2/1/24 O&A NYC DANCE REVIEW: RudduR Dance

By Walter Rutledge


RudduR Dance presented a three-day New York season January 25th through January 27th at the Chelsea Factory. Founder and choreographer Christopher Rudd continues to develop choreography that both entertaining and enlightening. The well curated seventy-five-minute concert presented three works and offered a retrospective into choreographer Rudd’s work and artistic evolution.  Continue reading

1/28/24 O&A NYC DANCE: Philadanco- “Philly’s Finest” Returns to New York’s Joyce Theater

By Walter Rutledge

Philadanco- the Philadelphia Dance Company returns to New York City’s Joyce Theater, February 6th thru February 10th, 2024. The highly anticipated four-day five performance series will present the works of four emerging choreographers of merit, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Nijawwon Matthews, Ray Mercer, and Christopher Rudd. Evans, Matthews and Mercer have history with Philadanco as company members and in Mercer’s case choreographer-in-residence. While Rudd has gained recent notoriety for the two works set on American Ballet Theater.   Continue reading

1/21/24 O&A NYC DANCE REVIEW: Ronald K. Brown /Evidence

By Walter Rutledge

Ronald K. Brown /Evidence presented their 2024 New York season January 16 through 21 at the Joyce Theater. The nine-member ensemble offered two works Walking Out the Dark (2001) and Torch (2012). The program provided an overview of the range and diversity of choreographer Brown and his company in what is best described as an American artist’s declaration of his diasporic roots. Continue reading

1/15/24 O&A NYC DANCE REVIEW: Dallas Black Dance Theatre

By Walter Rutledge

The Black Dallas Dance Company (BDDC) began a two-day performance series at the Joyce theater on January 11th, 2024. The series was part of the Joyce Theater‘s eighth annual American Dance Platform. Jacob’s Pillow Associate Curator Melanie George presented a trilogy of performances and performers with a roster including Jazz at the Joyce (1/9 and 1/10) Soles of Duende (1/11 and 1/14) and Dallas Black Dance Theatre (1/12 and 1/13). Continue reading

11/20/23 O&A NYC THEATRE- REVIEW: Hadestown- Sometimes True Love Can Be Hell.

By Walter Rutledge

Recently I had the extreme pleasure to see the Broadway smash hit Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theater. The 2019 eight-time Tony Award winning musical is still wowing audiences with Anais Mitchell’s incredible lyric music score and touching book featuring dual love stories. Before we talk about Hadestown lets first have a Greek mythology tutorial. Continue reading

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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10/1/23 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

9/28/23 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Debbie Allen Part Two- On Choreography and Directing

By Walter Rutledge

The second installment from the Out and About NYC Magazine 2015 interview with entertainment icon Debbie Allen. In this section we discussed her views on choreography and directing.  Continue reading

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

9/8/23 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Empathy (Part One)- A Conversation with Debbie Allen

By Walter Rutledge


In 2015 O&A NYC Editor-in-Chief Walter Rutledge interviewed Debbie Allen at the Faison Firehouse Theater for Dance Noir Magazine (DNM). The print article would discuss her relationship with Katherine Dunham. The video was produced as visual notes for the upcoming Dunham article. When the magazine suspended publication, out of respect for DNM Founder/Editor-in-Chief Carol Lloyd, we held the material with hopes of eventually printing the article for DNM. After eight years Ms. Allen’s words remain relevant, inspiring and informative and should be shared. We call this first installment Empathy. Continue reading