A great concert combines artistry, entertainment and energy to the fullest effect — some might even say it’s magical. 

Inspired by nature and water, artist and designer Maya Lin makes thoughtful sculpture that asks viewers to look at their environment in an entirely new way. 

Parting is such sweet sorrow, but before a new and exciting journey can begin, the old must come to a close. The Grand Rapids Symphony is going above and beyond with three very different, but very special shows for the 89th season, closing out in May.

World-class ballet training, unrestricted access to the arts and a strong work ethic define the Michigan Ballet Academy’s mission for its nonprofit ballet school. 

Step back into the late 1800s and follow a group of rowdy newspaper delivery boys and their misadventures in New York City as they fight to have a better future.

When you get older, it’s hard to remember what it was like to be a teen. Meanwhile, teenagers can’t even imagine what it’s like to be a full-grown adult. Sometimes you just have to put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

The Gilmore Keyboard Festival’s Rising Stars series continued on Sunday evening with a stellar performance by Zhang Zuo, also known as “Zee Zee,” at the Wellspring Theater in Kalamazoo. Rising Stars seeks to offer a chance to see promising performers before their international breakthroughs, and if the audience learned anything from Zuo’s performance, it’s that she’s definitely one to keep an eye on.

With house lights up, white feathers float, twirl, glide, dive, and crash onto the black floor during the intermission. So begins the invitation into the hypnotic movement of Grand Rapids Ballet’s “Extremely Close,” the titular and closing piece of their current production, an elegant mixed bill of classical and contemporary dramatic ballet that draws inspiration from literature, Americana and inventive forms.

The term “gaslighting” has gotten a lot of play lately, with regard to personal relationships as well as the behavior of public figures. It’s used to describe a form of psychological manipulation or abuse in which a narcissist or sociopath plants seeds of doubt to destabilize the victim, causing them to question themselves, perhaps even their sanity.

Gone are the days of scanning TV Guide for something worth watching, or standing in silence in a line at the grocery store.