A Christian Palestinian Promotes Non-Violent Resistance

For three decades, Villella was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet under George Balanchine. During that time, he also negotiated better pay for American performers. His career took a severe physical toll; now he's the artistic director for the newly formed Miami City Ballet.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz has nothing but praise for two new CDs on the Pearl label, which feature recordings by the great violinist, Joseph Szigeti. Later in his career, Szigeti's developed a reputation for flagging technique and questionable intonation, but Schwartz says these performances should restore his reputation as a master musician.

The French government will officially simplify the spelling of several dozen words, claiming the change will make their national language more accessible and appealing to foreigners. Linguist Geoff Nunberg questions the efficacy of the initiative, and considers how countries define themselves through culture and legislation.