On November 4, a momentous cultural event is occurring in Moscow. An American ballet dancer will debut as a full-fledged member (premier danseur) of the storied Bolshoi Ballet company.
Twenty-nine-year-old David Hallberg of South Dakota -- "obviously one of the great male dancers in the world," according to "The Washington Post" -- speaks to correspondent Richard Solash about his life, his career, and what dancing at the Bolshoi means to him.
Staying with Russia, RFE/RL producer Pavel Butorin invited Brian Whitmore -- the man behind our popular Power Vertical blog -- into the studios for a lively discussion of the case of Yury Luzhkov. He's the colorful former mayor of Moscow who recently gave a frank interview to RFE/RL that he blames for the fact that he's been called to testify in a fraud case allegedly connected to his wife. You can read the original interview with Luzhkov here.
Voters in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan go to the polls on October 30 to elect a new president and hopefully usher in a period of much-needed stability. As correspondent Daisy Sindelar reports, however, things haven't gotten off to a promising start, as a grisly murder case and the brutal legacy of former President Kurmanbek Bakiev are casting a shadow over the vote.
Grant Podelco
And finally to Afghanistan, where correspondent Frud Behzan takes a look at the country's fledgling filmmaking industry. If lack of money and resources weren't challenges enough, outside interference is also playing a role in keeping the world -- and even Afghans themselves -- from seeing some important work.
This week's host is Grant Podelco.
This week's show features music by Adolphe Adam from the ballet "Giselle," in which Hallberg will make his Bolshoi debut, as well as "Dokhtar Amu Jan" from "Traditional Music of Herat."
Got a question or comment about The Blender? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us your feedback or leave a comment below.
Listen to or download Episode 42 of The Blender above, or subscribe to The Blender on iTunes. For the complete Blender archive, click here.
Twenty-nine-year-old David Hallberg of South Dakota -- "obviously one of the great male dancers in the world," according to "The Washington Post" -- speaks to correspondent Richard Solash about his life, his career, and what dancing at the Bolshoi means to him.
Staying with Russia, RFE/RL producer Pavel Butorin invited Brian Whitmore -- the man behind our popular Power Vertical blog -- into the studios for a lively discussion of the case of Yury Luzhkov. He's the colorful former mayor of Moscow who recently gave a frank interview to RFE/RL that he blames for the fact that he's been called to testify in a fraud case allegedly connected to his wife. You can read the original interview with Luzhkov here.
Voters in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan go to the polls on October 30 to elect a new president and hopefully usher in a period of much-needed stability. As correspondent Daisy Sindelar reports, however, things haven't gotten off to a promising start, as a grisly murder case and the brutal legacy of former President Kurmanbek Bakiev are casting a shadow over the vote.
This week's host is Grant Podelco.
This week's show features music by Adolphe Adam from the ballet "Giselle," in which Hallberg will make his Bolshoi debut, as well as "Dokhtar Amu Jan" from "Traditional Music of Herat."
Got a question or comment about The Blender? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to send us your feedback or leave a comment below.
Listen to or download Episode 42 of The Blender above, or subscribe to The Blender on iTunes. For the complete Blender archive, click here.