Henry Threadgill's music might best be described by the name of his band: Very Very Circus. His circus of sound combines traditional jazz instruments with strings, accordions, and tubas, and integrates influences from Mexico, Asia, Europe, and elsewhere. Out of this eccentric multiplicity emerges an

Collage, Composed, Contemporary/downtown, Eclectic, Layered, Polychromatic, Sophisticated

Enrico Cecchetti was literally born into dance: he came into this world in a theater dressing room, only to make his stage debut moments later as an infant in his father's arms. In the 78 years to follow, Cecchetti never left the dance world. Despite his great talent and importance, Cecchetti did

Classical, Composed, Grand, Physical force, Romantic ballet

Richard Meier's favorite color is white -- the pristine noncolor, or the distillation of all color. He has used white consistently in his pure, geometric sculptures that take in light and bend it or deflect it to create form and space. Adhering to the purist values of Le Corbusier, Meier creates buil

Clean, Composed, Empty, Five architects, Functional

Emboldening classical ballet, the Dance Theater of Harlem takes up the old and gives it an articulate, contemporary spin. The group sharpens the edge of the familiar with a bit of bombast, but always with impeccable classical precision. Arthur Mitchell founded the DTH in 1969, inspired to create

Classical, Clean, Composed, Dramatic, Innovations since balanchine, Pioneering