3/7/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Stormy Weather- Lena Horne, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Cab Calloway, Nicholas Brothers, Katherine Dunham and dancers

Shall We Dance Friday

Stormy Weather is a 1943 film musical produced and released by 20th Century Fox. The movie is considered one of the best Hollywood musicals with an all African-American cast and serve to  showcase of some of the top African-American performers of the time. Continue reading

3/4/25 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Zoe Saldaña Best Supporting Actress Speech (97th Oscars 2025)

Zoe Saldaña won the Academy Award for best supporting actress on Sunday night for her role in the Netflix film Emilia Pérez. Saldaña plays Rita Mora Castro, a lawyer who helps the title character, a trans cartel boss, undergo gender-affirming surgery and start a new life as a woman. Continue reading

2/27/25 O&A NYC THROWBACK THURSDAY: Bobby McFerrin & The Kuumba Singers – Hold on

The Kuumba Singers of Harvard College & Bobby McFerrin perform Hold On in Leipzig, Germany. This gospel song was written by Rev. Cleophus Robinson Jr., and first recorded on his 1980 album Consolation.

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2/25/25 O&A NYC SONG OF THE DAY: Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly With His Song

Roberta Flack performs Killing Me Softly With His Song from her 1974 album Killing Me Softly The song earned Flack the Record of The Year award at the 1974 Grammy Awards. Continue reading

2/23/25 O&A NYC DANCE REVIEW: Camille A. Brown and Dancers

By Walter Rutledge

Camille A. Brown and Dancers presented an all too short New York season Wednesday February 5th thru Sunday February 9th at the Joyce Theater. The sold-out five-day seven performance run presented I AM the third installment in her Black Joy trilogy. As the curtain rose, and as the evening proceeded it became clear Brown has saved the best for last. Continue reading

2/18/25 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Morgan Freeman on Black History – Best Motivational Speech Of All Time

This is one of those iconic speeches from Morgan Freeman on Black History into cinema and how he struggled his way out to be one of the successful actors of all time. Continue reading

2/14/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: I Wanna Be Ready – Amos Machanic Jr.

Amos Machanic, Jr. joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1996. During his 15 years with the company, Amos had the pleasure of traveling and performing across the globe and in 2010, he performed at the White House tribute to Judith Jamison. Continue reading

2/11/25 O&A NYC DANCE: Kevin Iega Jeff Creates to Communicate With Homage

By Walter Rutledge 

Keeping in the spirit of his credo, “create to communicate”, Kevin Iega Jeff has choreographed Homage for the Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet. Homage will be presented during Remembering, the company’s 30th anniversary season celebration February 13, 14, 15 at BAM Fisher Fishman Space in downtown Brooklyn. The intergenerational ensemble work highlights the artistry of three accomplished female performers Shirley Black Brown Coward, Bahiyah Sayyed and Thera Ward. Continue reading

2/7/25 O&A NYC BLACK FACTS: Emmett Till- His Death, Mother, Grave, & Facts

Emmett Louis Till was a 14-year-old African American who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman in her family’s grocery store. Join us as we discuss historical moments leading up to the death of Emmett Till, and how his death, helped fuel the Civil Rights movement. Continue reading

2/7/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Jamel Gaines Frontline Mentor

By Walter Rutledge

The applause has subsided, curtain fallen and the house lights are at half during a brief pause between dances. Instinctively we peruse the program to find the bio of that one standout performer. In many cases that dancer’s initial training and nurturing did not happen in one of metropolis’ elite dance academies. Instead, that first fire was probably kindled in a storefront, church basement, or school gymnasium. Continue reading