12/18/15 O&A Shall We Dance: Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland- Nutcracker Grand Pas de Deux

Shall We Dance

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During the 1977 Christmas season, CBS brought Mikhail Baryshnikov’s highly acclaimed American Ballet Theatre production of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet The Nutcracker to television. The production has remains the most popular and most often shown television production of the work in the U.S.  Mikhail Baryshnikov performed the title role, with Gelsey Kirkland as Clara.
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12/10/15 O&A NYC REVIEW: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater- Rennie Harris Exodus

By Walter Rutledge

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The real significance of Rennie Harris’ body of work has been his ability to transform hip-hop, a vernacular dance style created during the height of inner city urban blight of the 80’s, into the foundation for his abstract narrative art form. In early works such as Rome and Jewels (2000) Harris transforms the visceral hip-hop esthetic into 21st classicism. His latest work for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Exodus infuses the hip-hop genre and modern dance with theatrical elements and strong choreographic structure. Continue reading

12/4/15 O&A NYC Shall We Dance Friday: Jill Scott – Back Together featuring Complexion Contemporary Ballet

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Jill Scott has release her latest music video Back Together. While Scott isn’t in the video herself, the theatric clip features dancers from Complexions Contemporary Ballet breathe life into relationships broken by misunderstanding, the death of a loved one or personal issues. Continue reading

(Repost) 11/27/15 O&A NYC Shall We Dance Friday: Sylvie Guillem- Boléro

Shall We Dance

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One of Maurice Bejart’s most noted works, Bolero shows a woman dancing hypnotically on a tabletop. Sylvie Guillem performed its sinuous caressing and beckoning movements as if she were making incantatory gestures as a high priestess of an erotic ritual. Men seated motionless on chairs at the sides of the stage fall under her spell and slowly come to life. As Ravel’s familiar score mounts to a mighty climax, they dance around the table and at last jump on it to join the woman. The ballet is a remarkable image of awakening desire. Continue reading

11/20/15 O&A NYC Dance: A Conversation With Sylvia Waters- Artistic Director Emerita Ailey II

By Walter Rutledge

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Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita Sylvia Waters has shaped the lives and careers of countless young artists. During her 38 year tenure the Alvin Ailey Repertory  Ensemble grew into a world respected Ailey II- a dance company, choreographic laboratory and “dancing boot camp”. In 2012, shortly before her departure, we had an opportunity to talk with her about her career as a dancer, teacher and director.

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11/13/15 O&A NYC Shall We Dance Friday: Missy Elliott – WTF (Where They From) ft. Pharrell Williams

Shall We Dance

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Missy Elliott has returned in spectacularly weird style in the vibrant, clever video for “WTF (Where They From),” her new single with Pharrell. The clip opens with a handful of New Yorkers already singing along to “WTF” and goes on to feature the rapper and a rotating cast of dancers working locations around the city. Though the concept is simple, the execution is far from it. Continue reading

Missy Elliott – WTF (Where They From) ft. Pharrell Williams

Shall We Dance

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Missy Elliott has returned in spectacularly weird style in the vibrant, clever video for “WTF (Where They From),” her new single with Pharrell. The clip opens with a handful of New Yorkers already singing along to “WTF” and goes on to feature the rapper and a rotating cast of dancers working locations around the city. Though the concept is simple, the execution is far from it. Continue reading

10/31/15 O&A NYC Song Of The Day: Michael Jackson’s Thriller

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Michael Jackson’s Thriller is a 13-minute music video for the song of the same name released on December 2, 1983. It was directed by John Landis, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Jackson. It was MTV’s first world premiere video. Continue reading

10/28/15 O&A NYC With WaleStylez- Song Of The Day: Michael Jackson – Ghosts

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Michael Jackson’s Ghosts is a 1997 short film starring Michael Jackson, co-written by horror novelist Stephen King and directed by film director and special effects guru Stan Winston which could also be classified as a long-form music video. Continue reading

4/24/15 O&A Shall We Dance Friday: Bunny Briggs – Duke’s Dancer

Shall We Dance

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Bunny Briggs says he was born dancing: “When I finally faced the world my legs were kickin’. They let me loose, and I just started dancin’ . Just started right out dancin’. And been dancing ever since.” He was born on Lenox Avenue and 138th Street in Harlem, New York. At the age of three his mother took him to the Lincoln Theatre to see his aunt Gladys, who was a chorus girl. After seeing the dapper Bill Robinson perform at the Lincoln he rushed home to say, “Mamma, I want to be a tap dancer”. 

Bunny Briggs with Benny Carter Orchestra

After appearing at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1960 with the Duke Ellington band, Briggs became known as Duke’s Dancer. Briggs became the chosen soloist in Ellington’s Concert of Sacred Dance, in David Danced Before the Lord, which premiered at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco (September 16, 1965). Dubbed by Ellington as “the most superleviathonic, rhythmaturgically-syncopated tapsthamaticianisamist”.

Bunny Briggs Performs Come Sunday from Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert of Music

Briggs was nominated for a Tony Award in 1989 for his work in the Broadway show Black and Blue, he also appeared in the Gregory Hines film Tap in 1989. In 2002, Briggs received an honorary Doctorate of Performing Arts in American Dance by Oklahoma City University in 2002, honoring him as one of the nine doctorates of Tap Dance.

Dr. Bunny Briggs in Black and Blue