Another Hollywood treasure that was thoughtlessly bulldozed to make way for development. I cant understand why this wasn't protected under some landmark status. A real life Barbie Dream House, kitsch doesn't get any better than this.
The cabin was originally built in 1915, amist the hills of the, then virgin Laurel Canyon, as sort of a luxury men's lodge. Then, it was lived in by former silent film cowboy icon Tom Mix. The original cabin has its own bowling ally in the basement and a giant fireplace. The grounds themselves are covered with man made caves, alcoves and wooded trails. In the 1960s, Frank Zappa and his family moved in. At that time, the house was a frequent stopping point for rockstars and was the site of many notorious parties. Tragically, the original cabin burned down. But a new house has been rebuilt with the ruins and landscaping intact.
Before The Rite of Spring caused Parisian ballet patrons to riot, legendary dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky made waves in 1912 with this short ballet, Afternoon of a Faun, based upon the poem by Stephane Mallarme. Accompanied by the music of Claude Debussy, the angular, more modern movements are a drastic departure from classical ballet. The ballet is decidedly pastoral and overtly sexual in nature. A young fawn awakens on a summer afternoon and spots a group of nymphs bathing in a nearby spring. Seized by newly erupting sexual desires, he cavorts with the nymphs, attempting to engage them. Finally, one nymph dances with him. Soon, however, she departs, leaving a scarf behind. Consumed by desire, the fawn reverently carries the scarf up to his leafy bed, and after caressing, sniffing and tasting the scarf, the fawn descends upon the sensual artifact and brings himself to a climax. It was this simulation of masturbation that really pissed off the Parisian audiences, who called the ballet obscene. In retrospect however, this unbelievably sexy ballet paved the road for expression through dance. I especially love how, through much of the piece, the Faun has his hands tensely held near his pelvis, as if to express the tumult of sweet tension flowing there.
Rudolph Nureyev dances the fawn.
The Fawn as danced by George de la Pena in a dramatization of the original performance from the film Nijinsky.
Actual footage of Vaslav Nijinsky, performing the Fawn in the original 1912 production.
