Dance returned to the Birmingham Hippodrome last night with a Summer triple header from the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Composed of Apollo, Interlinked, and the beloved ‘Still Life at the Penguin Cafe’ this was a perfect celebration of ballet in all its guises. Apollo Apollo is just gorgeous, combining the music of Stravinsky with the brilliant 1920s choreography of George Balachine. This is one of ballet director Carlos Acosta’s favourite roles, and it was certainly performed with verve and passion by the brilliant Brandon Lawrence, in his last performances as part of the BRB. The story of the new God Apollo, wonderfully unveiled by three of the muses, those presiding over…

The allure of the silver screen isn’t just about gripping storylines or stellar performances. A significant factor often overlooked is the role of costumes in creating iconic characters. On our website, costumesplanet.com, we delve deep into the captivating world of costume design and its impacts. Costumes as Storytelling Tools Have you ever noticed how a character’s outfit can often hint at their personality traits or their story arc even before they utter a single line? That’s because costumes are one of the most powerful storytelling tools in a filmmaker’s arsenal. Take for instance, the bright colors and eccentric styles of Harley Quinn’s outfits in the “Suicide Squad” movies, reflecting her…

If you’re a mom, chances are you have to do at least some of the cooking for your family. Whether you like it or not, at least some of the culinary duties tend to fall on mom’s shoulders. You may not know how to cook; You may not enjoy cooking; But if cooking is part of your life, it’s important to learn how to do it well. It’s not impossible to cook great meals that your kids will enjoy, with little mess, but it’ll require you to learn some new skills. Here are some of the best ways. Look the Part. A continuous frustration for new home cooks is getting…

In our ever changing times, it is not enough for shops, businesses and services to just provide a product. It is not enough for the same businesses, shops and services to just be good at what they do without thought for anything other than making a nice healthy profit. In our global village, we all have to show social responsibility for each other, and for our planet, and the best companies are those that are prepared to pay it forward, by either investing in their workers, or helping their local or wider community through charitable and philanthropic deeds and projects. This is corporate social responsibility and we are seeing it…

After a long, hard day, we all want a little bit of warmth and comfort when we get home and for that, we can turn to the brand Kudd.ly. Kudd.ly is all about comfort and wellness, about products that actually add value to our lives by making us relax and unwind, and forget about the stresses and strains of the day. They are experts in cosywear, from wonderful weighted blankets to poncho towels perfect for your upcoming summer holidays, and all kinds of seriously cosy lounge wear. In short, Kudd.ly offer the kinds of products that make you feel cosy and safe, and frankly, I love them. My key pick…