“Hold Me Closer, Tiny Crustacean”: A new shrimp-like crustacean has been discovered in Indonesia and named L. eltoni after pop icon Elton John. Found in the coral reefs of Raja Ampat in Indonesia, L. eltoni reportedly reminded scientist James Thomas of the singer’s footwear: “When this unusual crustacean with a greatly enlarged appendage appeared under my microscope after a day of collection, an image of the shoes Elton John wore as the ‘Pinball Wizard’ came to mind.” Well, there’s one more item Elton John can check off his bucket list. Achieve pop superstardom? Check. Be the namesake for a small sea creature? Check.

Classical Music at Burning Man: The first-ever string orchestra to debut at Burning Man will return this year for its second appearance. Playa Pops Symphony boasts close to 50 amateur musicians, studio musicians, members of professional orchestras, and even kids. Member Laura Kaczmerak is responsible for founding the group– she reflects: “I [saw] people with string instruments and other instruments out here, but they play alone…I thought, you know, we need to come together.” Within 24 hours of sending an inquiry e-mail to a Burning Man staffer, Kaczmerak, who goes by “Pigtails” in the group, had 200 responses from fellow attendees. As one might guess, the group isn’t your run-of-the-mill symphony orchestra. Conductor Eric Yttri, who goes by “Dr. FireTuba,” explains: “We’ll have a big kazoo chorus for ‘Ode to Joy.'”

Dance Parties for Developmentally Disabled Artists: Creativity Explored (CE), a studio space in San Francisco that allows artists with developmental disabilities to create, exhibit, and sell their work, isn’t afraid to get down and let loose. Every Friday during the last hour of the work day, CE hosts a dance party, complete with group coordination and stretching, freestyle dance-a-thons, and hand-holding. The artists have reported incredible inspiration from the dance parties– so much so that the studio is running an exhibit entitled “Dance Party!” from October through November to display dance-themed works by the artists. Visual art instructor Leeza Doreian says of the visual arts and dance: “They’re both forms of creative expression, they both exist out of word-based language…Human expression can be very verbal, and both art and dance offer a different way of being in the world and creating.” Artists of any variety can certainly only benefit from dabbling in other types of art!

Hollywood Celebrates the Life of Wes Craven (1939-2015): Beloved director Wes Craven recently died at the age of 76 of brain cancer, prompting Hollywood and horror fans alike to reflect on his life’s work. Famous for such films as A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Hills Have Eyes, Craven said in an interview for Nerve that “[h]orror reflects things about ourselves that are ugly, and people need to deny that, to assume that it’s just coming from whoever made the film and not reflecting human nature…They don’t look around them. But seeing the world around you in a clear way is the beginning of wisdom.” Craven will certainly live on through his films, scaring generations for years to come.

Broadway Celebrates the Life of Kyle Jean-Baptiste (1993-2015): On Monday afternoon, Central Park was host to several hundred people who had gathered to mourn the death of 21-year-old Kyle Jean-Baptiste, best known for being the first African-American to play Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables” on Broadway (as well as the youngest). Jean-Baptiste, who died as a result of a fall from a fire escape in Brooklyn, was lovingly eulogized by his good friend Brandyn Day at the memorial: “He taught me how to love people,” reflected Day. Friend Hannah-Jo Weinberg has organized an online campaign to start a scholarship in Jean-Baptiste’s name, already raising more than $25,000. Memorial attendees reportedly surrounded the Bethesda Fountain in the park and sang “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from Les Mis. In the wake of this tragedy, may the arts community remember not only Jean-Baptiste’s incredible talent but also the pioneering strides he made for the African-American arts community.