3/27/23 O&A NYC MORE HARKNESS STORIES: Luc Louis de Lairesse- I Cherish Those Days      

Cherish Those Days      

By Luc Louis de Lairesse                                             

Now 44 years ago, Nikita Talin (director) and Rebekah Harkness invited me teach and choreograph for what grew into the Harkness Dance Theatre. The next spring of 1980, Mrs. Harkness, in a private meeting, arranged for my working permit as her administrator, Mr. Bartwink, called the White House. I was impressed to say the least! Continue reading

3/24/23 O&A NYC MORE HARKNESS STORIES: Patricia Williams- Creating Beauty Is Not An Accident.

Foreward by Walter Rutledge

Patricia Williams is the founder and executive chef of 10 Chairs NYC, the Hell’s Kitchen boutique dining concept developed and presented by Chef Williams. But did you know this culinary diva actually received  her first  New York reviews as a ballet dancer? Starting at the Harkness School for Ballet Arts, Williams performed with the Harkness Ballet of New York, Ruth Page’s Chicago Ballet, and culminated her performance career with the New York City Opera. From her years of training she learned one universal truth, “Creating beauty does not take form as an accident. It comes by design and hard work.”  

She applied this truth as she began her career in the world of food. As executive chef, she gained two stars from the New York Times. Along the way, Chef Williams has frequently appeared on nearly all National morning talk shows demonstrating her brilliance in combining fresh seasonal unique multicultural flavors at affordable prices.

Continue reading

3/10/23 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: They Called Her Moses

They Called Her Moses is Donald McKayle‘s story of freedom fighter Harriet Tubman. The cast includes Jacqueline Walcott, Robert Powell, Sylvia Waters, Arthur Mitchell, Kathleen Stanford, Donald McKayle and Carmen DeLavallade. Continue reading

2/24/23 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY- CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Rainbow Round My Shoulder- Donald McKayle with Mary Hinkson

dance.doncarmen

Donald McKayle’s 1959 masterwork, Rainbow Round My Shoulder, is acclaimed as a modern dance classic. A searing dramatic narrative, it is set on a chain gang in the American south where prisoners work, breaking rock from “can see to can’t see.” Their aspirations for freedom come in the guise of a woman, first as a vision then as a remembered sweetheart, mother, and wife. The songs that accompany their arduous labor are rich in polyphony and tell a bitter, sardonic, and tragic story. It was created for the Donald McKayle Dance Company, and has been in the repertoire of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Batsheva Dance Company and Dayton Contemporary Dance, among others. The cast in the video excerpt includes Donald McKayle and Mary Hinkson. Continue reading

2/20/23 O&A NYC DANCE REVIEW: Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Theater of Brooklyn

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

2/13/23 O&A NYC DIVA ALERT!!!: Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show


Rihanna opened the show with a rousing rendition of her hit song, “Bitch Better Have My Money” and then pumped up the crowd with her dance hits “Where Have You Been” and “Only Girl (In The World).” She kept the energy up with new arrangements of “We Found Love” and “Rude Boy.”
Continue reading

2/13/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Brown Sugar: The History of the Black Female Entertainer (1985/1990)

Brown Sugar: The History of the Black Female Entertainer (1985/1990) is a 1985 documentary based on film historian Donald Bogles’ book Brown SugarOne of the best docu-film about black female entertainers hosted by actor Billy Dee Williams. Continue reading

2/7/23 O&A NYC MORE HARKNESS STORIES: Keith Lee- First Black Soloist at ABT (American Ballet Theater)

Keith Lee describes his early Harkness experiences as a story book tale. While a student at the High School for the Performing Arts (aka Fame High) this dance phenom received a full scholarship to the Harkness House for Ballet Arts. This experience had a lasting impact and helped shape his own unique artistry as a dance, director, teacher and choreographer. In 1970 Lee made history when he became the first American of African descent to earn soloist status at American Ballet Theater. 

Continue reading

1/4/23 SATURDAY MORNING CONCERT: John Henry- Dance Theatre of Harlem

John Henry is the tale of the steel drivin’ man who fights against automation. He challenges the steam drill and wins, but dies with his hammer in his hand. Choreographed by DTH Co-founder Arthur Mitchell in 1988, his ballet is a testament to the singular perseverance that allowed the folk hero to triumph over impossible odds. Continue reading