By Walter Rutledge
Journalist and author Cheryl Wills joins the cast as both actor and playwright for the Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Company in tonight’s production of Remembering at the BAM Fisher Fishman Space, 321 Ashland Place, in downtown Brooklyn. Wills shared the story of her great, great, great grandfather Private Sandy Wills with young audiences on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday evening’s performance playwright Wills will be performed by Thera Ward. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge
For over 31 years Jamel Gaines, and his Brooklyn based company, Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Company, has understood the power of education through the arts. His much-anticipated annual arts in education production Remembering, reflects Gaines continued commitment to educate and enlighten the next generation through the dance theatre genre. Gaines and his company will offer six young audience daytime performances on February 11,12 and 13 at 10am and 12 noon in the BAM Fisher (Fishman Space) 321 Ashland Pl, Downtown Brooklyn,. There will also be one evening performance open to the public on February 13th at 7:30pm. His staunch commitment to protected, preserving and perpetuate the legacy of Americans of African descent has earned Gaines the moniker of the “Godfather of Black History Month”.
Remembering is a multimedia history lesson with dance as the primary medium. The work is an effective amalgam of contemporary western and traditional West African dance styles, spoken word, music, West African drumming and stunning video and photographic imagery. This diasporic sojourn chronicles the journey from the blissful land nourished by the Pishon, Gihon, Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to the struggles and triumphs on this other side of the Atlantic.
Gaines credits his commitment to the philosophy of empowerment and self-determination offered by Bishop Reverend Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, the spiritual leader of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church. Gaines’ recent participation in the church’s Black History Month declaration, The MAAFA Suite is an example the power of storytelling as communication and education. In other words: Unity through community.
What better way to share the richness of American history than through the visual and kinetic power of the arts. It will spark conversations and open curiosities important for this new 21st century visual learning environment. This sensory historical experience explores the struggles, triumphs and continued fight for a place at America’s banquet table.
For more information about Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet school and company visit https://www.creativeoutlet.org for tickets for Remembering at BAM Fisher performances of February 13 visit https://www.bam.org/dance/2026/remembering
If you miss this article click below:
By Walter Rutledge
Dance Theatre of. Harlem founder Arthur Mitchell told me, “It’s easy to choreograph on professionals try choreographing on regular people”. He was implying that the dance maker must rely more on creativity than on established steps and patterns. Jamel Gaines has accepted this challenge. Instead of using members of the Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Theater, he has constructed a large intergenerational cast of church constituents.
On Sunday February 1st the Creative Outlet founder/artistic director will present his staging and choreography in MAAFA: The Capture. The Brainchild of Bishop, Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, the 9am free performance at Mt. Piscah Baptist Church, located at 167-10 137th Ave in Jamaica, Queens, will herald in Black History Month. MAAFA: The Capture is a twenty-minute dance theatre vignette depicting the African American experience.
O&A NYC Magazine Editor-in-Chief Walter Rutledge attended recent rehearsals and watched Gaines put his neophyte cast through the paces. These rehearsals were equal parts inspiration and perspiration. A true old school director Gaines rehearsals are both exacting and exhausting. And Gaines high energy and cajoling demeanor effortlessly brings out the movement shapes and dramatic artistry. Don’t take my word here’s a sneak peek into the rehearsal process.
MAAFA: The Capture rehearsal
The black church has always been the source of not only inspiration but the hallmark for information and education. MAAFA: The Capture captures African American history in an entertaining and enlightening dance theater group endeavor. Unity through community.
By Walter Rutledge
Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet (JGCO) presented their New York City season February 13 thru 15 at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Bam Fisher Fishman Space. The seventy minute audience friendly one act was more than a celebration of Black History Month; it is also a fitting tribute to the dance theatre genre. The season offered a blend of spoken word, live drumming, recorded music and voiceovers, theater, ritual, art, photography, video projections and of course the primary medium dance. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge
Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet will commemorate the company’s 30th anniversary with a three-day New York City season Friday, February 13 through Sunday, February 15 at BAM Fisher Fishman Space. The season will offer Remembering, a program that reflects Gaines continued commitment to educate and enlighten the next generation through the dance theatre genre. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge
Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Theater of Brooklyn (JGCO) presented Remembering… on February 17th and 18th at BAM Fisher, Fishman Space. The 70-minute one act was an extremely enlightening audience friendly black history celebration. This multi-media event is a perfect example of art as education. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge
Dance has always been a catalyst for change. In 1936 Martha Graham created her masterwork Chronicles as a weapon against the rising menace of fascism in Germany. In 1959 Donald McKayle’s Rainbow Round My Shoulder evoked the hopelessness and inequality of Black men on a southern prison chain gang. On Saturday August 29 Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn (also known as Creative Outlet or just C.O.) will also use the power of dance to heal a community with Peace One Love, an afternoon of the arts celebrating the spirit of the now internationally recognized Black Lives Matter movement. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. This observance should hold the status of an African- American Independence Day. Juneteenth 2020 will take place on Friday; and to commemorate the 155 anniversary of independence Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Company of Brooklyn and NYC Summerstage with present a virtual celebration entitled Hanging Tree. This virtual event will take place on Friday June 19, 7pm on Summerstage YouTube.
The production brought together the talents of dancer James “Banks” Davis, musician Talu Green, vocalist Marcelle Davies Lashley, poet Carl Hancock Rux, choreographer/director Jamel Gaines and members of the Creative Outlet family. Mothers and fathers performed with sons and daughters, brothers and sister, nieces and nephews, and present and former company members brought love, creative, reverence and community to the steps, plaza and base of the Doric styled Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument in Brooklyn’s Fort Green Park. Immediately following the performance there will be a panel discussion lead by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer/choreographer Hope Boykin.
O&A NYC attended the filming of the presentation and brings you a sneak preview of Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet’s Hanging Tree.
Preview Hanging Tree: A Juneteenth Celebration
On June 19th, 1865 a regiment of Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. One of Granger’s first order of business was to read to the people of the city a document entitled General Order Number 3. The proclamation began:
“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”
Juneteenth honors the memory of all people who have broken the chains of oppression and dehumanizing servitude. It is celebration of those who have the obtained freedom, either through the joys of emancipation or the unfortunate inevitability of death. On Friday June 19 we wish you all a joyous Juneteenth and a happy African- American Independence Day.
By Walter Rutledge
Legacy, a shared concert between Brooklyn based Jamel Gaine’s Creative Outlet and Chicago’s Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, presented a well curated evening of dance theatre works at BAM Fisher on Friday and Saturday September 13 and 14, 2019. Founding directors Jamel Gaines and Deeply Rooted’s Kevin Jeff (both Queens natives and Bernice Johnson Dance School alums) presented a concert of shared dance philosophies. The evening had a kindred aesthetic; presenting seven works spanning thirty-five years. Continue reading
Jamel Gaines and Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn (with guest artists) presents dance theatre, which combines elements of theater, spoken word/poetry, moving image and live music. Gaines uses dance to address social and cultural issues. Continue reading
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
Encounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern Parkway
Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERThe 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 AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern ParkwayFlamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATER
Macy's Flower Show: Head to New York City's Herald Square for gorgeously bright floral arrangements at the annual Macy's Flower Show. The exhibition of exotic flowers and plants from around the world will transform Macy’s Herald Square in New York City into a breathtaking floral extravaganza from April 23-May 10, 2026.
New York City's Herald SquareThe 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 AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern ParkwayFlamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERMacy's Flower Show: Head to New York City's Herald Square for gorgeously bright floral arrangements at the annual Macy's Flower Show. The exhibition of exotic flowers and plants from around the world will transform Macy’s Herald Square in New York City into a breathtaking floral extravaganza from April 23-May 10, 2026.
New York City's Herald SquareThe 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 AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern Parkway
A dance and wellness classes design for Older Adults taught by Walter Rutledge
720 Nereid Ave, Bronx, NY 10466
Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERMacy's Flower Show: Head to New York City's Herald Square for gorgeously bright floral arrangements at the annual Macy's Flower Show. The exhibition of exotic flowers and plants from around the world will transform Macy’s Herald Square in New York City into a breathtaking floral extravaganza from April 23-May 10, 2026.
New York City's Herald SquareThe 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 AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern ParkwayFlamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERMacy's Flower Show: Head to New York City's Herald Square for gorgeously bright floral arrangements at the annual Macy's Flower Show. The exhibition of exotic flowers and plants from around the world will transform Macy’s Herald Square in New York City into a breathtaking floral extravaganza from April 23-May 10, 2026.
New York City's Herald SquareThe 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 AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern ParkwayFlamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERFlamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERMacy's Flower Show: Head to New York City's Herald Square for gorgeously bright floral arrangements at the annual Macy's Flower Show. The exhibition of exotic flowers and plants from around the world will transform Macy’s Herald Square in New York City into a breathtaking floral extravaganza from April 23-May 10, 2026.
New York City's Herald SquareThe 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 AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern ParkwayMacy's Flower Show: Head to New York City's Herald Square for gorgeously bright floral arrangements at the annual Macy's Flower Show. The exhibition of exotic flowers and plants from around the world will transform Macy’s Herald Square in New York City into a breathtaking floral extravaganza from April 23-May 10, 2026.
New York City's Herald SquareThe 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 AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern Parkway