Stockholm: Cooler than you

Sorry this post is so delayed in coming-- as soon as I got back from Stockholm, I was buried chin-deep in preparing the grant application for our new project, based around a cantata about Psyché! Complete serendipity that I fell in love with that painting earlier this month. Psyché and I are just meant to be.

Anyway, I got just the briefest glimpses of Stockholm during my week there (dancing and thinking about dancing for 8 hours a day will really dampen the sightseeing desire). However, I did see a lot of fantastically cool stores (thankfully closed) including second-hand stores (Swedish vintage? YES!), and on the last night Karin, our gracious hostess, took us to see one of the best variety shows that I've ever seen. New circus (trapeze, juggling, pantomime, and all other various insane tricks) is very big in Sweden; in fact, at the university dance department, you can major in it!! So, at this variety show, we were treated to a girl who can juggle while doing a slow somersault, boys jumping on a see-saw in order to get really high in the air for multiple back-flips, the most famous mime couple in Sweden (I was told they have directed operas...), and some kind of gay guy medley that was totally spot-on Chelsea boy (even the American accent was correct!!).

Check it out: Salong Giraff!


The coolest thing about he apartment in which I was staying was the tile stove (for heating), much like the one above, only all in highly glazed green-blue tiles.

I'm so happy that I will be going back to Stockholm a couple more times-- in April to wrap up the course and in August to dance with the New York Baroque Dance Company. Plenty of time to discover more charms!