Artsweek / Ukrainians turn on dazzling leaps and bounds

Another big week of arts events – dancing, singing, painting, drama and more – in HELEN MUSA’s “Artsweek” column.

THE Grand Kyiv Ballet of Ukraine will stage a one-hour version of the ballet “Forest Song”, described as “a fairytale for adults and children”, to be followed by the last part of the popular comic ballet, “Don Quixote”, complete with gypsies, bullfighters, lavish costumes and dazzling leaps and bounds. The Playhouse, May 21-23.

ADFAS Molonglo Plains presents a lecture on “Art Nouveau Architecture Around The World” by Ian Gledhill, who has designed underground railways as an engineer for London Transport and appeared in pantomime with Julian Clary. Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall, 2pm, May 18.

CANBERRA author Robyn Cadwallader has launched a new novel, “The Fire and the Rose”, a love story set in Lincoln, England, in the final decades of the 13th century, featuring the story of Eleanor, the little girl in her previous novel, “The Anchoress”.

ARTISTIC duo Pablo Latona and Claire Granata, of PeopleLab, are launching the Festival of Everyday Art. There’ll be an art treasure hunt, treasure trails, an art workshop and an exhibition at Canberra Museum and Gallery, May 20-July 16.

THE Belgian embassy is opening its gates to celebrate with a market, live entertainment, food and drinks to support beekeepers in Ukraine. 19 Arkana Street, Yarralumla, 11am-3pm, May 20.

THE Second Mother Tongue open mic event for 2023 is coming up at Smith’s Alternative,  7pm, May 22.

QUEANBEYAN-Palerang Regional Council is hosting the Minecraft Sustainable Design Competition for primary school students across the council area, asking students to design something that reduces, replaces, re-uses or repurposes plastic. Entrants can download a standardised base world to use when building their designs, then record a short, narrated video of their design for submission to qprc.nsw.gov.au/minecraftcomp by June 5.

JOHN Shortis, who has spent 50 years as a professional songwriter, is offering a course in songwriting. Room 11, Ainslie Arts Centre, Braddon on Tuesdays May 30, June 6, 13 and 20.

Concerts

• THE Royal Military College Band performs masterworks for wind ensemble, at Llewellyn Hall, May 20, entry by gold coin donation, (proceeds support Legacy) but bookings essential at eventbrite.com.au
• “Letter from Home” is a concert by the quartet, Ennes Mehmedbasic (oboe), John Ma (violin), Lucy Carrigy-Ryan (viola) and Liam Meany (cello). Wesley Music Centre, 3pm, May 20.
• Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and flautist Ana de la Vega will perform the opening concert in the new Snow Concert Hall, Canberra Grammar School, Monaro Crescent, Red Hill, 7pm, May 20.
• BLAMEY Street Big Band returns to the stage with “Ella Fitzgerald meets Count Basie”, Harmonie German Club, Saturday, May 20.
• CANBERRA Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Classics series presents “Darkness to Light”, Clara Schumann’s G minor piano trio and Dvořák’s Second Piano Trio. Albert Hall, 2pm, May 21.
• ART Song Canberra presents soprano Sonia Anfiloff, Wesley Music Centre, 3pm, May 21.
• RICHARD Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra join Will Gregory and his Moog Synthesisers as they perform film music in “A Clockwork Orange and Beyond”. Llewellyn Hall, May 23.
• ROBYN Mellor, Canberra’s premier recorder performer, is presenting a special concert described as “an epic Tardis”, supported by Ariana Odermatt on harpsichord and Rachel Walker on viola da gamba. Wesley Music Centre, 12.40 to 1.20pm, May 24.

Galleries

• NANCY Sever Gallery has paintings by Jamie Boyd, “The river and the olive grove”,  Level 1, 131 City Walk, Civic, May 21-June 18.
• “WISH You Were Here” is an exhibition by Megalo Artists in Residence from 2013-2023. Megalo Print Studio, Kingston, May 20 – July 1.

On stage

• CANBERRA Youth Theatre director Luke Rogers stages Dawn King’s “The Trials”, a hot-topic play where kids put the adults on trial. The Courtyard Studio, May 19-28,
• BODIES will be bouncing off each other, shifting against each other and moving in and out in the annual showcase by Quantum Leap Dancers in “Communicate”, The Playhouse, May 18-20.