The Liberation of Paris

 Eighty years ago today, the German troops occupying the French capital of Paris surrendered and it was the Allies' turn to march down the boulevard toward the Arc de Triomphe.

 

It's International Dance Day!

It's that day again where we celebrate the grace and beauty of dancers.

 

 
 Dancers sacrifice a great deal for their craft. Some of them spend so much time on their feet, dancing, that they forget how to properly sit down.

 
 
 

And then there are those who dance so much they forget how to walk properly.

 

But we appreciate that they are willing to go through such grueling workouts and difficult lifestyle... and we are thankful for all that they give us. Especially on April 29 for the Shades of Gray picture show!

 

 Meanwhile, Bianca Scaglione was running majorly late, but still put in an appearance!

(And you can pass the time between now and next International Dance Day by watching the fun videos on Bianca's YouTube Channel. Things are in color over there, but don't be frightened!)

Observing the Leap Year!

It's a Leap Year, so here are some leaping ballerinas and dancers!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

'Garden of Souls' contains both good and bad

Garden of Souls (2022)
Starring: Betty Roehm Widdoss, Karen Lynn Gorney, Eric Bower, and Jackie Capizzi
Director: Christopher Milewski
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

A grieving young widow (Widdoss) is approached by a strange old woman (Gorney) with a promise to  reunite her with her dead love.

"Garden of Souls" is one of many attempts at emulating the style and content of silent movies from the 1910s and 1920s that you can find while prowling through the depths of YouTube. Although the pacing is a bit slow at times and the story logic is a bit murky, the creators here captured the style of early films with great effectiveness.

One thing that would have improved this film would have been a more effective use of the color tinting. I am not a fan of this, but when I've seen it used in actual vintage films, I could easily and quickly grasp what they were trying to convey, either scenery-wise or character-wise. Here, there didn't seem to be an immediate comprehensible reason for some of the color choices -- or maybe I was just particularly dense on the day I watched the film. Take a moment and watch the film (embedded below for your convenience) and tell me what YOU think the viewer should infer from the various tints.

Another thing that would have made this a much stronger film would have been a stronger attention to detail as far as the costumes go. In one scene, Widdoss character while dressed in an immaculate white gown picks up a shovel and starts digging in a grave. When she's done, her gown is still spotless. This REALLY pulled me out of the film, and I think that even filmmakers in the 1910s would have dirtied her up a bit.

To beat the summer heat...

... the Shades of Gray Dancers are staying close to (or in) the sea!

Summer is in full swing...

... and the Shades of Gray dancers are heading to the beaches!

Is it time to stop?

We've been tracking the dancers in the wild for a year now. Is this where we stop the monthly posts? Will the dancers be left alone until next International Dance Day?

Time will tell. Meanwhile, you can help us choose... will the last Wednesday each month continue as Dancer Day or not? What do YOU want?

The Day of Rest

Everyone's needing to recover and regain some strength after the massive party that is International Dance Day!

 

 
 
 
 

It's International Dance Day AND Arbor Day!

This year, International Dance Day coincides with Arbor Day, so some of the ballerinas who ran off to dance their way through the wide world are spending it with the trees that have become their friends.

Others are dancing with or for their mighty friends...
 

 

... and some, like Irena, are communing with the spirits of trees long gone.

A few of them did return to Shades of Gray HQ for some slightly more traditional International Dance Day activities...

 

 

 

But the question now is... how long will they stay?