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.

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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).

Shall We Dance Friday

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

Shall We Dance Friday

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

Shall We Dance Friday

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

3/21/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: They Called Her Moses

Shall We Dance Friday

They Called Her Moses is Donald McKayle‘s story of freedom fighter Harriet Tubman. The cast includes Jacqueline Walcott, Robert Powell, Sylvia Waters, Arthur Mitchell, Kathleen Stanford, Donald McKayle and Carmen DeLavallade. Continue reading

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

2/28/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: The View Celebrates Judith Jamison – Performs Cry

Shall We Dance FridayOn February 27th 2025 The View honored Black women who have broken barriers. The segment highlighted the accomplishments of Judith Jamison, choreographer Alvin Ailey‘s muse.  Constance Stamatiou a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs Right On Be Free an excerpt from Cry in honor of this Black History Month icon. 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

2/7/25 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