By Adewale Adekanbi
Dejia Ferguson for JARSNYC Continue reading
After the Rain is a ballet choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon and originally performed New York City Ballet. The work is set to the music of Arvo Pärt, Tabula Rasa (first movement, Ludus) and Spiegel im Spiegel. After The Rain premiered on Saturday, January 22, 2005, at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center. The final pas de deux is often performed separately from the remainder of the ballet. In this performance Damian Smith and Yuan Yuan Tan dance the duet at the 2010 Fire Island Dance FestivalDancers Responding To Aids. A series of outdoor performances that take place the third weekend in July on Fire Island with proceeds benefiting Dancers Responding To Aids. Continue reading
The O’Jays are a R&B and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The group is from Canton, Ohio and was formed in 1958. The O’Jays had their first chart appearance in 1963 with Lonely Drifter. In 1972 the trio of Levert, Powell and Williams signed with Philadelphia International and teamed up with producers and songwriters Kenneth Gamble and Leon A. Huff. The trio emerged to the forefront of Philadelphia soul aka the Philly Sound with the 1972 international hit Backstabbers. Continue reading
By Adewale Adekanbi
Deola Sagoe is a true visionary, she stands out with her strong signature designs, elegance and attitude. Deola Sagoe designs are a couture experience of east meets west. Drawing inspirations from traditional Nigerian fabrics and cuts and western aesthetics Deola Sagoe has created wearable works of art.
Her most recent collection included pieces created with adire fabric which is hand dyed in Nigeria by the Yoruba women. Deola Sagoe’s notoriety, much like her aesthetic has gone beyond the African continent. Aside from featuring collections in New York and Cape Town Fashion Weeks, she was the recipient of the MNET/Anglo Gold African Designs 2000 Award, in which she was nominated by Andre Leon Talley.
CLAN is owned by sisters Teni, Tiwa, and Aba Sagoe the daughters of Nigerian fashion designer Deola Sagoe. The newest line was a collection of sexy high glamour silhouettes composed of peplum details, thigh high slits, and stream line pant suits. “CLAN Classics, exhibiting our timeless pieces. These pieces will be available all year round in chosen variations and upon personal requests.” – Teni Sagoe Both lines previewed will be exhibited at New York The collection which features thigh-high slits, peplums, pant suits, asymmetrical cuts and plunging necklines will “be available all year round in bespoke variations upon personal request.”
Brooklyn native Joan Alexandra Molinsky known by her stage name Joan Rivers, is an actress, comedian, writer, producer and television host. Rivers is best known for her stand-up comedy, co-hosting the E! celebrity fashion show Fashion Police. Rivers and her daughter Melissa are also stars of the reality series with Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?
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A heart is not judged by how much you love;
but by how much you are loved by others.
L Frank Baum from the Wizard of Oz Continue reading
Who else but Grace Jones could have played the over the top model/fashion icon Helen Strangé in the 1992 romantic comedy Boomerang. The model turned song stylist and actress used her exotic and erotic persona to create Strangé. Jones dominates these two scenes with outragous, broad humor. Continue reading
Tamela Mann’s musical career began when she joined up with the multi-grammy award winning and double platinum gospel phenomenon Kirk Franklin and the Family. Mann has also enjoyed collaborating and performing with numerous artists such as Yolanda Adams, Mary J. Blige, Al Green, Celine Dion, Bono, R. Kelly and Fred Hammond. In 2005, Tamela and her husband of 26 years David Mann created their own label entitled Tillymann Music Group, which has released several successful projects. Continue reading
A new Out and About NYC Magazine feature
Rakim Mayers better known by his stage name, ASAP Rocky (stylized as A$AP Rocky), is a 26-year-old rapper from Harlem, New York City. He is a member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mob, from which he adopted his moniker. Rocky released his debut mixtape Live, Love, ASAP, in 2011 to critical acclaim. The success of his mixtape led to a record deal with Polo Grounds Music, RCA Records, and Sony Music Entertainment. He recorded his 2013 debut album Long, Live, ASAP, which also well received by critics and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Donald McKayle’s 1959 masterwork, Rainbow Round My Shoulder, is acclaimed as a modern dance classic. A searing dramatic narrative, it is set on a chain gang in the American south where prisoners work, breaking rock from “can see to can’t see.” Their aspirations for freedom come in the guise of a woman, first as a vision then as a remembered sweetheart, mother, and wife. The songs that accompany their arduous labor are rich in polyphony and tell a bitter, sardonic, and tragic story. It was created for the Donald McKayle Dance Company, and has been in the repertoire of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Batsheva Dance Company and Dayton Contemporary Dance, among others. The cast in the video excerpt includes Donald McKayle and Mary Hinkson. Continue reading