11/6/23 O&A NYC DANCE REVIEW: Vespers- Paul Taylor Dance Company

By Walter Rutledge

The Paul Taylor Dance Company began its sixty-ninth season on Tuesday October 31 at the New York State Theater. The two-week fifteen performance season will offer a total of fourteen works by five choreographers. The season will present a world premieres by Larry Keigwin and Lauren Lovette, the return of a work by Amy Hall Garner, company premiere by and Ulysses Dove and nine Taylor classics.

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10/18/23 O&A NYC WALESTYLEZ HIP HOP WEDNESDAY: Timbaland Battles For The Cypher Title With Lola, Lady London, Gloss Up & Bun B | Hip Hop Awards 23

Timbaland goes for the title with his crew Lola Brooke, Lady London, Gloss Up and Bun B. Are you Team Swizz or Team Timbaland? Continue reading

10/1/23 O&A NYC DANCE REVIEW: Ballet X At The Joyce

By Walter Rutledge

Philadelphia based Ballet X returned to New York City’s Joyce Theater for a five-day six performance season. The expectations were high for this ethnically diverse contemporary ballet company and the talented dancers rose to the occasion. It was unfortunate that the choreography and the programming were not able to support the performers despite their valiant efforts. Continue reading

9/30/23 O&A NYC SATURDAY MORNING CONCERT: Roberto Bolle and Misty Copeland – Romeo and Juliet


Misty Copeland (Juliet) and Roberto Bolle (Romeo) are joined by a stellar cast of dancers from the Teatro alla Scala in the 2016 production.
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9/17/23 O&A NYC REVIEW: Is Heart of Brick A Black Queer Sex In The City?

By Walter Rutledge

The Joyce Theater’s fall 2023 season began September 15 with the interdisciplinary gay romance saga Heart of Brick. The theatrical production combined live vocal music, spoken narrations, voiceovers, dance, lighting and a clean, simple set design to recreate an evening at Langstons, New York City’s oldest Black gay bar. This is the first presentation in Director of Programming Danni Gee augural season, and in the truest downtown dance style she left the audience with something to talk about.   Continue reading

 8/12/23 O&A NYC SATURDAY MORNING CONCERT: Beyoncé – Renaissance World Tour, Live in Barcelona, Spain

The Renaissance World Tour shows the world once again why Beyoncé is the reigning queen of live concert entertainment.  

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8/8/23 O&A NYC DANCE/FILM: Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center Bringing Its Groundbreaking History To The Screen

By Walter Rutledge

Please excuse my self indulgent opening digression. It is the perfect example of  history being rewritten and romanticized to create propaganda more palatable to the American founding fathers myth. . Continue reading

7/27/23 O&A NYC THROWBACK THURSDAY: Billie Holiday – God Bless The Child (film)- Presented by Chicago Blues Museum

Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan [April 7, 1915 — July 17, 1959) an American jazz singer and songwriter Nicknamed “Lady Day” by her friend and musical partner Lester Young. Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. Continue reading

7/7/23 O&A NYC WITH WALESTYLEZ FASHION: Thom Browne | Haute Couture Fall Winter 2023/2024 | Full Show

Thom Browne presented his debut Haute Couture Collection in Paris for Fall/Winter 2023. Staged at the Opéra Garnier, Thom Browne brought the drama to the theater in various shades of grey, focusing on silhouette and movement in all its pieces. Continue reading

6/18/23 O&A NYC GOSPEL SUNDAY: Tramaine Hawkins – Praise The Name of Jesus


Tramaine Hawkins sings Praise The Name of Jesus from the Tramaine Live Album (1990) Continue reading