About OutandAboutnycmag

Out & About NYC Magazine was founded to offer the arts and lifestyle enthusiast a fresh new look at New York City. We will showcase the established and the emerging, the traditional and the trendy. And we will do it with élan, and panache with a dash of fun.

5/6/16 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: La Valse (1951) Featuring Tanaquil LeClercq and Nicholas Magallanes

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George Balanchine choreographed Maurice Ravel’s La valse in 1951. Ravel wrote La valse, poème chorégraphique pour orchestre (a choreographic poem for orchestra), between February 1919 and 1920. The music premiered in Paris on 12 December 1920. It was conceived as a ballet but is now more often heard as a concert work. The work has been described as a tribute to the waltz, and the composer George Benjamin. Continue reading

5/6/16 O&A NYC WITH WaleStylez FASHION: Air Jordan 1 Low Swooshless in Pink

By Adewale Adekanbi Jr.

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After we first caught a glimpse of a black Air Jordan 1 Low in sore need of its Swoosh, another colorway of this new silhouette has surfaced in a pink colorway more amenable to the fairer sex. Continue reading

5/5/16 O&A NYC WITH WaleStylez FASHION: Phil Knight Presents Stephen Colbert With a Pair of Bespoke Nike Air Prestos

By Adewale Adekanbi Jr.

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Following the successful release of his highly anticipated memoir Shoe Dog, Nike co-founder and current chairman Phil Knight took to The Late Show to present Stephen Colbert with an exclusive, one-of-a-kind pair of Air Presto sneakers. Covered in a plethora of illustrations significant to The Late Show host, the shoe’s duo-tone, white/purple upper featured, amongst other images, a South Carolina flag, the eagle from Colbert’s old Comedy Central show and an accompanying salt shaker related to his mother. Continue reading

5/4/16 O&A NYC SONG OF THE DAY: Diamonds and Pearls- Prince & Rosie Gaines

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Diamonds and Pearls is the single from Prince’s thirteenth studio album. It was released on October 1, 1991 by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. Diamonds and Pearls is his first album to have The New Power Generation, his backing band at the time, receive co-billing.   Continue reading

5/4/16 O&A NYC DANCE: Storm Troopers Dance On Star Wars Day- May the 4th be with you

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Star Wars has become so popular the public has created a Sci-fi holiday. On May 4, people around the globe celebrate Star Wars Day. Recognizing Star Wars on May 4 reportedly dates back to 1979 when Margaret Thatcher took office as U.K. prime minister and was congratulated with an ad in the London Evening News which read, “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.” as a play on “May the force be with you, Luke.” So, now May the 4th is celebrated as Star Wars Day annually. Continue reading

5/4/16 O&A NYC WILDIN OUT WEDNESDAY: Clubber – A Sequel to Creed Starring Tracy Morgan and Jimmy Kimmel

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One of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year that was not nominated for Best Picture was Creed– the story of Rocky Balboa training the son of one of his great rivals. It wouldn’t be a Rocky movie without a sequel, so we are pleased to debut the world premiere trailer for the much-anticipated follow-up to Clubber- A Sequel to Creed starring Tracy Morgan, J.K. Simmons, Mike Tyson, Al Michaels, Sugar Ray Leonard and Jimmy Kimmel. 

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5/3/16 O&A NYC WITH WaleStylez- SONG OF THE DAY: Maxi Priest – Close To You

By Adewale Adekanbi Jr.

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Close to You is a song by British reggae artist, Maxi Priest. It was released in July 1990 as the lead single from the album, Bonafide. It reached number-one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on 6 October 1990.

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5/3/16 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: President Obama White House Correspondents Dinner 2016

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The 2016 White House Correspondents Dinner was President Barack Obama’s final run as comedian in chief. President Obama closed his speech with “Obama out” and a mic drop before receiving a standing ovation from Washington and Hollywood bigwigs. Continue reading

5/2/16 O&A NYC REVIEW DANCE: Dallas Black Dance Theatre

By Walter Rutledge

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The Dallas Black Dance Theatre presented their annual New York City season entitled Masterworks Redefined on April 22 and 23, 2016 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater. The extremely audience friendly concert offered five works by five dance makers. The works, which included two world premieres, one company premiere and two revivals, showcased the talents of emerging African- American choreographers and early works by more established artists of color.

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Every dancer dreams of flying and in the company premiere of Jamal Story’s duet What to Say? Notes on Echo and Narcissus (2015) the dancers got to defy gravity. The work served as a visually satisfying opener with dancer Claude Alexander lll suspended centerstage in a cocoon of white fabric over the plaint Alyssa Harrington. As the ballet developed the dancers utilized the natural momentum of the hanging fabric to produce a pleasant, yet sensual feeling of motion and weightlessness.

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Alexander’s partnering remained self-assured while suspended and a’ terre providing a good balance to Harrington’s abandon. The novel concept (novel for concert dance) is derived from the choreographer’s extensive aerial work with such pop music legends as Cher and Madonna. Although impressive the aerial choreography alone could not sustain the integrity of the work. In fact the work faired far better airborne than earthbound, but this can be resolve with more development on the already existing movement theme.

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Unearthed (World Premiere 2016), an ensemble work by Bridget L. Moore used a collage of music featuring various renditions of the iconic protest song Strange Fruit. A true abstract narrative, the work challenged the performers to convey more than steps. Moore created strong visual imagery coupled with good choreographic form.

Hana Delong as the grief-stricken mourner, who collapses downstage set the tone for the focused images that would follow. The upstage diagonal crossing into the darkness completed the feeling of sorrow and powerlessness. The imagery continued in a series of linear movement passages that included a militarized marching pattern set upstage and a defiant mid-stage line that went from a raised fist to pointing skyward to the martyred body.

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The second world premiere, Furtherance (2016) by Kirven Douthit- Boyd, took us from sorrow to celebration. The pastel colored costumes of tunics and shorts by Beth Thomason added a youthful light feeling to the ensemble work. Often athletic and high-energy, the ballet had ritual overtones, which assisted in conveying the transformation.

The second half of the performance presented two early works by Francesca Harper and Christopher Huggins. Instinct 11.1 is an abstract ensemble work by Harper opened Act II. The 2010 ballet was dedicated to her mother Denise Jefferson who lost battle with cancer that same year. The sextet (for four men Claude Alexander lll, Keon K. Nickie, Sean Smith, De’Anthony Vaughan and two woman Michelle Hebert and Kimara Wood) opened in silence, presenting snippets of movement that retreated back to darkness.

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The “teasers” eventually incorporated verbal sounds produced by the dancers, before the percussive score by Les Tambours du Bronx and the main body of the work began. Rhythmic and earthy the dancers exuded a hyper-masculine persona, poising with wide second position stances with clinched fists and working in visceral unison through circular patterns. The work returned to the opening theme ending in silence again accompanied vocally by the performers.

The program closed with Night Run by Christopher L. Huggins. Set in three movements the uptempo group work for the entire company had a Latin flavor inspired by Rene’ Aubry’s score. The 2003 work revealed elements of Huggins’ then emerging choreographic signature.

With a strong sense of design, good use of dynamics and theatrical undertones Huggins moved the ensemble with an ease and proficiency. Exploding movement and steadfast partnering buoyed the work making it a good program closer. Unfortunately the predictable use of ballet steps including pas de couru, pas de chat, and Brisé detracted from the overall strength of the work by breaking the stylistic continuity. Despite this inconsistency Huggins’ then budding talent was still apparent.

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The Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s Masterworks Redefined performance series turned out to be an artistic leap forward for the company. This well curated program provided the company with a fresh, clear direction/message. We surmise the artistic cohesiveness has a lot to do with the return of Founder and former Artistic Director Ann M. Williams as Artistic Advisor.