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The past is foreign country, and music sounds different there. The further back in time you go, the less is known about how instruments of the period sounded, how words were phrased or rhythms rendered, which means performing early music often requires educated guess work. Rejecting stultifying notions of “authenticity,” the Bay Area vocal ensemble Vajra Voices has thrived by combining rigorous scholarship with creative license, breathing new life into some of the earliest polyphonic compositions recoverable from the Western canon.

Smuin: “The Christmas Ballet.” Dec, 6 through Dec, 10, “Classical Christmas” and “Cool Christmas.” Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View, $25-$84, www.smuinballet.org or 650-903-6000, Menlowe Ballet: “It’s a Wonderful Nutcracker.” Dec, 8-10 and Dec, 15-17, Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center, 555 Middlefield ballet flats. leather shoes. handmade ballet flats. wife gift. bride gift. bridesmaids proposal. wedding shower gift idea. low h Road, Atherton, $28-$55, http://www.menloweballet.org or 800-595-4849, Kerry Irish Productions Inc.: “An Irish Christmas.” 7 p.m, Dec, 20, Featuring Scott Doherty and Tyler Schwartz, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View, $35-$60, http://mvcpa.com or 650-803-6000..

Another big holiday production for the Alameda Civic Ballet. It’s that time of year again when the Sugar Plum Fairy, Mouse King and Nutcracker Prince dance their way from Alameda Civic Ballet’s studio on Park Street to Kofman Theater to perform “The Nutcracker.”. “It’s a community production as opposed to a really big company performing and I think it’s really good,” said Fiona Murphy, 15, a sophomore at Alameda High School and dancer the last nine years. “We hold our own with the big companies. It’s really fun. I enjoy it. (The audience) will enjoy it and it’s a good way to spend your holiday.”.

– Miss Connecticut slayed the talent competition, Some contestants sang songs, others played the piano, a couple delivered spoken word monologues – and then came Miss Connecticut, Bridget Oei, who performed an Irish step dance and moonwalked, The moonwalk really sent it over the edge; alas, it wasn’t enough for the win, as she was named ballet flats. leather shoes. handmade ballet flats. wife gift. bride gift. bridesmaids proposal. wedding shower gift idea. low h the first runner-up behind New York, – Miss Florida’s answer during the Q&A, Miss America now has two interview segments, so there are even more opportunities to go viral for all the wrong reasons, Miss Florida, Taylor Tyson, avoided that fate, even with a spin on the classic tough interview question of “What’s your biggest weakness?” Judge and country radio host Bobby Bones asked Tyson to name her “most challenging and difficult failure.”..

Folks could work off all those calories over at the Twin Peaks stage, aka Outside Lands’ party central. That’s where most of the big-name DJs and electronic dance music hotshots — like Porter Robinson and R.L. Grime — perform and the fans bounce and boogie all weekend long. It was a different — though no less appealing — scene back at the main stage, where roots-rock darlings Wilco were highlighting the newly released free album “Star Wars” and refreshing such classics as the “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.”.