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.

Dance Of The Village Elders Attend Ballet Hispanico Performance

Dance Of The Village Elders

On Sunday, April 20th members of the Dance Of The Village program went to see Ballet Hispanico at the Joyce Theater. Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro offered the group tickets to see the Easter evening performance. 30 members of the program attended the production. Continue reading

Hollywood Monday: Lady Sings The Blues (Big Ben) Plus Encore performance

Hollywood Mondays

Lady Sings the Blues is the story of jazz singer Billie Holiday and is loosely based on her 1956 autobiography. Holiday took its title from one of her most popular songs. Continue reading

Gospel Sunday: Calvary – Richard Smallwood and Vision

GOSPEL SUNDAY

Jesus_WR(In Photo: Roderick Tobin, Walter Rutledge, Samuel Quiller)

Richard Smallwood’s music has been recorded by artists such as Destiny’s Child, Yolanda Adams, Karen Clark-Sheard and many more. His recording career began in 1982 with the album The Richard Smallwood Singers. The album spent 87 weeks on Billboard’s Gospel chart. Continue reading

O & A- A Conversation With Choreographers Thaddeus Davis and Tonya Wideman-Davis : past-carry-forward Debuts April 23, 2014

By Walter Rutledge

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Dance Theatre of Harlem will begin their New York season April 23 at the Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center.  Choreographers Tanya Wideman-Davis and Thaddeus Davis have created past-carry-forward  a work that considers the legacy of the Great Northern Migration of African Americans. Continue reading

Shall We Dance Friday: Dudley Williams- I Wanna Be Ready (1986)

Shall We Dance

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In a long, brilliant career, Dudley Williams worked with such artists as Martha Graham, Talley Beatty, and Donald McKayle. Most significantly, he was a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for more than forty years. Although Williams retired from that company in 2005, some months before his 67th birthday, he still teaches at the Ailey School. He also makes guest appearances as a teacher at the Martha Graham School. “[Dudley Williams is] amazing—an inspiration to everybody, a real poet with movement.” –Alvin Ailey from Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey.

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Ailey II: The Legacy Continues- New York Season 2014

By Walter Rutledge

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The Ailey II New York season, April 2 through April 13, marked the fortieth anniversary of the company. Founded in 1974 by Alvin Ailey the then titled Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble was one of the first “junior companies” to provide a pre-professional performance environment for aspiring young artists. Under the 37 year stewardship of Sylvia Waters Ailey II grew into an internationally recognized dance company. It has built a solid reputation and a loyal following, now rivaling many professional companies. Continue reading

A Conversation with Dance Theatre of Harlem Artistic Director Virginia Johnson (originally posted 2/1/2012)

By Walter Rutledge

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Dance Theatre of Harlem will present their second New York season April 23 through April 27 at the Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center. The company can best be described as a “Phoenix Rising”. Continue reading

(REPOST) O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Maurice Bejart: Bolero featuring Jorge Donn

Shall We Dance

Maurice Bejart choreographed Bolero in 1960 for the Ballet du XXe Siècle (Ballet of the Twentieth Century). In Bolero Béjart returns to the spirit of his 1959 Rite of Spring, by negating the easy choices of a picturesque exterior in favor of a stripped down simplicity. He gives the central role, the Melody, to a solo dancer and the ensemble is described as the Rhythm. Argentinian dancer Jorge Donn was best known for his work with Bejart. His theatricality and androgynous attack epitomized the 80’s.

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