12/21/21 O&A NYC MILESTONES: Happy Birthday George Faison

By Walter Rutledge

There is only one George Faison! Dancer, choreographer, teacher, director, playwright, social activist, entrepreneur and friend. George has been one of my inspirations and artistic standard bearers for most of my career. In 2017 the Ailey American Dance Theater presented an excerpt of Suite Otis, his iconic tribute to Otis Redding. Faison sat down to talk about this masterwork,  experiences in the Ailey Company and his arts aesthetic. Happy Birthday George.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will present an excerpt of George Faison’s masterwork Suite Otis at their New York City Center season opening night gala, Wednesday, November 29 2017. Choreographed in 1971 for the George Faison Universal Dance Experience the work joined the Ailey repertoire in 1977. 40 years after it’s Ailey debut Suite Otis continues to excite and entertain audiences with verve, aplomb, fleet footed technique and imaginative Euclidean storytelling.

The company will perform the finale section set to Otis Redding’s Tenderness. The full cast section reintroduces the dancers creating a visually exciting yet compelling epilog. Throughout the work Faison (the imperial storyteller) does what every choreographer should do- invites us into his vision and delivers with clarity, focus and impeccable choreographic timing.

Balletomanes still long for the return of old fashion honest storytelling- the hallmark of Ailey’s original company. In Suite Otis Faison’s articulate use of the dance narrative genre captures the majesty and universal humanity of both Otis Redding’s music and the black dance experience. This gave him a voice in an era when Black American dance and culture had started to becoming a global  force.

Suite Otis- George Faison

What Faison did (and continues to do) is to keep the dance/theatre aesthetic in the forefront of the arts conversation. Tenderness will be performed for one performance only on Wednesday, November 29 for tickets and a complete schedule of the five-week New York City season visit ailey.org.

9/23/19 O&A NYC MILESTONES: Billy Porter has made history at the 2019 Emmys!

Billy Porter has made history at the 2019 Emmys! The “Pose” star became the first openly gay person of color to win an Emmy award for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Pray Tell in the acclaimed FX show. “The category is love, y’all!” he gushed. “I am so overwhelmed and I am so overjoyed to have lived long enough to see this day!” Billy broke down in tears while delivering his acceptance speech just one day after celebrating his 50th birthday! Continue reading

6/6/21 O&A NYC PRIDE MONTH- SPECIAL TRIBUTE DANCE: Aubrey Crawford aka Kassandra Ebony S.I.P

On the behalf of Out and About NYC Magazine we acknowledge the death of Aubrey Crawford aka Kassandra Ebony. This young man had a flare beyond its limit. Aubrey Crawford was treacherous within the dance world. Continue reading

9/19/18 O&A NYC MILESTONES: Arthur Mitchell Dance Trailblazer Died at 84

By Walter Rutledge

Arthur Mitchell, dancer, teacher, choreographer, social activist and founding director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem passed on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at age 84 from complications of heart failure. Mitchell’s career can only be described as trailblazing. In 1956 he crossed what E.B. Debois referred to as the “color line” to become the first ballet dancer of African decent to join the international renowned New York City Ballet.

Continue reading

8/16/18 O&A NYC MILESTONES: Aretha Franklin- Queen of Soul Dies (Video)

Aretha Franklin, the undisputed Queen of Soul who sang with matchless style on such classics as Think, I Say a Little Prayer and her signature song, Respect, and stood as a cultural icon around the globe, has died at age 76 from advance pancreatic cancer. Continue reading

1/15/17 O&A NYC MILESTONE: Eddie Long Dies at 63

Controversial religious leader Bishop Eddie Long has died at age 63. Rumors that the pastor and founder New Birth Missionary Baptist Church had passed began circulate and were confirmed through an instagram post on Long’s account. 

“My heart is heavy, but God is in control. See you in the rapture Bishop Eddie Long. It was my honor to serve New Birth for 12 years,” tweets Byron Cage. Cage is the former minister of music at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church founded and led by Long.

On New Birth’s website, Long is described as:
Bishop Eddie L. Long is known worldwide as a pioneering leader, revolutionary mind changer, a family man, and a caring and loving pastor. As a pioneering leader, Bishop Long is highly regarded for his vision, boldness, and unapologetic courage to walk in the supernatural. As a pastor, he is well respected and loved for his passion to bring souls into the body of Christ and join them to a local church body, and for preaching and teaching messages that change mindsets and encourage hearts. At home, he is a doting husband to his beautiful wife, First Lady Vanessa Long and loving father to his 4 children and 3 grandchildren. At New Birth, Bishop Long is most loved for being the ‘father of many’ – a pastor who loves God, God’s people, and who speaks life and declares, You shall NOT die but live to proclaim the goodness of the Lord!

Kevin Bond, another former minister of music at New Birth, writes on Facebook: “My sincere prayers go out to the Family of Bishop Eddie Long & the entire New Birth Church Family in the passing of Bishop Eddie Long. RIP”

In October 2016, Long told his congregation during a service earlier this month that God had healed him. “I’ve been on a journey and just recalibrating myself.”

The ‘recalibrating’ is likely in part the raw food diet that he adopted. An emaciated Long professed in a video that shocked the world in August 2016. He shared in the video posted on Facebook: “I’m on the medicine that God gave you to feed your immune system to build you up,” he says in the clip. “You know what, if you really want to move through this world and have influence, you gotta be spiritual and you have to walk by his commandments and you have to be healthy.”

There is no word on the cause of death.