Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a civil servant in the Russian Ministry of Justice before he became one of the world's most famous composers; his Piano Trio in A Minor, Op 50 will be presented in a Gala Concert at Hong Kong's City Hall tomorrow night. When Tchaikovsky's now classic ballet The Nutcracker debuted in St Petersburg, in December 1892, it was decried a failure. One critic called the Sugar Plum Fairy "podgy" while another panned the Columbine doll as being "completely insipid". Last month in New York, the festive ballet was reimagined by choreographer Jennifer Weber … The New Yorker's Hip Hop Nutcracker saw an all-female troupe transport Marie, Fritz and the Mouse King to a modern-day urban environment, created by using a backdrop of digital scenery. Weber elected for a single-sex performance as a deliberate riposte to male-dominated hip-hop music videos. She has previously choreographed dance moves for Reebok, the BBC and basketball team Miami Heat … The Florida-based side has as a mascot Burnie, a fluffy, orange creature fashioned to look like the team's logo: a blazing basketball plunging through a hoop. Burnie bust out some moves with Weber's hip-hop troupe during half-time at a Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls game in 2012. Since Miami Heat were formed, in 1988, they have won three league championships and gathered a slew of famous followers, who are documented on the Miami Herald 's blog, Triple A List. Among those spotted cheering on the team has been the director of films Armageddon and Transformers , Michael Bay … Bay's first filmmaking experience was explosive: as a child, he strapped some firecrackers to a toy train, ignited them and recorded the ensuing fire on his mother's 8mm camera. From arsonistic origins grew an impressive Hollywood career: his films have earned more than US$5 billion. However, Bay suffers from severe anxiety and in Las Vegas last year he had a minor meltdown, fleeing the stage when his autocue stopped working. A fear of public speaking is something Bay shares with another public figure, Tony Blair … The former Downing Street resident described Prime Minister's Questions - a Q&A session held every Wednesday when Britain's House of Commons is sitting - as "the most nerve-racking, discombobulating, nail-biting, bowel-moving, terror-inspiring, courage-draining experience in my prime ministerial life, without question". While Blair's once-close relationship with media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has long been a thorn in his side, he does have some less controversial contacts in the business, such as Radio 4 presenter - and, at one point, the Labour Party's most generous private financial donor - Melvyn Bragg … Dubbed "the nation's schoolmaster", the ennobled lord has enjoyed a career with the BBC spanning more than 40 years. On top of his radio career with "Auntie", Bragg has written several works, including novels, and television and film scripts. Bragg wrote the screenplay for The Music Lovers , a 1970 biopic about one of Russia's most famous composers, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
