For Maria Clara Laet, a Rio de Janeiro-born tap dancer and historian, the rhythmic landscape of the Americas is not a collection of disparate genres. Rather, it is a singular, branching tree, believe it or not.
Laet, whose multifaceted career has taken her from the high-energy parades of Brazilian blocos to the prestigious stages of New York City’s Apollo Theater, is currently at the forefront of a movement that bridges Brazilian cultural heritage with the technical precision of American tap dance.
Laet’s artistic philosophy, as a dancer, is deeply informed by her academic background in history. She views tap dance and Brazilian musical traditions, like Samba and various Afro-Brazilian rhythms, as kin.
“Brazilian rhythms and tap dance share a deeply rooted history,” Laet explains. “They are profoundly shaped by West African music and dance traditions. We can think of the two as different branches of the same tree, emerging from a shared cultural foundation but evolving in different territories.”
Her work seeks to synthesize these parallels, focusing on elements common to both traditions: a grounded connection to the earth, the dynamic structure of call-and-response, and the spiritual dimension of percussive movement. By integrating these elements, Laet provides a sophisticated, scholarly approach to rhythm that transcends simple choreography.
Laet’s ability to mobilize large audiences was forged in the heat of Brazil’s Carnaval, where she performed for crowds; thousands of people. Her experience with the Unidos do Swing bloco, a parade-style ensemble that merged classic Brazilian anthems with jazz, proved to be a pivotal training ground.
“Street parties during Brazil’s Carnaval have an indescribable energy,” she notes. “Adding tap dance to that moving, parade-style format was a risk, but the crowd’s response was incredible. Many had never seen tap before, so I was proud to help introduce this art form to a new audience.”
This capacity to adapt to diverse environments has served her well in the United States. Since relocating to New York, Laet has become a foundational figure in kamrDANCE, an ensemble dedicated to “multidisciplinary musical storytelling.” In her role with the company, she operates beyond the traditional definition of a dancer, often singing, playing percussion (cymbals), while performing complex tap choreography simultaneously.
Currently, Laet is preparing for the highly anticipated premiere of The Mercy Velvet Project at the Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven, CT, premiering June 26 and 27.
The Mercy Velvet Project is a multidisciplinary rock opera and dance performance created bykamrDANCE artistic director, Alexis Robbins. The performance group reimagines the 1999 album “Live in Vain” by the band Mercy Velvet through a fusion of live music (bass, guitar, electronics), tap dance choreography as percussion, contemporary dance and vocals. The show explores themes of human connection, community, and finding meaning, and is a queer and femme-led production.
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The performance will be an embodied re-creation of the studio album, performed in order of the tracks on the album, as the work explores what makes us human and our collective need for community to survive. Together, the musicians and dancers will move together as one.
By exploring existential themes of human connection, the performance demands stamina, requiring Laet to remain on stage for 90 minutes of continuous, high-intensity movement, performing songs from the project’s album.
“The preparation has been focused on conditioning,” Laet says. “The choreography created by Alexis Robbins is exceptionally demanding. We are running the show back-to-back to build stamina and muscle memory while engaging in character development sessions to deepen the intention behind every movement.”
For Laet, the evolution of her craft is inextricably linked to the strength of her professional alliances. Whether collaborating with Isabella Serricella on the movement piece Waters of August or partnering with percussionist Thiago Trad at the Rhythmic Arts Center, Laet views collaboration as a catalyst for innovation.
As a recipient of the prestigious Tap City Award and a featured artist in upcoming 92NY initiatives, Laet’s trajectory suggests that her unique synthesis of historical research and performance art is poised to leave a lasting mark on the international dance community.
“Collaboration with other artists expands horizons and the perceived limits of the universes we create in our minds,” she said. “I make sure that the artists I collaborate with are kind human beings, because I truly believe that together we can go further than we can go alone.”
As Laet explains: “Whenever I am creating a piece there is a web of references, metaphors, personal experiences and inspirations weaved together in my brain that shape the work into what it can be. The possibilities are multiplied exponentially when weaving another person’s creative universes into my own and subsequently a richer and more diverse substrate can be created for a piece to grow in and flourish.”
Broken Social Scene’s new album, Remember the Humans, urges you to think of music in organic terms. The title of the Canadian collective’s first album in nearly a decade came from Charles Spearin, who initially framed it as a joke: it sounds like the AI version of their seminal 2002 LP You Forgot It in People. The multi-instrumentalist, who helped bring the record’s magnetic swell of ideas into their final form alongside Kevin Drew and David Newfeld (the producer behind that album and its self-titled 2005 follow-up), discusses some of the inspirations behind it with a similarly self-aware cheekiness: they are scientific metaphors for the amorphous fluidity of Broken Social Scene’s internal structure, but they’re also just a way of saying their return is nothing but a natural process, a result of old friends reorienting themselves around the present moment. The songs get lost in the haze of personal memory, eulogize individual people, and put relationships under the microscope, but the group still has a unique way of reveling in abstraction: finding relief from the burden of identity and emotional truth in every cliche. It’s a joyously universal kind of homecoming.
We caught up with Broken Social Scene’s Charles Spearin to talk about compromise, mycorrhizal networks, photosynthesis, and other inspirations behind their new album, Remember the Humans.
Migration patterns and critical mass
It’s been almost 10 years since our last real album, and the common question is, “Why now? What has happened?” My feeling is it’s not really so much a decision, but kind of a tipping point. There was a threshold that got crossed. Everybody was wanting to do it, and there’s this time in a migration, like a bird migration, where all the birds reach a critical mass before they cross a big body of water, whether it’s geese or warblers or whatever. There’s this park in Ohio called McGee Marsh, and all the birds congregate there in the early spring. They’re there right now, I’m sure. And then something happens where they all move together, and it’s not one decision. It’s this collective unconscious that pushes them all together, and they fly across to Point Pelee National Park in Ontario, and they all arrive en masse over a few weeks. It’s a spectacular moment.
I feel like with Broken Social Scene, to use this metaphor, there was just some kind of percolating energy. In the music business, when you’ve been in it for a long time, there’s a tour cycle where you write music, record music, release the music, tour and tour, and then you take a break to regroup. There’s a seasonal cycle, and for us, it’s a little bit longer, but I feel like the daylight has gotten to be just the right length, and we’re all ready to move. All of this is just to say that it’s hard to put your finger on why we made an album now; there was just something collective that pulled us together. If you watch a starling murmuration, all the birds in the sky, they make these. You don’t know if there’s a leader or what’s going on up there, but there’s this collective dance that appears as a single unit. I like to think of us like that. I don’t know if it’s true, but that’s what I like to think about.
You said it’s hard to pinpoint why, but what would you point to as the moment where you felt that collective energy rising back up?
For me, personally, there was a sense of vision. We got together to write a bunch of music, just to see what happens. We all got together at Kevin’s house out in the country, and I rented a bunch of recording equipment and brought my recording equipment. The idea was just to jam and record all of it and see what’s going on, so we spent days just coming up with ideas. Listening back through it all, I would go back and highlight some of the moments that I thought were interesting and put them all into a folder. And then there was this excitement that came from that. It’s like, “Oh, that part’s really good right there. That’s really good, and maybe it could connect with that.” So it was like all these kinds of birds or fish, whatever migratory thing coming together, like, “I feel like we’ve actually got something here. I think it’s time to move.” All these individual decisions came together to turn into motion.
Compromise
That’s always an overarching theme with a band like Broken Social Scene. What was it like navigating it this time around? Was it especially important, or something to avoid?
Compromise has always been one of the defining characteristics of the band. I have to be careful saying that, because compromise has two different meanings. You don’t have enough money, or you don’t have enough time, so the project gets compromised, and it becomes worse than it should be. Or if you’re building a ship, and then it smashes into an iceberg, then the integrity of the ship is compromised. There’s that meaning of the word, and that’s more like there’s some concession being given. But with Broken Social Scene, I almost picture it like a Venn diagram with all the different people in the band and all their different tastes. They all overlap in some way, but we don’t all like the same thing exactly. So there’s this constant sense of pushing and pulling and almost campaigning with other members of the band, saying, “I really like this idea, but this person doesn’t like it so much, can you help me pull this one forward?” Artistic compromise is valid and real and can create something that I think is bigger than any individual idea.
That’s what I love about Broken Social Scene: we tend to create things that nobody in the band really likes entirely, but everybody understands that it’s a bigger picture, so our tastes get pulled and stretched into shapes. We end up with something that’s wholly unique and not a product of any one of us. It’s very different from a singer-songwriter who has a vision for their song. When we write music together, we always leave space for other musicians to come in, as in, we’ll just leave an X there, and we don’t know what that X is gonna be. Evan Cranley’s gonna come in, and he’ll write some trombone parts, but we’re gonna leave that space for that to happen. We’re continually, intentionally leaving space for each other, even though all of us have lots of ideas all the time. That kind of compromise I think is extremely healthy, but difficult. It’s why we take long breaks, because all of us have artistic vision, so all of us go out and release albums on our own. But I think we’re better as a group than we are as individuals.
Is there an example that comes to mind of either you ceding space to someone else’s understanding of a vision of a song, or maybe someone else leaving space for your idea to flourish at any point on the record?
Nothing jumps to mind, because there was so much of it. All of the stages for us are quite blurry – the writing and the recording and the mixing, they all blur from one to the next. It’s not like we can close one chapter and then open the next chapter. But Dave Newfeld and Kevin Drew and I were the three who saw this album to the finish line. And three is a good number to work things out. If it was all of us in the room together, it would be really, really challenging. But Kevin definitely had his vision of the record, and I had – maybe not a vision of the whole record, but I had strong attachments to certain ideas that weren’t maybe fitting into his vision. And then Dave Newefeld also loved certain aspects and didn’t want to let go of these, so we had a ton of discussions about how the record should be as a whole, how we want to make sure that everybody is represented. And we argued quite a bit, but I feel like that strengthens you and makes you a better person in a way. But all of us definitely had to let go of some attachments. There were musical motifs and things that I loved that didn’t make it onto this record, and the same is true for everybody else in this band.
Collectively, do you feel like there was less of an impulse to pull back with this record, in terms of layers of ideas and instrumentation?
Yeah. There were several surprises for us in the making of this record. There were so many people involved. For example, Lisa Lobsinger and Leslie Feist, they came to us with songs that were half-written or three-quarters written out of the blue, and said, “Hey, this is a song that I’ve been trying to make into a thing for a long time.” Maybe this could be a Broken Social Scene song, maybe we could work with this. Those were wonderful opportunities, because we’re in our own little world for a while, and then all of a sudden, this semi-formed idea land, and we all get excited about it and talk about how we can reshape it, or play with it, or honor the core of it, but still allow it to represent a collective rather than an individual. In that sense, these gifts from other musicians really broaden the spectrum of sort of color on the record. I think if you listen to Lisa sing her song, ‘Relief’, and Leslie’s song, ‘What Happens Next’, they don’t quite match the rest of the album so perfectly, and I think that’s terrific. It’s more like a spectrum of music rather than an identity in music, and I love that. We had to be constantly pushing and pulling with this notion of identity versus spectrum.
Care Bears
It was funny, Kevin and I were working together at Kevin’s house out in the country. I had my computer and my little studio set up there. It wasn’t a complete studio like Dave Neufeld’s studio, which was half an hour drive away. So Kevin and I would work a little bit at his place, and then we would send files back and forth to Dave Neufeld at his studio. One time we were working in the afternoon, and Kevin excitedly comes up the stairs, to where the computer is set up, and I’m working away on something, and he puts down this giant cardboard box on the floor, and he’s just like, “It’s here!” [laughs] And then he opened the box, and he pulled out all these Care Bear stuffies, a whole row. He said, “I think this is it, I think I got the complete collection.” And then he lined them up along the back of the couch, so that they’re all staring at us, so to speak, the whole time. Kevin is just a strange, wonderful person. He just is full of surprises. For the rest of the whole mixing session, we’d look over and there would be this row of Care Bears looking at us.
Care Bears is not my generation of television. I was born in 1972, so I was pre-Care Bears. My kids were born in the early 2000s, so they’re post-Care Bears. I’ve seen the Care Bears show a couple times, and I get the gist of it. It’s a bunch of different animals with different personalities, and then they come together and do the Care Bear stare and solve all the problems of the world. I just can picture them there: some of them are grumpy, some of them are shy, some of them are goofy, but they’re all valid in their own way. Each bear is distinct, but their differences don’t create tension, they cover a whole wide range of emotions. Combined, they have a broader spectrum of caring, and maybe I’m going too far with this metaphor, but I do feel like all the people in the band are caring people, and when we all get together, the spectrum of – our love, maybe, to be a little cheesy – is broader and more intense.
If you listen to the lyrics of the songs, and you listen to the moods of the songs, they touch on real problems. They touch on addiction, suicide, loss, doubt, aging, the fear of irrelevance. There’s all these really complicated, heavy subjects in these songs. The emotion is real, and if you think of emotions as a kind of a projectable force, then all of us coming together, it’s like we’re trying to give rays of giving a fuck. Like, “We give a fuck, so hear us out.”
Photosynthesis
All of us, as band members, have been playing music for a long time, we’ve played a lot of shows. A lot of the people in the band, even in high school, were in theater programs and things like this, and we all have this kind of applause addiction where we need to be validated through an audience. I wish it wasn’t true. I feel like we should be altruistic in our music and make the music live its own complete life, but the fact is that we want people to like it, and we want people to tell us that they like it. So the photosynthesis analogy in this is the sunlight of an audience – to play for an audience, is such a nourishing force. It turns into energy, just like photosynthesis turns sunlight into energy for the plant. I feel like playing for an audience – or not even live situations, but having people listen to your music and respond to it, is energizing. It makes us feel relevant and useful, and that’s a big reason why we do things. Unheard music is like a flower in a dark closet. It dies. There’s no music there if nobody hears it. I feel so much gratitude for the attention that we get for this band.
Maybe this idea ties back to compromise, in terms of being one of the reasons you really wouldn’t want to make concessions when it comes to the live show.
As we’re preparing for this tour coming up and learning how to play these songs live, because a lot of this music that we recorded had overdubs and was done over long periods of time, we’re having to reinvent all these songs, which is not unusual for us. We’ve been getting together at the rehearsal space, and it’s really exciting when it works because these songs are really feeling good. The compromise doesn’t feel like compromise at this point. It feels like we all want the same thing, and it feels more like true collaboration. Everybody’s adding their part to this giant piece of music. We’re all getting the feeling in our chest, and we’re excited to play it live, so that other people might feel it in their chest as well. It’s a good feeling right now. Of course, when we’re rehearsing and it doesn’t sound so good and some parts are wrong or missing, then it’s deflating. That’s part of the job, too; there is a lot of getting through the frustration of moments that don’t work. But we all know where we’re headed, and we know that these songs are gonna sound good live.
Mycorrhizal networks
I’m sure we can get pretty abstract with it, but it also more directly made me think of the song ‘Life Within the Ground’.
There is a link there, yeah. Mycorrhizal networks are basically how trees communicate with each other, through systems of fungus. There is a book called The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, and it’s a very compelling book about how trees communicate with each other. I was trying to think of a metaphor for all of the underground help that we get as a band. People who don’t get appreciated so much, but are so essential to the health and nutrients of us. At this point, Broken Social Scene is like an old-growth forest. We’ve been around for a long time, and we’ve made so many connections over the years of people who support us, like our families, my wife, all our partners, our parents, the local community. We talk about our record label, our management, our agents, all the writers like yourself, all the people who helped support us over the years. It’s such a profound and vast network of support at this stage in our lives that it’s hard not to think of the band without thinking of all the supporters as well. Maybe being compared to fungus isn’t flattering, but it’s my sort of cheeky way of saying that there’s a lot of unseen support for this whole project.
This includes some of the little sapling bands and artists that are around in Toronto. I go to see bands all the time. There’s Dorothea Paas, Eliza Niemi, Shirley Hurt. There’s a band called Bernice. Charlotte Cornfield, of course. Louie Short, Luca Kaplowski. Felicity Williams has a project called You Can Can, which is super glitchy and arty and weird. There’s just so much music happening around Toronto that I feel it keeps everybody alive, and it makes you feel like you’re in a hopeful situation, like the next generation of music is good. There’s no problem here when it comes to the creation of new music. All that feels supportive – not like they’re all supporting us, but we are supported by them through inspiration.
When you’re deep into the process of writing and recording, is there a part of you that’s maybe tuning out some of that inspiration, and it starts to feel a little more isolated and above ground?
It does, and that’s why I have to constantly sort of remember to look underground and see where it’s all coming from. When we get together and write songs and play music on stage, we feel like, “It’s us, we’re Broken Social Scene. Look at us.” But if you look at the bigger picture, there’s so much more to any artist. Any band, any person has all of their influences and all their support systems. You have to actually, intentionally stop looking at the forest and look at the nutrients. It’s just good to appreciate all the efforts that go into making your life what it is when you’re being successful in some way.
Memes
The word “meme” was coined by Richard Dawkins, who’s a famous geneticist and mostly known for being an outspoken atheist. When he coined the word meme, he wasn’t talking about the internet jokes and things like that that it means today, which is kind of perfect, because that’s the way memes work – they grow and change and they adapt. But his idea of a meme is kind of like an animal that has to adapt genetically to survive, it has to be able to reproduce, it has to adapt to new surroundings. I think a lot about memetic fitness. His example might be religions like Catholicism or Buddhism or any religion; they have such strong memetic fitness in the sense that they have churches, and they have all these defense mechanisms. These are what he would say would be memes that are 2,000 years old and have survived by adapting and changing to the world around them.
This idea of memetic fitness can be applied into so many different situations. Earlier, I was talking about how we got together and just spent days and days writing and writing and writing and writing, coming up with all these different ideas. Well, the way that these ideas survived – some of them survived and some of them did not, and it’s not necessarily that the best ideas survived and the worst ideas died. It’s more like, whichever one was most suited to the environment survived. So, if somebody were to write something that was more free jazz or blues rock, something that was just not in our environment, it would get weeded out. All these ideas naturally evolve through a process of natural selection, through these filters of all of our different minds, all of our different attentions. I wrote it down as kind of as a joke, but also because it’s something I like to spend a lot of time thinking about, how ideas need to proliferate and adapt to the world. And Broken Social Scene itself is a meme, we’re an idea. We’re a bunch of people, but everybody has their own kind of story around what we are, and that takes on a life of its own. We try our best to try and keep our identity as a band somewhat on brand with what we want and somewhat aligned with the truth of who we are. It’s beyond us at this point, and it’s constantly changing.
How do you remember the environment of the record shifting over time?
It was definitely something to watch, rather than something to control. We all had our intentions to pull the record this way or push the record this way, and had this tug of war between us. But given that there were so many influences, so many factors in terms of self-imposed deadlines, sound quality, sound sources – there’s an infinite number of possibilities now when you’re mixing. A record can go in any kind of direction if you grab the reins, but in this sense, we were all trying to hold onto the steering wheel at the same time and pulling it in different directions. If you look at a sunflower, everything about it is designed to make more sunflowers – it’s prickly stem, it’s bright yellow colors to attract bees, it’s got the sunflower seeds that animals will eat and spread around – everything about a sunflower is designed to make more sunflowers, and it’s a product of a billion years of various filters and natural selection and evolution. In a very microcosmic kind of way, I feel like that’s what the album ended up as. It’s its own sunflower, and we were just the filters that prevented it from becoming something else.
Coming to your senses
When you’re hoping your friend will come to their senses, obviously, they’re kind of being an idiot, and you hope that they’ll snap out of it. There’s some truth to that; as a band, we tend to get absorbed in all kinds of different issues and minor grievances and things like that, and you hope that the whole band will sort of come to our senses and be a band again. But in this case, I mean it more literally than metaphorically. When you’re first writing and recording, you’re listening to the sounds, and I just love this idea of coming to your senses, like being a little monkey in the world, and you really taste your food, you listen to the sounds around you, and you feel the textures of Earth, and you’re not living so much in your head and concept all the time, but you’re actually physically experiencing the world as directly as possible. Music is so great for that, because when you’re absorbed in music, it turns off your internal dialogue, and you’re not nattering away to yourself and chattering all the time. You can get really close to the present moment when you’re listening to music, and the closer you are to the present moment, the more joy there is to find.
In terms of the band, it’s how we start: We will listen and listen and listen, and then we’ll stop and we’ll talk about it. And then when it’s done, we’re still listening again, and this idea of just coming back to your ears, it’s like coming back to reality in a way. Every time you listen to it, it’s a little bit different. I feel like it’s convalescent to be in the moment and to come to your senses. The process of being a band is often all in your head – you think about touring, you think about your fans, you think about wanting to be successful, you think about all the logistics that have to happen, but all the time, we’re breaking that pattern and coming to our senses and listening to the sounds that we’re making. And that’s where the art really is, that’s where the art lives. It’s in the perception of the moment.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Online casinos and traditional casinos both deliver access to similar types of games, though they operate in different ways. And they have both evolved in real time to respond to changes in technology and access. Even though the main purpose remains the same, the structure and use of each option vary quite clearly. These differences can be seen in how they are accessed, presented, and how systems are managed. In this article, we will be looking at these areas to help explain how each format works in practice.
Access
Access is one of the most noticeable differences, with online casinos being available through websites and mobile devices. This means they can be used on a smartphone, tablet, desktop PC, or laptop with an internet connection. Unlike traditional casinos, which require a visit to a physical venue often located in a city or designated area, there is no need to travel to a specific place.
Game Selection
The selection of games also differs between the two formats, with online casinos offering a wider range and traditional casinos offering a more fixed selection of games. Some of the games seen in online casinos include slot games, card games, and live dealer versions, and new games can be added over time without altering the platform’s layout. Traditional casinos offer a more fixed selection of games. Table games and slot machines are arranged across the floor, and changes to this setup take more time and planning.
Game Controls
Online casinos use software to control the games, with actions like spinning reels being handled by a single system. Online casinos are managed differently compared to Traditional casinos, which rely on staff to manage games, and dealers to handle cards, chips, and other elements by hand.
Interaction
The interaction between people also varies, with online casinos mostly used on personal devices, which limits interaction. Some live dealer games include chat features, but these are controlled and simple. Traditional casinos usually involve direct interaction between people in the same space and tables together, communicating with staff and others nearby. This is quite distinct in comparison to individual use of online platforms.
Payment Methods
Payment methods vary, with online casinos offering options such as bank transfers, debit cards, and other online payment methods. Deposits and withdrawals are processed through account systems, and Traditional casinos use cash and chips. Money is exchanged for chips before play begins, and chips are exchanged back into cash at the end, with each system following a clear process based on whether it is digital or physical.
Regulation
Regulation and control are important across both formats, with online casinos licensed by regulatory bodies that set operational rules. These are rules covering account checks, data protection, and fair systems for casinos. Local authorities can also set rules, which include licensing, security measures, and monitoring of activity inside the venue. In summary, both formats operate within strict guidelines, though the methods used to apply them differ.
Technology
Technology plays a larger role in an online casino, with games created and managed through software that allows updates over time. In general, technology has been a huge factor in both formats, with always-evolving features that can be added without changing how the platform is accessed, and live dealer games use video streaming to connect real tables to online users. Traditional casinos use technology in their machines and security systems, but the core of their operations relies on physical equipment and staff. This creates a clear difference in how each format develops and adapts.
Time and Availability
Time and availability also differ between the two, with online casinos usually being available at all times, as long as the platform is active. But traditional casinos can operate within set hours that can vary by location.
Environment
The environment is a major difference in the two, with online casinos being accessed via screens with simple layouts. The setting remains the same regardless of the user’s location. Traditional casinos provide a physical environment with fixed lighting, music, and layout within the venue. This creates a defined space separate from other daily settings, and the space’s design is part of how the venue operates.
Information Display
Information is presented very differently, with online casinos displaying details directly on the screen. And traditional casinos provide this information through staff, signage, or printed materials. This information is available at any time during use; however.
Managing Accounts
Managing accounts is quite different between the two, with online casinos requiring users to create accounts that store data, manage activity and access features. And Traditional casinos, that don’t always require accounts for basic entry, although some offer membership or loyalty systems. These systems track visits and activity, but are not always required.
Summary
Online and traditional casinos are very different in their use and structure, but have the same general purpose. Online casinos focus on digital access, software-based systems, and availability. At the same time, traditional casinos focus on physical space, direct game play, and controlled environments. Some of the main differences are the access, game selection, interaction, payment systems, and technology. Both formats continue to exist, each with its own methods, offering two distinct ways to access the same type of activity.
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Wangechi Mutu has been named the second recipient of the National Gallery Contemporary Fellowship, an initiative awarded by the National Gallery with support from Art Fund and delivered in collaboration with Whitworth, The University of Manchester.
The Kenyan-American artist, celebrated for her work across painting, sculpture, film and performance, splits her time between studios in Nairobi and Brooklyn, New York, where she has been based for the past few decades. Throughout her practice, Mutu examines and reshapes narratives surrounding womanhood, often confronting the misogynistic and violent portrayals of Black women that continue to circulate in contemporary culture. Incorporating imagery of mothers, virgins and goddesses from across art history, she combines cultural symbolism and Afro-futurist influences to create artworks.
Through her unique approach, Mutu develops her own form of visual myth-making, blending fiction with historical reference to imagine new symbolic female figures beyond those traditionally found in mainstream culture. Her work has previously been recognised by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in 2017 and the National Museum of African Art in 2019.
The Contemporary Fellowship programme is backed by Art Fund, which opened the selection process to public collecting institutions beyond London for the partnership role. The Whitworth was chosen by the National Gallery’s Modern and Contemporary Advisory Panel in acknowledgement of the institution’s ambitious international outlook as well as the strength of its exhibitions and collections programme.
The fellowship will culminate in an exhibition presented first at the National Gallery from 9 October 2027 to 6 February 2028, before travelling to Whitworth in spring 2028.
This year’s Met Gala theme “Costume Art” explored the human body as something to be framed, reshaped, and reinterpreted through fashion. Body-conscious dressing took centre stage, with sheer fabrics, cut-outs, corsetry, and sculptural forms highlighting ideas of power, femininity, and vulnerability. Curated alongside historical artworks, the exhibition placed nudity on a continuum of shame, eroticism, and liberation. Many guests embraced daring, dramatic silhouettes, while others leaned into restraint as an unexpected trend of the evening. From armour-like constructions to illusion effects, each look offered a personal interpretation of the theme, proving that the most striking costumes carry deeper meaning beyond appearance.
Léna Mahfouf
French YouTuber Léna stunned everyone at the “costume art themed event” with a Burc Akyol creation moulded onto her body. A sculpture of a two-handed silver bodice holding her chest, exposing her upper torso, was carefully paired with a curtain-like draped skirt with high cutouts to create a near-naked effect.
Doechii
American rapper and singer-songwriter Doechii stepped out in a Marc Jacobs look in the style of an untraditional deconstructed burgundy toga. A goddess-like ensemble made purely of sheer fabric.
Kendal Jenner
Fashioned by Zac Posen, Kendall’s ethereal gown pays homage to an Ancient Greek sculpture inspired by Winged Victory of Samothrace, the second-century Greek statue of the goddess of victory that greets visitors at the entrance of the Louvre; where she then revealed her angel wings, later during the event.
Styled in Gucci, Consani was cinched by a transparent corseted dress with a black feather train, channelling her inner ‘black swan’ by exuding a dark, theatrical elegance on the red carpet.
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner wore a Schiaparelli gown that replicated a garment slipping off from a naked torso. This artistic stripped-down look embodies femininity and sexuality.
Destiny’s Child star Beyoncé embraced the notion of overexposure and showcased an Olivia Rousteing crystal-encrusted skeleton dress. This dramatic look blends glamour with a striking, body-revealing design.
The American model embodied the ‘Body as a Canvas’ theme and slipped into a sheer sparkling custom MiuMiu dress. This was embellished with fine crystal detailing that caught the light with every movement.
In custom intricately embroidered Valentino, complemented by a turquoise satin skirt, in true low-waisted Tyla fashion. With a rhinestone-embellished bodice, layered with a sheer sequined tulle top and a plunging V neckline, her signature style is evident in her interpretation of the ‘dressed body’ theme.
Actress Odessa A’zion marked her Met Gala debut with a Custom Valentino black silk peplum corset with pink and blue floral embroidery across her chest. This theme is carried throughout the rest of her contoured bodysuit with matching cut out lily flowers.
In a custom Saint Laurent dress, Hailey’s look featured a 24-karat gold sculpted bodice which was exactly moulded from her own body contour, in which she paired with a silk chiffon skirt underneath.
Businesses andbrands have relied on professional graphic designers for years. In turn, graphic designers have mastered traditional design software to deliver output for marketing, social media, and other creative campaigns. This practice has produced many iconic works in the field. However, while everything seems to work perfectly on the surface, this practice has also posed challenges for both companies and designers. As a result, many people are searching for a reliable graphic designer alternative that can remedy the situation without sacrificing quality. And one emerging solution to the existing issues surrounding graphic design isAI tools.
To put this into perspective, this article will explore what is driving one of the biggest shifts in the field. It will also discuss how apps like Simfa help redefine the approach to visual editing and content creation.
Why the Shift to Graphic Designer Alternatives is Happening
The traditional approach to graphic design has worked wonders for countless projects. But there are always two sides to a coin. That said, the downside of this practice has affected those in the creative industry.
In more detail,73% of businesses spend money on graphic design. This shows how integral the art form is to creative projects. And with the continuous rise in content demand, the exact figure spent could grow astronomically. This includes expenses for software, subscriptions, and designers’ professional fees. Not to mention, the traditional method is prone to slow turnaround times, which often causes delays and further losses.
On the other hand, graphic designers themselves face problems of their own. At the forefront is burnout. A recent report found that24% of respondents in design have experienced high burnout. The reasons? Steep learning curves, juggling multiple apps for a single project, and the need for fast, more frequent content make graphic design workflows difficult to scale. On top of that, creativity does not come on demand. Deadlines often force designers to work beyond standard working hours, leading to outputs that are only “good enough.” And in a field where60% of users base their trust for a brand on design, this becomes a serious concern.
Under these conditions, the transition to AI tools like Simfa as a graphic designer alternative is becoming more reasonable and essential.
How Simfa Helps Modern Content Creators
As an all-in-one creative platform built for brands and creators,Simfa simplifies content creation. Its AI-powered features can assist with image generation, face & outfit swaps for images and videos, image upscaling, color grading, background removal, product enhancement and staging, description creation, and more. This positions Simfa as a clear graphic designer alternative AI tool that is designed to replace traditional workflows with a faster and unified creative system.
And with that, it is worth noting that it does not replace graphic designers nor make companies remove them from the equation. It aims to reduce the pressure on companies and designers.
Particularly, the app’s offerings, such as various tools and automated workflows, benefit both parties. These features can dramatically cut production time and cost. Instead of waiting for revisions or learning advanced techniques and platforms, users can generate creative content and refine it in minutes. At the same time, the need to acquire multiple software would no longer exist as Simfa delivers it all in one platform. Plus, companies can even customize a package deal that would match their budgets.
In short, this AI alternative for graphic design makes content production more flexible and creative.
Is Simfa Worth Trying?
The creator economy continues to grow rapidly, and audiences now expect frequent, high-quality visuals. These industry changes and demands can be detrimental if not aided. In reality, these AI-powered platforms are already becoming part of everyday content production. Reports even reveal that more than65% of designers use them for asset creation or ideation.
With a graphic designer alternative like Simfa, creators at all levels reduce workload, push the boundaries of creativity, lower expenses, make editing more accessible, and enable content creation at speed. In other words, this app allows companies to allot resources to other important areas and enables graphic designers to take a breather.
Driving behavior, speed, or mechanical failure are often cited as contributing factors to motorcycle accidents, but the conditions of the road are also a crucial and even neglected aspect. As compared to bigger vehicles, motorcycles are dependent on balance, traction, and stability, which puts motorcycle riders at greater risk of environmental hazards. Even the slightest blemishes on the road can have severe consequences to the motorcyclists. The knowledge of how the road conditions contribute to accidents is crucial to preventing accidents and legal awareness.
In most situations, the issue of liability in the wake of a crash is not limited to an analysis of the act of the rider or other motorists. The condition of the roads, weather conditions, or even construction site may play an important role in determining the outcome of an accident. In the case of people who have to deal with such situations, a Raleigh Motorcycle Accident Lawyer can be consulted to help clarify whether the unsafe road conditions were a contributing factor into the incident and what legal remedies may be available.
What makes Road Conditions More Important to Motorcycles
There are a number of important ways in which motorcycles differ in their interaction with the road surface as opposed to cars. Having only two wheels and with less contact area with the ground, motorcycles are much more sensitive to traction and surface consistency changes. One of the hazards that might not appear serious when a car is on the road can be a dangerous one when a motorcycle is on the road.
Riders should always adapt to their surroundings and an unexpected alteration in the quality of the road can affect balance or control. This increased sensitivity causes road conditions to be a significant cause in most motorcycle accidents.
List of typical dangerous road conditions
There are different categories of road conditions which may lead to greater likelihood of motorcycle accidents. These risks are very avoidable, but they still present threats in numerous regions.
Potholes and Rough Surfaces
One of the common hazards on the road is potholes. In the case of motorcycles, when one hits a pothole, it may result in loss of control, tire damage or even being thrown off the bike. A similar effect can be caused by uneven pavement or unexpected dips.
Free Gravel and Debris
Presence of gravel, sand or scattered debris decreases the traction and the chances of skidding. These materials are particularly hazardous on curvy roads or in sudden stops.
Wet or Slippery Roads
Liquids such as rain, oil spills and so on can cause the roads to be slippery. Motorcycles tend to lose control in such circumstances, especially during turns or halts.
Badly Marked Construction Areas
The construction sites can include a change in the lanes, pavement that is uneven, or temporary surfaces. Riders can also be taken by surprise without any signage or warnings.
Worn out Lane Markings and Signage
Markings that are clear can assist in a safe navigation. Worn or obscured, riders can make wrong judgments in lanes or road boundaries, which can result in collisions.
Inadequate Lighting
Low lighting conditions cause riders to have difficulties in seeing the risks ahead. This is especially risky during the night or in places with poor visibility.
Law in Accidents Fixed by the State of the Roads
In the case when road conditions are the factors leading to a motorbike accident, the issue of responsibility may prove to be complicated. These cases can involve more parties unlike typical accidents that involve two drivers. The potentially responsible parties can include:
Government departments in charge of roads maintenance
Construction firms that handle roadwork areas
Owners of the property in case the hazards are caused in the surrounding areas.
In order to prove liability it should oftentimes be shown that the responsible party was aware of the dangerous situation or should have known of it and failed to take action to remedy the situation within a reasonable period of time. This may demand thorough research, such as maintenance and inspection documents, and evidence at the scene of the accident.
Difficulties Riders Have in Proving Claims
The claims of motorcycle accidents on the grounds of road conditions can be challenging to substantiate. The evidence might be lost within a short time, particularly when the risk is fixed within a short period after the incident. Weather conditions are also known to change quite fast and it makes it more difficult to record the environment in which the crash occurred.
Also motor bikers might be discriminated against, and some assumptions are that the riders acted in a particular manner that led to the accident. The only way to overcome these issues is through a thorough documentation, in terms of photographs, witness accounts and official reports.
The Significance of Reporting Following an Accident
When a motorcycle accident happens because of the road conditions, documentation is important. Photos of the place, a record of the weather, and contact details of the witnesses may enhance a possible claim. Medical records and repair estimates also have significant roles to prove the effects of the accident. Proper documentation would guarantee the essential information is stored before it is tampered with or even lost.
The condition of the roads is a major cause of motorcycle accidents, and is often among the factors that put the motorcycle rider in a situation that cannot be controlled. These conditions may pose hazardous conditions to motorcyclists due to potholes and debris, weather conditions and poorly maintained infrastructure. Knowledge of such risks does not only contribute to the safety of riders, but also helps to understand the significance of accountability to prevent injury in case of the occurrence of the preventable hazards.
To the victims of such accidents, the identification of the role of the road conditions may be an essential step in the process of seeking fair compensation and securing their rights. Legal advice would assist in dealing with the intricacies of such cases and that all the causative factors are taken into account. Those who want to learn more about legal options and support after having a motorcycle accident may visit this page.
Physical therapy used to be seen as a way to recover after a major surgery. People now look at these experts as a first line of defense for health. Staying active is a big part of life for many people. Having a pro guide those movements makes a difference. Athletes and weekend warriors alike rely on these specialists to keep moving well. This field is growing fast to meet those needs.
Shifting Roles in Primary Care
A recent study protocol looked at how these experts lead primary care for back pain. These models aim to improve patients’ quality of life from the start. Getting the right care early helps people avoid long-term disability.
Most people think they need to see a doctor before starting rehab. New systems put movement experts at the front of the line – this allows for faster checks and quicker fixes. It helps patients get back to their normal routines much faster.
Patients who get fast access often feel more in control of their health. They learn to manage symptoms before things get worse. This shift changes the way we think about visiting the clinic.
The Surge in Demand for Specialists
Experts expect the need for full-time therapists to hit 282,230 by the year 2037. This spike comes as more people live with chronic health issues. Aging populations need more help to stay mobile and safe in their homes.
The job market is ready for more talent to enter the field. Schools are training more people to meet this high demand. It is a career path that offers stability and growth – something many people look for today.
Many clinics are looking for ways to hire more staff. They need workers who can handle complex cases. This makes sure that every patient gets the time they need for a full recovery.
PT in Professional and Amateur Sports
Athletes often turn to clinical teams to stay at the top of their game. Taking a https://brookbushinstitute.com/info/PT-PTA-CE course helps professionals stay current with the latest techniques. Keeping your body in peak condition requires a plan tailored to your specific movements.
Training hard puts a lot of stress on joints and muscles. Professionals help spot small issues before they turn into major injuries. This keeps players on the field for longer seasons.
High school players and local teams seek these services. They want the same level of care that the pros get. It helps young people build safe habits for a long career in sports.
Support for Inclusive Athletics
Sports play a huge part in helping people with disabilities feel part of a community. A recent article noted that these activities boost self-satisfaction when supported by the right medical team. Staying involved in physical activity helps build social bonds.
Rehab teams work hard to adapt movements for every body type. They find ways for everyone to participate in the games they love. This creates a more welcoming environment for all athletes.
Playing on a team helps with more than just muscle strength. It builds confidence and improves mood. These benefits stay with a person long after the game ends.
The way a therapist looks at a problem can change how well a patient heals. Research shows that therapists’ attitudes help explain why some patients with back pain get better results. It is about more than just the physical exercises themselves.
Mental outlook plays a part in the recovery journey. A positive environment makes it easier for patients to stick to their plan. They feel heard and supported throughout the process.
Therapists now learn how to talk to patients about their fears. Addressing the fear of movement is a key step in healing. This combined approach leads to faster recovery times for many.
Managing Chronic Pain through Education
Using a plan built for one person helps lower pain sensitivity. One project combined physical work with teaching patients about how pain works in the brain. This method helped people with musculoskeletal issues feel better.
Learning why the body feels pain helps patients manage their daily lives. They stop fearing the sensations they feel. This allows them to move more freely without worry.
Education is a tool that stays with the patient forever. They can use these skills at home or work. It reduces the need for constant office visits for minor issues.
National Growth in the Profession
The national workforce grows at a rate of 2% to 4% every year.
About 400,000 pros are practicing across the country right now.
Demand for services keeps rising as health awareness increases among the public.
Physical health is a journey that lasts a lifetime. Having a guide makes that path smoother and safer for everyone. Whether you are a pro athlete or just want to walk without pain, these experts can help. The field is expanding to meet the needs of a world that wants to keep moving. Focus on your movement today to keep your future bright.
The truly versatile dress shoe is rarer than it appears. Most men own shoes that handle one context well and struggle in others. Finding a pair that genuinely bridges the professional and formal divide requires knowing exactly what to look for.
The working wardrobe presents a persistent challenge for men who move between professional environments during the week and formal social occasions on evenings and weekends. Maintaining a separate pair of shoes for every occasion is neither practical nor economical for most people, yet arriving at a black-tie dinner in business casuals, or at a board meeting in shoes better suited to a wedding, creates an impression that is difficult to recover from.
The solution is not a larger shoe collection. It is a more considered one. A single, well-chosen dress shoe, built from the right materials and in the right style, can carry a man credibly from a morning boardroom presentation to an evening black-tie event without asking him to choose between appropriateness and convenience.
Understanding which styles, constructions, and details make this possible is the essential starting point.
The Style Hierarchy of Men’s Dress Shoes
Men’s dress shoes exist within a clear formality hierarchy, and understanding where each style sits within it is the foundation of any intelligent purchase decision.
At the most formal end sits the Oxford – a closed-lacing shoe in which the quarters are stitched beneath the vamp, creating a clean, unbroken line across the upper. The Oxford’s inherent formality makes it the only genuinely appropriate choice for white-tie events and the strongest option for black-tie occasions. In black calf leather with a high shine finish, it is the dress shoe benchmark against which everything else is measured.
The Derby sits one level below the Oxford in the formality register. Its open-lacing construction – in which the quarters are stitched on top of the vamp – creates a slightly more relaxed silhouette that accommodates a wider range of foot shapes and works across both business formal and smart casual environments. It is a more versatile style than the Oxford for daily professional wear, though it carries slightly less formal weight in evening contexts.
Monk strap shoes – those fastened with a buckle rather than laces – occupy a similar position to the Derby in terms of formality. The single monk is cleaner and more formal than the double monk, which reads as more fashion-forward and is best reserved for professional environments with a relaxed dress code.
For a shoe that genuinely needs to work across boardroom and black-tie occasions, the Oxford in black calf leather is the correct starting point. It is the one style that meets both briefs without compromise.
Material: Where Quality Becomes Non-Negotiable
The visual quality of a dress shoe is determined more by its leather than by any other single factor. This is not an area where corners can be cut without immediate and obvious consequences.
Full-grain calf leather is the standard material for quality dress shoes and the correct choice for a shoe expected to function across formal contexts. It takes a high polish, develops a patina that improves with age and wear, and carries a visual refinement that corrected-grain leather, suede, or synthetic materials cannot replicate at the formal end of the dress code spectrum.
The tanning method matters too. Shoes constructed from vegetable-tanned leathers develop deeper, more characterful patinas over time than those produced with chrome-tanned alternatives. European tanneries, particularly those operating in Italy and Spain, remain the global benchmark for calf leather quality – which is one reason why European-made dress shoes continue to command premium status in the global market.
For a shoe expected to represent a man well at a board meeting and a black-tie dinner, there is no viable substitute for full-grain calf leather in black. The investment is justified by the versatility and longevity that this material delivers across both contexts.
Construction: What Determines Longevity
How a dress shoe is constructed determines not just how long it will last, but whether it can be repaired when the sole eventually wears through. This distinction is particularly important for a shoe being purchased with the intention of wearing it across formal and professional occasions for years rather than seasons.
Goodyear welted construction, in which the upper and insole are joined to a leather welt that is then stitched to the outsole, allows the shoe to be resoled multiple times without disturbing the upper. A well-made Goodyear welted Oxford in quality calf leather can, with appropriate maintenance and periodic resoling, last decades. Florsheim, an American brand with a long history in quality men’s dress footwear, builds a significant portion of its dress shoe range on Goodyear welted construction, producing shoes that balance accessible pricing with the construction quality required for long-term formal use.
Blake-stitched construction, more common in Italian dress shoes, creates a lighter and more flexible shoe with a trimmer welt profile that reads as more elegant on the foot. It is slightly more involved to resole than a Goodyear welted shoe but entirely viable in the hands of a skilled cobbler.
Cemented construction, in which the sole is bonded to the upper with adhesive, should be avoided in a shoe intended for serious long-term formal use. It cannot be resoled, and the bond typically begins to fail before the upper has reached the end of its useful life.
Fit: The Foundation of the Entire Investment
A dress shoe that does not fit correctly is not a dress shoe that works from the boardroom to a black-tie event. It is a source of discomfort that will determine how long the shoe can be worn before the wearer’s attention shifts from the occasion to their feet.
Dress shoes should fit with minimal heel lift, no pressure across the widest part of the forefoot, and enough room at the toe that the toes can rest naturally without contacting the front of the shoe. The leather upper will soften and yield slightly over the break-in period, but a shoe that causes discomfort at the point of purchase will not improve to the point of genuine wearability through use alone.
Width is a variable that many men overlook when purchasing dress shoes. A shoe that is the correct length but too narrow across the ball of the foot will cause forefoot compression that becomes pronounced during extended formal wear. Brands that offer their dress shoes in multiple width fittings, or that use generous lasts accommodating a range of foot profiles, are worth prioritising.
Florsheim produces its dress shoe range across a variety of widths and last shapes, reflecting a fitting philosophy consistent with the brand’s longstanding focus on professional footwear. Its collections are available through retailers including Brand House Direct, which stocks the Florsheim dress shoe range across its key styles, allowing buyers to assess fit options and construction quality across the brand’s formal offering.
Colour and Versatility
Black is the only colour that fully meets the requirements of both boardroom and black-tie contexts. It is the standard at formal evening events and reads as authoritative in professional settings. For a single pair of dress shoes intended to cover both occasions, there is no other appropriate choice.
Dark brown is a strong second option for professional environments and certain smart-formal contexts but is not appropriate at black-tie or white-tie events. If the budget allows for two dress shoes, black covers the formal brief and dark brown extends the range into smart casual and business casual territory.
Tan, cognac, and lighter browns are professional and versatile but do not belong in formal evening contexts. They are wardrobe additions rather than wardrobe foundations for a man whose shoe collection begins with the formal brief.
Finishing Details That Signal Quality
At close range, the details of a dress shoe communicate its quality more clearly than its silhouette or colour. In boardroom and formal contexts alike, these details are noticed by people who understand footwear and registered subliminally by those who do not.
A leather sole, rather than a rubber one, is the traditional mark of a formal dress shoe. It produces a distinctive sound on hard floors, develops a patina consistent with the upper over time, and signals quality construction in a way that a rubber sole, however practical, does not.
Bevelled waists, hand-finishing on the upper, and welt stitching executed in a matching thread colour all indicate construction care that distinguishes a quality dress shoe from a well-priced alternative at a glance.
The presence or absence of these details does not determine whether a shoe is appropriate for a given occasion. It does determine how the shoe is perceived by those paying close attention, which in boardroom and formal social contexts is rarely nobody.
The Investment Case
A single pair of quality Oxford dress shoes, properly maintained and resoled as needed, will serve across every formal and professional occasion a working man is likely to encounter for years. The cost of that single pair, measured against the combined cost of maintaining separate shoes for professional and formal use over the same period, almost always favours the quality investment.
The dress shoe that works from boardroom to black-tie is not a compromise between two different shoes. It is the correct shoe for both contexts, selected with the understanding that genuine formal occasions have always set the standard that professional dressing aspires to meet.
Men with wide feet, high arches, or foot conditions that affect fit should seek specialist fitting advice before purchasing formal footwear, as the narrower lasts typical of dress shoe construction can exacerbate existing discomfort in ill-fitting styles.
