Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney break up

Lady Gaga has ended her 10-month romance with actor Taylor Kinney, a source close to the American pop star told UsMagazine.com Wednesday.Lady Gaga (AFP-Yonhap News)The insider said Lady Gaga, 26, and Kinney, 30, are "on a break." "She will be touring non-stop until next year and has found she can't have relationship at the same time," the source told the magazine. "There's just no room for anythin

May 3, 2012

The North Face’s reign at risk

Hit with biggest-ever fine, U.S. outdoor brand to take legal  action against FTCThe U.S. outdoor brand that has dominated the South Korean market for years is at risk of losing its position after it was hit with a record fine. The nation’s antitrust watchdog hit The North Face Korea last week with a 5.2 billion won ($4.6 million) fine for compelling all 151 of its retailers here to charge 10 to 15 percent higher prices than for rival brands since 1997 to maintain the brand’s premium image. The F

May 1, 2012

Korean ballerino wins top prize at Youth America Grand Prix

Korean ballerino Kim Ki-min, currently with the Mariinsky Ballet Company in Russia, won the prestigious Grand Prix Award at Youth America Grand Prix, the world’s largest student ballet competition, in New York last week. The 20-year-old ballerino, a graduate of Korea National University of Arts, is the first Korean to win the top prize at the international competition. Kim also won a gold prize with Korean ballerina Jung Ga-yeon, 19, in the Pas de Deux category at the competition.“The Grand Prix

May 1, 2012

Kang’s ‘The Lady of the Camellias’ returns to Seoul

For Kang Sue-jin, principal dancer in Germany’s Stuttgart Ballet, “The Lady of the Camellias” means a lot ― Kang’s dramatic portrayal and technical proficiency in the ballet drama earned her the dance world’s prestigious Benois Prize in 1999.Thirteen years later, the Korean ballerina now in her 40s will be performing Marguerite Gautier, a tragic courtesan in 19th century Paris, again in Seoul with the Stuttgart Ballet at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on June 16-17. And her portrayal

May 1, 2012

New Orleans, U.N. concerts mark world jazz day

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ― As the morning sun spilled over the New Orleans’ skyline Monday, jazz musicians Herbie Hancock, Ellis Marsalis and others kicked off International Jazz Day with a sunrise concert that included ritual drumming and a string of performances, a day that culminated in the evening with a grand all-star concert at the United Nations.In the morning, trumpeters Terence Blanchard and Kermit Ruffins, singer Stephanie Jordan and others performed “On the Sunny Side of the Street’’ and “Afr

May 1, 2012

Lady Gaga teacup hits $50,000 and rising in Japan

Fans bidding in a charity online auction to buy a teacup used once by pop diva Lady Gaga had offered more than four million yen ($50,000) by Tuesday, with five days left before the hammer falls.The china cup and saucer set was used by the star at a press conference inTokyo three months after the massive tsunami of March last year swamped a large stretch of coastline.Lady Gaga told reporters at the

May 1, 2012

Museum shows Joseon scholar’s teachings on wife’s hanbok

The Museum of Silhak, or study of “practical learning” of the late Joseon period, is hosting the special exhibition “Dasan, his life and ideal at the Han River” on late Joseon scholar Jeong Yak-yong from April 27 to Sept. 9.“Hapicheob,” referring to Jeong’s writings on an old hanbok skirt sent by his wife while he was in exile in Gangjin, South Jeolla Province, is among the highlights of the 70 or so items exhibited. The scholar wrote words of virtue for his sons and daughters in 1810 and sent t

April 30, 2012

Ditto to perform Russian classics in Japan

All-male chamber ensemble Ditto has been invited to perform at La Folle Journee au Japon “Days of Enthusiasm” Music Festival currently being held in Tokyo, its agency said.The ensemble members, including violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill, pianist Jiyong, cellist Michael Nicolas, and violinists Johnny Lee and Erik Schumann, will perform classical music composed by Russian musicians in the Marunouchi area of Tokyo during Japan’s annual spring holiday Golden Week. This is the ensemble’s third perform

April 30, 2012

A time to appreciate gugak

Different types of Korean traditional music to be staged for families, touristsA variety of gugak performances will be staged this month, offering families and tourists a chance to appreciate different types of Korean traditional music, mostly in Seoul.To celebrate the 615th anniversary of King Sejong’s birth year, the National Gugak Center presents three large-scale performances from May 5-15 in Seoul and Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.The state-run gugak center will stage its new signature piece “Se

April 30, 2012

Hancock celebrates International Jazz Day

PARIS (AP) ― Herbie Hancock and scores of other big names in sound, rhythm and improvisation gathered in Paris on Friday to celebrate a new annual event: International Jazz Day.Hancock, a UNESCO goodwill ambassador, is the force behind the creation of a world day of jazz on April 30 starting Monday.The yearly event aims to encourage people around the world to break down barriers between them using music.“International Jazz Day is the great metaphor for international harmony,’’ Hancock told The A

April 29, 2012

Gaga conquers packed Olympic Stadium

Pop star speaks up about age ban after week of silenceDespite the fervent prayers of conservative Christian groups and small protests outside Jamsil Sports Complex Stadium, Lady Gaga took to the stage Friday night, to the screams of more than 40,000 fans.It was reportedly the largest crowd in the stadium since Michael Jackson held a concert there in 1996.The 26-year-old singer first took to the Gothic castle-inspired stage riding a mechanical horse and donning a warrior-like outfit, complete wit

April 29, 2012

See art, be art: Visitors to strip at Sydney museum

Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art issued a tough dress code for visitors in the past few days: birthday suit only, shoes optional.  The museum announced a tour on April 27 to 29 during which participants have to be completely naked, according to BBC and other news reports.The tour is a performance led by Melbourne artist Stuart Ringholt, aiming to address “themes of fear and embarrassment” of humans.Nevertheless, being naked is not the sole feature of the event. MCA says being nude gives visit

April 29, 2012

Make May a month of family fun

Exhibitions, performances and hotel packages offer something for everyone during family monthMay, a month marked with days celebrating the family, is just around the corner. Though bills will run up while preparing for Children’s Day coming up next week (May 5), soon followed by Parents’ Day (May 8) and Teachers’ Day (May 15), the month should be celebrated properly. If you are thinking about something more special than crowded amusement parks, here are some interesting and fun suggestions to pl

April 27, 2012

Calendar

Theater“On an Azure Day”: Director Go Seon-woong’s award-sweeping play about the 1980 Gwangju democratization movement is back for a second run ― just in time for the 32nd anniversary of the historical event on May 18. The show premiered last year and won the grand prize and best play at last year’s National Theater Awards. It tells a story of middle-aged Buddhist monk Yeosan, who participated in the uprising and was brutally tortured by the authorities upon his arrest. At the time, he testified

April 27, 2012

Eyelike

Moore distinguishes himself with debutKip Moore ``Up All Night” (MCA Nashville)On his debut album ``Up All Night,” country music newcomer Kip Moore manages to fit contemporary country music’s narrow conventions, yet distinguishes himself with a musical vision of his own. Aided by producer Brett James, the Georgia native treads familiar territory, singing about home, faith, trucks, beer, good love and living life on his own terms. Yet he makes these overworked themes engaging by matching his hoar

April 27, 2012