Tribute to Fela is a celebration of the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the pioneer of Afrobeat whose music, activism and sense of identity reshaped African sound and culture forever.
Continue reading
No comments
Category: Shall We Dance Friday
10/31/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: New York City Breakers Celebrate Katherine Dunham At The Kennedy Center Honors (1983)
The New York City Breakers were the first Hip Hop group and to perform in Washington D.C for a sitting President, specifically Ronald Reagan, during the 1983, Kennedy Center Honors. Continue reading
10/31/25 O&A NYC DANCE BY WALTER RUTLEDGE: A Conversation with Robert Battle
Its Taylor Time! The Paul Taylor Dance Company returns to Lincoln Center’s State Theater November 4 through 23. The company will present a total of eighteen works including the New York premiere of choreographer Hope Boykin and world premieres by resident choreographers Lauren Lovett and Robert Battle. Out and About NYC Magazine Editor- in Chief Walter Rutledge and Battle sat down for a long overdue conversation about his new work Under the Rhythm, his second work for the Taylor Company. Continue reading
10/24/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: A. Piazzolla- Libertango
Libertango is a composition by tango composer Astor Piazzolla, recorded and published in 1974 in Milan. The title is a portmanteau merging “Libertad” (Spanish for liberty) and “Tango”, symbolizing Piazzolla’s break from Classical Tango to Tango Nuevo. Continue reading
10/3/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY ENCORE PERFORMANCE: Swan Lake Act III excerpts
Excerpts from the Third Act of Swan Lake starring Rudolph Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn. Nureyev choreographed this 1967 version especially for film.
9/26/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Les Twins vs Alvin & Mighty Jimm – Sziget Festival X Cypher Town All Stars Battle
A dance battle between Les Twins and Alvin and Mighty Jimm occurred during the Sziget Festival’s x Cypher Town All Stars Battle, which was part of the 2025 festival that took place in August.
9/5/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm featuring Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers – A Day at the Races (1937).
All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm featuring Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers is from the movie A Day at the Races (1937). The singer in the segment is Ivie Anderson from Duke Ellington’s Orchestra. The list of dancers is including Troy Brown, Dorothy Miller, Johnny Smalls, Norma Miller, Leon James, Snooky Beasley, Willa Mae Ricker, Ella Gibson, and George Greenidge. (Apparently, the dancer listed as John Bunch is in fact, Troy Brown). Whitey himself can be seen on the sidelines. He is identifiable by the streak of white in his hair. Continue reading
8/8/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Chicago’s Hiplet Ballerinas To Perform In The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Debut
By Walter Rutledge
Who would defile the sacred world of ballet (the last bastion of “pure” euro-centric dance and culture) by adding a healthy dose of urban flair? Move over Swan Lake and make way for the Hiplet Ballerinas. The Chicago – based dance company, whose unique style has taken the dance world by storm. The company will be part of The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project – Unbound: Shattered Frames, Endless Visions on Saturday, August 23, 6 pm at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (205 E. Randolph Street). The performance is a showcase of Black dance excellence and will feature ten of the city’s most innovative and diverse dance companies. Continue reading
7/18/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Harold Nicholas – Mister BeeBe from Carolina Blues (1944)
An amazing song and tap routine from Carolina Blues (1944) – with a huge cast of dancers and singers, and headed up by the wonderful Harold Nicholas. Continue reading
4/4/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: A Conversation With Micah Bullard
By Walter Rutledge
Houston, Texas native Micah Bullard is living his dream. The twenty-six-year-old dancer will perform with the Dance Theatre of Harlem April 10 through April 14 at New York City Center. This New York City season begins his fourth year with the company. Recently O&A NYC Editor-in-Chief Walter Rutledge and Bullock sat down to discuss the upcoming season, his early training and being an African American male who dances ballet. Continue reading
