Elizabeth Blair

The company, based in The Hague, is currently in Washington, D.C., performing Giselle at The Kennedy Center. The Ukrainian Ambassador says the ballet corps is like a secret weapon.

A Japanese musician has released his first album in six years — a collection of compositions recorded during his battle with cancer. (Story first aired on All Things Considered on Jan. 26, 2023.)

Hot Dog, by Doug Salati, is about an overheated pup who finds his calm on a trip to the beach. Freewater, by Amina Luqman-Dawson, is about two enslaved children finding freedom.

The United Ukrainian Ballet Company is made up of dancers taking refuge in the Netherlands. The company travels to Washington, D.C., to perform Giselle, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky.

The composer has been lauded for decades over his deeply affective music; director Alejandro González Iñárritu, composer Hildur Guðnadóttir and more join us to explain why.

Odesa in Ukraine has been added to the cultural sites that UNESCO is highlighting. Also being included are ancient sites in Lebanon and Yemen.

Gina Lollobrigida melted the hearts of major stars in the 1950s and '60s: Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra and Burt Lancaster. She was a voluptuous brunette with captivating brown eyes.

Legendary Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida has died at age 95. The star was often compared to Marilyn Monroe.

The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music recounts the story of Flack's father finding her a beat-up, old, upright in a junkyard — a treasure that led to a life in music.

PEN America and two other free speech groups are calling for school officials in Florida to reinstate a high school production of Paula Vogel's Indecent, a play that is itself about censorship.

Epic Games has agreed to pay the Federal Trade Commission $520 million over allegations of privacy violations and unwanted charges. Nearly half of the money will go to refund consumers.

The annual Abortion Onscreen report says more TV shows had abortion plotlines than previous years and that writers are doing slightly better job reflecting reality.

The Kennedy Center has announced Adam Sandler as the winner of this year's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Sandler's credits include SNL, Happy Gilmore, Grown Ups, The Wedding Singer and Hustle.

Playing competitive youth soccer can cost families a small fortune, excluding kids who might excel at the sport. There are efforts around the country to get more kids in the game.

Emmy-winning actress Kirstie Alley, known for starring in "Cheers," died Monday at age 71.

Amy Grant, George Clooney, Gladys Knight, U2 and Tania León attended a dinner at the U.S. State Department and a gala tribute event. The 45th annual Kennedy Center Honors airs on CBS later this month.

Artist and writer Shaun Tan makes creatures that have a wild mix of mechanical and animal-like features. His new book, "Creature," is a collection of his drawings, paintings, and reflections.

Christine McVie died Wednesday at age 79. She wrote some of the band's most popular songs including: "Don't Stop" and "You Make Loving Fun."

The dancer with the National Opera of Ukraine was killed in September. Oleksandr Shapoval had volunteered to fight after the Russian invasion. (Story aired on All Things Considered on Sept. 15, 2022.)

The revered Latin Grammy winner was known for such hits as "Yolanda" and "Amo Esta Isla."