Beyonc� finds fame difficult

File – Beyonc?

Beyonc? wishes she was anonymous. The 33-year-old superstar – who has two-year-old daughter Blue Ivy with husband Jay-Z – had admitted she sometimes finds her fame difficult because there are so many ordinary experiences that she has to miss out on.

She said: “Before I was famous I was the girl on the hill with a guitar. I was the girl that just wanted a beautiful view of the beach. Now that I’m famous it’s really, really difficult to do very simple things.

“I think it’s the hardest thing to give up, but my mother always taught me to be strong and to never be a victim, never make excuses, never expect anyone else to provide me things that I know I can provide for myself.

“I have dreams and I feel like I have a power to actually make those dreams become a reality. When you’re famous, no one looks at you as a human anymore. You become property of the public. There’s nothing real about it.”

Elsewhere in a short film, Yours and Mine, the 7/11 singer spoke about how ‘exciting’ she finds being married and having someone to share her life with.

She said: “People feel like they lose something when they get married, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s nothing more exciting about having a witness to your life …”You know, everyone’s not good at everything. You know? It’s OK to depend on someone. It’s actually what we’re supposed to do -we’re supposed to depend on each other. And when you find the person that you trust and you love and you feel is going to respect you and take all the st that you have and turn it around and bring out the best in you, it feeds you. It is the most powerful thing you can ever feel in your life.

“Happiness comes from you. No one else can make you happy. You make you happy. And one thing that’s for sure: The love I have for the music, my husband, for my child — it’s something that will last far beyond my life.”

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Beyonc� finds fame difficult

Bolshoi faces "difficult challenge"

29 July 2013 Last updated at 07:47 ET The famed Bolshoi has been mired in controversy of late The new head of the Bolshoi Ballet has admitted he faces “difficult challenges”, following a series of scandals including an acid attack on the company’s artistic director.

Vladimir Urin told the BBC such events “are now in the past”.

He was put in place earlier this month after the Russian culture ministry said the Bolshoi needed “renewal”.

The Bolshoi is about to embark on a three-week run at London’s Royal Opera House to mark its 50th anniversary.

But in recent months it has been mired by allegations of vicious infighting and feuds – as well as the attack on artistic director Sergei Filin, in which a masked man threw acid in his face.

Veteran dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze, who was in open conflict with the theatre since the attack, was forced out in June.

Leading soloist Svetlana Lunkina told a Russian newspaper she had moved to Canada amid claims of threats to her husband.

“Every theatre sometimes goes through difficult times – it’s a normal process of the human life,” Mr Urin told BBC arts correspondent Rebecca Jones.

“As human beings, some people might have glorious moments and some tragic events. I’m sure that all these events which happened in the life of the Bolshoi and which amazed all the world – all these things are now in the past.”

Mr Urin said, having only been in his post for 10 days, he had not had the opportunity to look into the history of the Bolshoi’s recent problems.

“I just need more time to understand the basics of what happened,” he said.

‘Untruthful things’

However, while he accepted the Bolshoi’s reputation had been tarnished by the controversies, Mr Urin said he believed it was unjust.

“Very often a lot of untruthful things were coming out. It doesn’t mean some events did not take place, they did take place – but very often it was a lot of rumours around these events and it was a wrong evaluation of what was going on.” he said.

“What is vitally important now for the people of the theatre is what they will see on stage. I’m sure that if the creative life of the company is organised in a good way, it will produce new creative interesting works and then everything shall be fine.”

Mr Urin’s predecessor Anatoly Iksanov was removed from his position with a year still left on his contract.

He had been accused of mismanaging the Bolshoi’s $1bn (£860m) renovation – which ran years over schedule and over budget.

Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky said: “A difficult situation had developed around the theatre and the troupe – everything pointed to the need for renewal.”

Dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze said he was forced out of the Bolshoi

“As always in the ballet world we do need some new blood – not only dancers but also choreographers and directors as well,” agreed Mr Urin.

“We would never say goodbye to the trouble makers if they are brilliant dancers. I’m sure we should be able to find a mutual language to co exist.”

Mr Urin’s comments came on the same day Mr Filin told the Daily Telegraph he had just undergone his 22nd operation following the attack in January.

“Some of the optimism that we had earlier has not been justified. My right eye sees nothing at all and my left is working at about 10%,” he said.

“I can make out light and dark; I can’t make out faces. But I want to concentrate on the fact that my doctors are amazing and there is a plan for treatment. There is hope that my left eye especially can improve.”

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Bolshoi faces "difficult challenge"

Positive tests difficult for athletics, says Lamine Diack

Sport

Friday, July 19, 2013

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AFP) — Tyson Gay’s positive drugs test was “terrible” news, according to Lamine Diack, head of track and field’s world governing body, the IAAF.Gay, the second fastest sprinter ever, and Jamaican ex-world record holder Asafa Powell, the fourth fastest, were revealed as having failed doping tests last week.“I know the two of them well, they’re two great guys,” said Diack. “I know Asafa well, it’s a catastrophe for me.“And to see that Tyson was positive was terrible for me because I know the boy and I had occasion to talk to him and his mother after Osaka (where the American won triple sprint gold).“We took the same plane and spent about 10 hours together, we discussed how we see our sport, what his role is as a role model. What happened, we’ll see, I’m waiting to find out.”The positive tests, Diack continued, “were really harmful to our sport, especially two at such a high level”.“This is very difficult for our sport. Someone could write a book about what’s going on: is the performance really acceptable or not? But I think that’s wrong.“We’re doing thousands and thousands and thousands of tests in and out of competition.”But he said the media were partly to blame: “We have 1,000 tests and 50 positives, and the 50 positives are news, the 950 negative are not news.“We will do our best to catch the cheaters.”

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Positive tests difficult for athletics, says Lamine Diack