"Amsterdam opened my horizons and made me more versatile," said senior ballet major Michelle Thieme. Last summer, Thieme spent June attending a summer dance program in Amsterdam. Though located far from home, the program, ConfiDance, was run by a woman with roots in Utah.… 1 Comment

Movie theaters in Salt Lake City aren't difficult to spot -- Larry Miller has done a good job of making sure his sprawling Megaplexes are almost as visible as the Luxor laser beam in Las Vegas. This is great, especially in a city that suffers from murky-air inversions, blistering heat waves and frigid cold months -- theaters assure audiences that the proper room temperature for the human body is a mild 68 to 69 degrees, despite whatever chaotic, Katrina-like weather might be lashing outside.… Post the First Comment

Though an apathetic cringe may accompany any mention of the clichéd "college-is-for-horizon-broadening" adage, the U truly is a place to abandon prejudices of youth and acquire a more comprehensive cultural awareness. Art is an effective catalyst for this broadening and music is one of its most powerful mediums.… Post the First Comment

When it comes to the arts, Salt Lake City gets a bad rap. The assumption among outsiders remains that Salt Lake City is a second-tier fine-arts community. Nothing could be further from the truth. With more than 20 galleries in city limits -- exhibiting art works ranging from classical to modern in all ranges of media -- Salt Lake City boasts one of the largest per-capita fine arts communities in the Western United States.… Post the First Comment

"Hairspray" New Line Cinema Directed by Adam Shankman Written by Leslie Dixon, based on the 2002 stage musical Starring: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley and Nikki Blonsky Rated PG/117 minutes Opened July 20, 2007 Four out of four stars If the appeal of an actress can be measured by how well she pulls off riding into school on top of a garbage truck, Nikki Blonsky has appeal to spare in Adam Shankman's enormously entertaining "Hairspray," based on the 2002 stage musical (itself based on the 1988 John Waters movie -- Hollywood is in a recycling mood).… Post the First Comment

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" Warner Bros. Pictures Directed by David Yates Written by Michael Goldenberg, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman and Imelda Staunton Rated PG-13/138 minutes Opened July 11, 2007 Three-and-a-half out of four stars The novel Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix always got a bum rap for being "the-one-in-which-nothing-much-happens" or "the-one-in-which-Harry-is-an-angry-twerp.… Post the First Comment

Aries (March 21-April 19) People are having difficulty understanding you this week, and not just because you've been completing your court-ordered community service at the retirement home. Oh, no. It's all you, Taurus. You are a tangle of mixed signals. Focus on ensuring what you say and do are one in the same.… Post the First Comment