Lyon – Dance Extravaganza!

Every two years the beautiful city of Lyon hosts a huge international dance festival – Biennale de la Danse – that twirls and shakes the city for three weeks. This year’s fest is titled “Encore” and marks the 14th such event. More than 40 dance companies and 740 invited artists come from every corner of the world to charm and captivate audiences with 168 performances. Fifty-seven choreographed works take place in more than 30 citywide locations and include every style from ballet and flamenco to jazz, break-dancing and tap. Highlights include the Monte Carlo Ballet, young dancers of the Ailey II dance company, and the National Ballet of Algeria, which is performing a memorable hip hop version of Ravel’s sensual Bolero. On Sept. 12th, everyone is invited to catch the spirit of rhythm and movement and join the dance spectacular at Place Bellecour.

Biennale de la Danse
September 6 – October 3
Prices: From €7 to €90 (and many citywide free events)
To reserve tickets online: www.biennaledeladanse.com

Wine & Jazz in Beaune

At the heart of Burgundy is the lovely town of Beaune, where art and architecture are imbued with centuries-old traditions of wine making. Add music to the mix and you have a six-day feast of harmonious joie de vivre – the annual Jazz in Beaune Festival. Over the span of two weekends, a variety of concerts include swing, blues, and gatherings of musicians for some stellar improvisational sessions. During the day exhibits and educational events will be held in the beautiful Chapelle Saint Etienne, showcasing photos and paintings of the region, as well as offering daily wine tastings and an aroma cellar to sharpen your definition of those subtle Burgundian topnotes.

Details:
Beaune Jazz Festival
2 weekends: Sept. 9, 10, 11 and Sept. 16, 17, 18
Grand Concerts: Theatre de Beaune
“Off” Concerts: Place Carnot (free)
more info: www.beaune-burgundy.com

Travel Tip: Visitors can take the TGV form Paris to Dijon (only one hour and 40 minutes, followed by a 20-minute train ride to Beaune).

Pompidou Centre: Exhibiting the Feminine

The superb exhibition currently at Paris' Pompidou Centre, showcases the finest of its collection of women artists who forged new directions in the arts. elles@centrepompidou is a feast of more than 500 works by more than 200 female artists spanning the 20th century. This groundbreaking exhibit, on display in a series of thematic rooms, is the first ever to focus only on female artists and puts women at the very heart of modern art. Within the chronologically presented exhibits, are such luminaries as Sonia Delaunay, Frida Kahlo, Sophie Calle, Annette Messager, Louise Bourgeois, Niki de Saint Phalle, Suzanne Valadon and Diane Arbus.

DETAILS: elles@centrepompidou runs through February 21, 2011. The center is open every day except Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Museum and Exhibits: Open 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Bordeaux: Flea Market Treasures

Four times a year, Bordeaux hosts one of France’s largest flea markets – Le Grand Déballage de Brocante. The word brocante means objects d’art, curiosities, and serendipitous discoveries. The lovely setting is the Place Saint-Michel, near the quayside, and visitors can join the eagle-eyed treasure-hunters and wander the car-free streets in search of that perfect memento. The next market date is September 12.

Other excellent flea markets include:
•Belfort (Vieux Quartier), near Alsace – First Sunday of every month
•Lyon (Villeurbanne) – Sunday mornings
•Nice (Cours Saleya) – Monday morning to mid-afternoon
•Paris (Porte de Vanves) – Saturday and Sunday mornings
•Toulouse (Allées Jules Guesde) – First Friday, Saturday & Sunday of every month (except October)

Tapestry Tales: Gobelins in the Making

The 13th arrondisement is tucked away on the left bank of the Seine in the southeastern part of central Paris. In the middle of the 15th century the Gobelin family manufactured their superlative fabric dyes here and, in the early 1600s, Henry IV brought his Flemish tapestry makers to the neighborhood, rented space in the dyers buildings, purchased the silks and dyes from the tradesmen and founded a legacy that became known the world over as the Gobelins tapestries.

The establishment – the Manufacture des Gobelins – is now run by the French Ministry of Culture and interested visitors can take a fascinating guided tour offered three times a week. Weavers follow in the original warp and weave traditions, painstakingly creating a mere square meter of tapestry per year. The designs are meticulously created by contemporary artists and executed on a variety of loom types, from tall vertical assemblages to the more traditional horizontal wooden looms. The behind-the-scenes look at one of oldest continuously operating trades in France offers a wonderful chance to step back in time and appreciate the beauty and precision of the Gobelin masterpieces.

Manufacture des Gobelins * 42 Avenue des Gobelins
Guided tours: Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 2.00 & 2.45 p.m. * Admission: €8

Wine & Gastronomy Along the Seine

Paris visitors can now savor fine cuisine and sip renowned vintages as they cruise along the Seine through the most romantic city in the world. Several boat companies offer a choice of dinner cruises or wine tasting experiences as the monuments of Paris dreamily scroll by. From menus that include homemade foie gras and platters of regional French cheeses, to elaborate seafood dishes and sumptuous desserts, a dinner bateaux experience is destined to be memorable. Guests may also choose a wine-tasting cruise, from an introductory wine class to champagne tasting on a lovely illuminated deck, all while viewing the sights and sites of the city.

Reservations can be made for the cruise of choice at the following boat companies:

•BATEAUX-MOUCHES
www.bateaux-mouches.fr
•PARIS YACHT MARINA
www.parisyachtmarina.com
•BATEAUX PARISIENS
www.bateauxparisiens.com
•CANAUXRAMA
www.canauxrama.com
•PARIS EN SCÈNE
www.paris-en-scene.com
•VEDETTES DE PARIS
www.vedettesdeparis.com