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Jay-Z back atop Billboard chart

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Jay-Z's "The Black Album," which fell to No. 4 last week, was back on top of The Billboard 200 Wednesday.

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In its third week, sales of the Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam set declined just 10 percent to 260,000 copies, bringing the to-date sales total of "The Black Album" above the 1 million mark.

In a week that saw new releases from Missy Elliott, Nelly, Enrique Iglesias and Nelly Furtado, only No Doubt came close to challenging the rap superstar for No. 1.

The California group's Interscope compilation, "The Singles 1992-2003," sold 253,000 copies to bow at No. 2.

Last week's chart topper, Britney Spears' "In the Zone," fell to No. 3 and Hilary Duff soared from 18th to No. 4 with her "Metamorphosis." The 14th volume in the "NOW That's What I Call Music!" series was up to fifth and Toby Keith's "Shock'n Y'all" climbed to sixth.

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Josh Groban's "Closer" was seventh, followed by "Beg for Mercy" from the 50 Cent-led G-Unit, Korn's "Take a Look in the Mirror" and OutKast's "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below."


Embattled ballerina back in Bolshoi

MOSCOW, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- The ballerina the Bolshoi Ballet company dismissed for being overweight has made her return to the company for rehearsals.

Tuesday, Anastasia Volochkova arrived at the theater with a flourish, accompanied by her lawyer and a bodyguard-chauffeur. She kept her figure concealed from reporters and photographers with a large fur coat, the Times of London reported.

It was her first appearance since a court ruled last week the company must pay her back wages and re-hire her after her dismissal for being "too fat." The dance company claimed it couldn't find male partners strong enough to lift the 110 pound star.

An admitted lover of ice cream, Volochkova said before rehearsing for "Giselle" she expected starring roles, and wouldn't settle for a role as "fourth swan."

"Ballet is not an art of kilograms, it is an art of the soul," she said.


Jazz smoothies roll a holiday 21

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Guitarist Marc Antoine, guitarist Dave Koz and others will wind up their 21-city "Smooth Jazz Christmas" tour Dec. 21 at the Hollywood Bowl.

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The tour also features trumpeter Chris Botti, keyboardist Brian Culbertson and singer Bobby Caldwell.

Antoine's record label has a Christmas gift for one lucky fan. Rendezvous Entertainment is holding an online contest. The randomly selected winner will receive two concert tickets, two roundtrip airplane tickets to Los Angeles from anywhere in the continental United States, two nights at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, $100 towards a rental car, and a new set of eBags luggage. The entry form is at www.rendezvousmusic.com.


Sundance festival has new opening site

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- The Sundance Film Festival will be kicking off its 2004 edition Jan. 15 in Park City -- and not Salt Lake City -- for the first time in its 20-year history.

The opening attraction is the surfer movie "Riding Giants," the latest documentary from "Dogtown and Z-Boys" director Stacy Peralta, the Hollywood Reporter said.

"It's a perfect film for Park City about surfers, which meshes extremely well with the snowboard culture and everything else there," festival director Geoff Gilmore said.

The decision to move opening night from its traditional Salt Lake City site has been in the works for some time, Gilmore said. What he called the "evolution" of Park City's facilities allowed it to become a reality.

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Salt Lake will host its own opening the following night with a world premiere showing of Chris Eyre's drama, "Edge of America," about a black teacher who coaches a Native American girls' basketball team.

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