

The final act of Martin: A Ballet By Gordon Parks takes place after the death of Dr. King . John Jones (Dr Martin Luther King), Sheila Rohan (Rosa Parks) and James E. Murphy (Assassin). Continue reading


The final act of Martin: A Ballet By Gordon Parks takes place after the death of Dr. King . John Jones (Dr Martin Luther King), Sheila Rohan (Rosa Parks) and James E. Murphy (Assassin). Continue reading


The Fourth Act of Martin: A Ballet By Gordon Parks starring John Jones as Dr. King, Sheila Rohan as Rosa Park and James E. Murphy as the Assassin.

Martin Act III: Letter From The Birmingham Jail – Dr. King (John Jones) is arrested and while in jail he writes the now historic letter from the Birmingham Jail. With the help of Rosa Parks (Sheila Rohan) King is able to disseminate his message to the masses. Continue reading

Act II from Martin: A ballet by Gordon Parks depicts the violent encounter with police during the march on Selma. Continue reading


Martin: A Ballet by Gordon Parks Act 1 Introduces John Jones as Martin Luther King, Sheila Rohan as Rosa Parks and James E Murphy as the Assassin. Continue reading


Martin: a ballet by Gordon Parks, an original five-movement ballet chronicling the struggles of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Filmed in 1990 the work stars John Jones as Dr. King and Sheila Rohan as Rosa Parks, featuring choreography by Real Lamb. “Martin” (PBS, 1990), about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. Parks served as executive producer, director, composer, keyboardist and documentary photographer for this boldly ambitious project. Continue reading


“My roots are also in the Gospel church, the Gospel churches of the south where I grew up…holy blues—paeans to joy, anthems to the human spirit.” These words written by Alvin Ailey were the impetus for The Holy Blues, a collaborative choreographic endeavor by choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and emerging dancemakers Samantha Figgins and Chalvar Monteiro. Continue reading


Fade featuring Teyana Taylor is an iconic 2016 music video from the album The Life of Pablo, by Kayne West. Continue reading
Alvin Ailey revolutionized the world of dance by honoring the African American experience, but his journey was not without its struggles. O&A NYC Magazine honors the memory of one of dance’s most prolific pioneers on the anniversary of his 95th birthday. Continue reading

Today, January 5 is the 95th birthday of choreographer Alvin Ailey. O&A NYC shares rare video footage from a 1985 interview. The one-way dialogue between Alvin Ailey, founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater took place in Cairo, Egypt. (Note: We only hear Ailey’s answers; not questions asked). He talks about his life, his dance school, the motivational forces behind his choreography and theories of dance. Continue reading