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.
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Category: Modern Dance
1/22/26 O&A NYC HAIL TO THE KING: Martin – A Ballet by Gordon Parks – Act III Letter From The Birmingham Jail
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
1/20/26 O&A NYC HAIL TO THE KING: Martin- A Ballet by Gordon Parks- Act II March On Selma
Act II from Martin: A ballet by Gordon Parks depicts the violent encounter with police during the march on Selma. Continue reading
1/18/26 O&A NYC HAIL TO THE KING!: Martin: A Ballet By Gordon Parks (Prelude)
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
1/16/26 O&A NYC DANCE BY WALTER RUTLEDGE: THE HOLY BLUES INTERVIEW – Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Samantha Figgins and Chalvar Monteiro
“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
1/11/26 O&A NYC IN MEMORIAM: Carmen de Lavallade (CBS Sunday Morning 2017)
In this Dec. 3, 2017 Sunday Morning report, Carmen de Lavallade talked with Rita Braver about her artistic journey (including her collaborations with Alvin Ailey and future husband Geoffrey Holder), and her decision to boycott a 2017 Kennedy Center Honorees reception following President Trump‘s remarks about White nationalists who marched in Charlottesville, Va. Continue reading
1/9/26 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: The A- Z of Dance
Shot on the streets and rooftops of sunny LA, our A-Z of Dance shows you how to set hearts alight and clubs on fire. Float like an Arabesque, spin like a B-Boy, wobble like a Chicken Noodle Soup… it’s time to step up! In a very special project for i-D and Diesel, director Jacob Sutton has captured the world’s hottest dancers walking in the air in their Jogg Jeans and cut-offs.
Lil Buck shows us the way of Memphis Jookin. Super-thighs Nicole the Pole – star of Rihanna’s “Pour It Up” video – takes us to a whole other level. And fresh from the Rick Owens catwalk, the Soul Step team show us how to dance to Le1f. Continue reading
1/5/26 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: The Life of Alvin Ailey (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989)
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
1/5/26 O&A NYC HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALVIN AILEY!: Alvin Ailey 1985 Cairo Interview (Historic Stock Video Footage)
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
12/26/25 O&A NYC DANCE BY WALTER RUTLEDGE: Cry – Deborah Manning
In 1971, Alvin Ailey created Cry, one of his signature dance works, as a birthday present for his mother Lula Elizabeth Ailey. Ailey dedicated the ballet to “all black women everywhere — especially our mothers.” The three-part ballet, set to contemporary music by Alice Coltrane, Laura Nyro and Chuck Griffin, depicts a woman’s journey through toil to an ecstatic state of grace. Cry premiered at New York City Center on May 4, 1971. Continue reading
