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
By Walter Rutledge
Nineteen seventy began the golden age of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Ailey in his creative apex choreographed Streams (1970) (his first plotless work), Cry (1971) (iconic female solo and Judith Jamison’s breakout role), The Lark Ascending (1972) his historic collaborations with Duke Ellington (Ailey Does Ellington -1974 season in Lincoln Center) and Memoria (1979). In 1972 Dudley Williams premiered Love Songs, a solo choreographed in three sections by Ailey.
The choreography received lukewarm reviews and was categorized as the male counter part of Cry, which had premiered a year earlier. New York Times dance critic Anna Kisslegoff called the work a “technical and dramatic tour-de-force for Mr. Williams”. The literati may not have been initially enthusiastic, but the audience had a different reaction. They showered Williams’ performance with thunderous applause, establishing him as Ailey’s lyric crown prince and Love Songs as his signature role.
Dudley Williams -A Song for You (1986)
Dudley shared with me in a 2010 interview that Judith Jamison introduced him to the Donny Hathaway music and he then shared it with Ailey. One day Ailey called him into the studio and said, “This is for you Chicken”, (Ailey’s pet name for Williams) and began to choreographer the opening movement A Song For You. The work provided Williams, at the peak of his artistic prowess, a vehicle to showcase his impeccable musical phrasing and stage presence.
The opening section, A Song For You, is often presented as a stand-alone solo. Its lyricism, musicality, and soul stirring dramatic commitment continues to inspire audiences. On December 7th Renaldo Maurice performed A Song For You with great sensitivity and a masterful yet quiet command. The program note read: “This performance is dedicated in loving memory to long-time Ailey Company member Dudley Williams (1938–2015)”. It’s hard to believe Dudley has been dancing with the ancestors for over ten years.
Tonight’s performance is a tribute to choreographer and company founder Alvin Ailey and his muse Judith Jamison. Jamison’s A Case of You will be presented along with two of Ailey’s golden age gems, Memoria and Cry along with his signature masterwork Revelations.
For more information and to purchase tickets visit: https://ailey.org/performances
In Photo: 1. Ailey and Company (1978 twentieth anniversary season) 2. Alvin Ailey and Judith Jamison
Jack Mitchell Photographer
Rudolf Nureyev‘s 1968 staging of the Nutcracker for the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden fundamentally altered the perception of The Nutcracker. Nureyev discarded the simplistic notion of a pure children’s fantasy, instead turning the entire dream sequence into a complex psycho-sexual exploration of Clara’s burgeoning maturity and her subconscious desire for her godfather, Drosselmeyer. Continue reading
Taylor Time is in full swing. The Paul Taylor Dance Company held their Gala performance tonight at New York State Theater in Lincoln Center. The evening presented two world premieres by Resident Choreographers Lauren Lovette and Robert Battle and the Taylor classic Sunset. This is a quick recap of the evening. A review(s) will follow, but we wanted to keep you in the know. Continue reading
Watch the sixth annual 9/11 Table of Silence Project Memorial Tribute with 150+ dancers on the Josie Robertson Plaza, Lincoln Center in New York City. Choreographed by Jacqulyn Buglisi, the 9/11 Table of Silence is a free, public performance ritual for peace from the New York City community of artists to the world. The event streamed live on September 11, 2016, beginning at 8:15am. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge
By Walter Rutledge
The Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center (THPAC) presented A Ramp To Paradise at the Ailey Citicorp Theater on June 27th and 28th. The two-day spring performance season showcased the third rendition of the dance theater narrative. The story begins in 1985 at the now celebrated underground nightclub- the Paradise Garage. The sold-out Saturday evening performance was followed by a classic Paradise Garage style after party that lasted from 9pm to 12am (that’s 12 midnight not the Garage’s notorious Sunday noon closing- for those who remember). Continue reading
The Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center (THPAC) will present A Ramp To Paradise on June 27 and 28, 2025 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater,405 west 55th Street. The dance theater work is the brainchild of THPAC executive chairman Alex Smith, Jr. and is based on the short story A Ramp To Paradise conceived and written by Smith. The story centers around a group of friends who attend the famed 1980’s underground dance club-The Paradise Garage. Continue reading
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
Channel the spirit of the ’60s at Flower Power, a joyous celebration of the enduring symbolism of flowers as icons of peace and love. Immerse yourself in a groovy and colorful flower show spotlighting the ways in which hippie culture advanced closer relationships with the natural world, and explore vibrant botanical displays.
2900 Southern Blvd
A pioneer in the use of new technologies, Van Herpen transcends conventional clothing norms while embracing both traditional couture artisanship and innovative techniques. Ranging from the micro to the macro, the exhibition explores the body’s place in space, its relationship to clothing and its environment, and its future in a rapidly changing world.
Brooklyn Musiem of Art
The show will present iconic works from the museum’s collection by more than 20 artists, including John Chamberlain, Chryssa, Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein, Lucas Samaras, and Andy Warhol. Highlights will include Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian (2019) and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s Soft Shuttlecock (1995), on view in New York for the first time in 25 years. These works will be shown alongside Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE (2019), a major loan to the exhibition, and recent acquisitions by contemporary artists such as Farah Al Qasimi, Alex Da Corte, Lucia Hierro, Martine Gutierrez, Lauren Halsey, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Yee I-Lann, Cara Romero, and Liu Shiyuan, whose practices expand the legacies of Pop.
1071 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10128 (at 88th Street)
The new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth Avenue
Welcome to the 33rd season of summer movies in Bryant Park! Bring a blanket and a friend, and grab your spot on the lawn to watch a feature film on the big screen under the stars. The lawn opens at 5pm and films begin at 8pm.
Bryant Park
Channel the spirit of the ’60s at Flower Power, a joyous celebration of the enduring symbolism of flowers as icons of peace and love. Immerse yourself in a groovy and colorful flower show spotlighting the ways in which hippie culture advanced closer relationships with the natural world, and explore vibrant botanical displays.
2900 Southern Blvd
Everyone’s favorite yoga program returns for summer 2026! From May 27 through September 16, join us for classes Tuesday mornings on the Upper Terrace, and Wednesday evenings on the lawn.
Bryant Park Yoga presented by Halara is free to the public. Bring your mat and water and enjoy one hour of yoga with New York City’s top instructors.
Bryant ParkA pioneer in the use of new technologies, Van Herpen transcends conventional clothing norms while embracing both traditional couture artisanship and innovative techniques. Ranging from the micro to the macro, the exhibition explores the body’s place in space, its relationship to clothing and its environment, and its future in a rapidly changing world.
Brooklyn Musiem of ArtThe show will present iconic works from the museum’s collection by more than 20 artists, including John Chamberlain, Chryssa, Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein, Lucas Samaras, and Andy Warhol. Highlights will include Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian (2019) and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s Soft Shuttlecock (1995), on view in New York for the first time in 25 years. These works will be shown alongside Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE (2019), a major loan to the exhibition, and recent acquisitions by contemporary artists such as Farah Al Qasimi, Alex Da Corte, Lucia Hierro, Martine Gutierrez, Lauren Halsey, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Yee I-Lann, Cara Romero, and Liu Shiyuan, whose practices expand the legacies of Pop.
1071 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10128 (at 88th Street)
The new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueChannel the spirit of the ’60s at Flower Power, a joyous celebration of the enduring symbolism of flowers as icons of peace and love. Immerse yourself in a groovy and colorful flower show spotlighting the ways in which hippie culture advanced closer relationships with the natural world, and explore vibrant botanical displays.
2900 Southern BlvdA pioneer in the use of new technologies, Van Herpen transcends conventional clothing norms while embracing both traditional couture artisanship and innovative techniques. Ranging from the micro to the macro, the exhibition explores the body’s place in space, its relationship to clothing and its environment, and its future in a rapidly changing world.
Brooklyn Musiem of ArtThe show will present iconic works from the museum’s collection by more than 20 artists, including John Chamberlain, Chryssa, Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein, Lucas Samaras, and Andy Warhol. Highlights will include Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian (2019) and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s Soft Shuttlecock (1995), on view in New York for the first time in 25 years. These works will be shown alongside Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE (2019), a major loan to the exhibition, and recent acquisitions by contemporary artists such as Farah Al Qasimi, Alex Da Corte, Lucia Hierro, Martine Gutierrez, Lauren Halsey, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Yee I-Lann, Cara Romero, and Liu Shiyuan, whose practices expand the legacies of Pop.
1071 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10128 (at 88th Street)
The new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth Avenue
Bryant Park Yoga Everyone’s favorite yoga program returns for summer 2026! From May 27 through September 16, join us for classes Tuesday mornings on the Upper Terrace, and Wednesday evenings on the lawn.
Bryant Park Yoga presented by Halara is free to the public. Bring your mat and water and enjoy one hour of yoga with New York City’s top instructors.
Bryant Park
A dance and wellness classes design for Older Adults taught by Walter Rutledge
204 W 134th St, New York, NY 10030
Channel the spirit of the ’60s at Flower Power, a joyous celebration of the enduring symbolism of flowers as icons of peace and love. Immerse yourself in a groovy and colorful flower show spotlighting the ways in which hippie culture advanced closer relationships with the natural world, and explore vibrant botanical displays.
2900 Southern BlvdA pioneer in the use of new technologies, Van Herpen transcends conventional clothing norms while embracing both traditional couture artisanship and innovative techniques. Ranging from the micro to the macro, the exhibition explores the body’s place in space, its relationship to clothing and its environment, and its future in a rapidly changing world.
Brooklyn Musiem of ArtThe show will present iconic works from the museum’s collection by more than 20 artists, including John Chamberlain, Chryssa, Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein, Lucas Samaras, and Andy Warhol. Highlights will include Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian (2019) and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s Soft Shuttlecock (1995), on view in New York for the first time in 25 years. These works will be shown alongside Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE (2019), a major loan to the exhibition, and recent acquisitions by contemporary artists such as Farah Al Qasimi, Alex Da Corte, Lucia Hierro, Martine Gutierrez, Lauren Halsey, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Yee I-Lann, Cara Romero, and Liu Shiyuan, whose practices expand the legacies of Pop.
1071 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10128 (at 88th Street)
The new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueChannel the spirit of the ’60s at Flower Power, a joyous celebration of the enduring symbolism of flowers as icons of peace and love. Immerse yourself in a groovy and colorful flower show spotlighting the ways in which hippie culture advanced closer relationships with the natural world, and explore vibrant botanical displays.
2900 Southern BlvdA pioneer in the use of new technologies, Van Herpen transcends conventional clothing norms while embracing both traditional couture artisanship and innovative techniques. Ranging from the micro to the macro, the exhibition explores the body’s place in space, its relationship to clothing and its environment, and its future in a rapidly changing world.
Brooklyn Musiem of ArtThe show will present iconic works from the museum’s collection by more than 20 artists, including John Chamberlain, Chryssa, Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein, Lucas Samaras, and Andy Warhol. Highlights will include Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian (2019) and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s Soft Shuttlecock (1995), on view in New York for the first time in 25 years. These works will be shown alongside Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE (2019), a major loan to the exhibition, and recent acquisitions by contemporary artists such as Farah Al Qasimi, Alex Da Corte, Lucia Hierro, Martine Gutierrez, Lauren Halsey, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Yee I-Lann, Cara Romero, and Liu Shiyuan, whose practices expand the legacies of Pop.
1071 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10128 (at 88th Street)
The new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueA dance and wellness classes design for Older Adults taught by Walter Rutledge
720 Nereid Ave, Bronx, NY 10466
Channel the spirit of the ’60s at Flower Power, a joyous celebration of the enduring symbolism of flowers as icons of peace and love. Immerse yourself in a groovy and colorful flower show spotlighting the ways in which hippie culture advanced closer relationships with the natural world, and explore vibrant botanical displays.
2900 Southern BlvdA pioneer in the use of new technologies, Van Herpen transcends conventional clothing norms while embracing both traditional couture artisanship and innovative techniques. Ranging from the micro to the macro, the exhibition explores the body’s place in space, its relationship to clothing and its environment, and its future in a rapidly changing world.
Brooklyn Musiem of ArtThe show will present iconic works from the museum’s collection by more than 20 artists, including John Chamberlain, Chryssa, Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein, Lucas Samaras, and Andy Warhol. Highlights will include Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian (2019) and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s Soft Shuttlecock (1995), on view in New York for the first time in 25 years. These works will be shown alongside Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE (2019), a major loan to the exhibition, and recent acquisitions by contemporary artists such as Farah Al Qasimi, Alex Da Corte, Lucia Hierro, Martine Gutierrez, Lauren Halsey, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Yee I-Lann, Cara Romero, and Liu Shiyuan, whose practices expand the legacies of Pop.
1071 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10128 (at 88th Street)
The new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueChannel the spirit of the ’60s at Flower Power, a joyous celebration of the enduring symbolism of flowers as icons of peace and love. Immerse yourself in a groovy and colorful flower show spotlighting the ways in which hippie culture advanced closer relationships with the natural world, and explore vibrant botanical displays.
2900 Southern BlvdA pioneer in the use of new technologies, Van Herpen transcends conventional clothing norms while embracing both traditional couture artisanship and innovative techniques. Ranging from the micro to the macro, the exhibition explores the body’s place in space, its relationship to clothing and its environment, and its future in a rapidly changing world.
Brooklyn Musiem of ArtThe show will present iconic works from the museum’s collection by more than 20 artists, including John Chamberlain, Chryssa, Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein, Lucas Samaras, and Andy Warhol. Highlights will include Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian (2019) and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s Soft Shuttlecock (1995), on view in New York for the first time in 25 years. These works will be shown alongside Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE (2019), a major loan to the exhibition, and recent acquisitions by contemporary artists such as Farah Al Qasimi, Alex Da Corte, Lucia Hierro, Martine Gutierrez, Lauren Halsey, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Yee I-Lann, Cara Romero, and Liu Shiyuan, whose practices expand the legacies of Pop.
1071 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10128 (at 88th Street)
The new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth Avenue
New York hottest place to be for a fun Sunday evening house music party. JD Frankie Paradise will get you moving whether you dip, twist or just strike a pose.
District - 246 west 35th street
Channel the spirit of the ’60s at Flower Power, a joyous celebration of the enduring symbolism of flowers as icons of peace and love. Immerse yourself in a groovy and colorful flower show spotlighting the ways in which hippie culture advanced closer relationships with the natural world, and explore vibrant botanical displays.
2900 Southern BlvdA pioneer in the use of new technologies, Van Herpen transcends conventional clothing norms while embracing both traditional couture artisanship and innovative techniques. Ranging from the micro to the macro, the exhibition explores the body’s place in space, its relationship to clothing and its environment, and its future in a rapidly changing world.
Brooklyn Musiem of ArtThe show will present iconic works from the museum’s collection by more than 20 artists, including John Chamberlain, Chryssa, Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein, Lucas Samaras, and Andy Warhol. Highlights will include Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian (2019) and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s Soft Shuttlecock (1995), on view in New York for the first time in 25 years. These works will be shown alongside Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE (2019), a major loan to the exhibition, and recent acquisitions by contemporary artists such as Farah Al Qasimi, Alex Da Corte, Lucia Hierro, Martine Gutierrez, Lauren Halsey, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Yee I-Lann, Cara Romero, and Liu Shiyuan, whose practices expand the legacies of Pop.
1071 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10128 (at 88th Street)
The new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueWelcome to the 33rd season of summer movies in Bryant Park! Bring a blanket and a friend, and grab your spot on the lawn to watch a feature film on the big screen under the stars. The lawn opens at 5pm and films begin at 8pm.
Bryant Park
