ''William Tell'' premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini's 39 operas, after which he went into semi-retirement (he continued to compose cantatas, sacred music and secular vocal music). The overture is in four parts, each following without pause. There has been repeated use (and sometimes parody) of parts of this overture in both classical music and popular media. It was the theme music for ''The Lone Ranger'' in radio, television and film, and has become widely associated with horseback riding since then. Two different parts were also used as theme music for the British television series ''The Adventures of William Tell'', the fourth part (popularly identified in the US with ''The Lone Ranger'') in the UK, and the third part, rearranged as a stirring march, in the US. Franz Liszt prepared a piano transcripti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parodius Da!
''Parodius! From Myth to Laughter'', released in Japan as and outside Japan as ''Parodius'' (from "Parody Gradius"), is a shoot 'em up arcade video game and the second title in the ''Parodius'' series produced by Konami. The European SNES version is also known as ''Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy''. The gameplay is stylistically very similar to the ''Gradius'' series, but the graphics and music are intentionally absurd. As a result of its localised title, ''From Myth to Laughter'' is often mistaken as the original game of the series. The lesser known original game, '' Parodius: The Octopus Saves the Earth'', was released for the MSX computer in Japan. Story Gameplay As stated above, gameplay is very similar to the ''Gradius'' series with a few differences. ''Parodius'' retains the selectability of different weapons configurations but implements via four different characters: Vic Viper (from ''Gradius''), Octopus, TwinBee, and Pentarou. The second main difference is the additi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Comeback (TV Series)
''The Comeback'' is an American comedy-drama television series produced by HBO that stars Lisa Kudrow as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in modern-day Los Angeles. It was created by Kudrow and Michael Patrick King, a former executive producer of ''Sex and the City''. Kudrow and King are also screenwriters and executive producers of the series, with King also serving as the director of some episodes. The series originally aired for a single season of 13 episodes from June 5 to September 4, 2005, before being cancelled. Nine years later, ''The Comeback'' was revived for a second season of 8 episodes that aired from November 9 to December 28, 2014. ''The Comeback'' is a satirical and comedic look inside the entertainment television industry. It was shot by a two-camera crew. The first season is presented as found footage shot for the fictional reality show within the series, also called ''The Comeback''. The second season is presented as found footage shot by a camera crew original ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tetris (Game Boy)
''Tetris'' (russian: link=no, Тетрис) is a puzzle video game created by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov in 1984. It has been published by several companies for multiple platforms, most prominently during a dispute over the appropriation of the rights in the late 1980s. After a significant period of publication by Nintendo, the rights reverted to Pajitnov in 1996, who co-founded the Tetris Company with Henk Rogers to manage licensing. In ''Tetris'', players complete lines by moving differently shaped pieces (tetrominoes), which descend onto the playing field. The completed lines disappear and grant the player points, and the player can proceed to fill the vacated spaces. The game ends when the uncleared lines reach the top of the playing field. The longer the player can delay this outcome, the higher their score will be. In multiplayer games, players must last longer than their opponents; in certain versions, players can inflict penalties on opponents by completin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orchid
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering plants. The Orchidaceae have about 28,000 currently accepted species, distributed in about 763 genera. (See ''External links'' below). The determination of which family is larger is still under debate, because verified data on the members of such enormous families are continually in flux. Regardless, the number of orchid species is nearly equal to the number of bony fishes, more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species. The family encompasses about 6–11% of all species of seed plants. The largest genera are ''Bulbophyllum'' (2,000 species), ''Epidendrum'' (1,500 species), ''Dendrobium'' (1,400 species) and ''Pleurothallis'' (1,000 species). It also includes ''Vanilla'' (the genus of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zaporozhian Cossacks
The Zaporozhian Cossacks, Zaporozhian Cossack Army, Zaporozhian Host, (, or uk, Військо Запорізьке, translit=Viisko Zaporizke, translit-std=ungegn, label=none) or simply Zaporozhians ( uk, Запорожці, translit=Zaporozhtsi, translit-std=ungegn) were Cossacks who lived beyond (that is, downstream from) the Dnieper Rapids, the land also known historically as the Wild Fields in what is today central and eastern Ukraine. Much of this territory is now flooded by the waters of the Kakhovka Reservoir. The Zaporozhian Sich grew rapidly in the 15th century from serfs fleeing the more controlled parts of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It became established as a well-respected political entity with a parliamentary system of government. During the course of the 16th, 17th and well into the 18th century, the Zaporozhian Cossacks were a strong political and military force that challenged the authority of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Tsardom of Ru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
