By Walter Rutledge
Please excuse my self indulgent opening digression. It is the perfect example of history being rewritten and romanticized to create propaganda more palatable to the American founding fathers myth. . Continue reading
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Category Archives: Modern Dance
4/30/23 O&A NYC DANCE HISTORY: The Life of Alvin Ailey
Dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey revolutionized the world of dance by honoring the African American experience. Unfortunately his personal journey was not without its struggles.
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4/10/23 HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Ruby Dee- Harriet Tubman and The Underground Railroad (1964) |
The excellent Ruby Dee plays the escaped slave Harriet Tubman and her attempts to rescue enslaved family members and friends through the pre-Civil War Underground Railroad. aka “Go Down Moses.” With Brock Peters, Ossie Davis, Isabel Cooley and Ethel Waters. Continue reading
4/9/23 O&A NYC DANCE REVIEW: A.I.M. By Kyle Abraham
By Walter Rutledge
A.I.M. By Kyle Abraham presented their New York season from April 4th through April 9th at the Joyce Theater. The well curated program presented five works by three choreographers including three world premieres. All the works, which ranged from dance theatre/storytelling to pure dance, fit the A.I.M. By Abraham aesthetic surprisingly well, this successfully produced a visual cohesive, but uneven evening of dance. 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
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
1/18/23 O&A NYC REVIEW: Ronald K. Brown/Evidence
By Walter Rutledge
Ronald K. Brown/Evidence began its New York season at the Joyce Theater on Tuesday January 17 and runs through Sunday, January 22. The six-day, seven performance offering presents three ensemble works spanning twenty-four years of Brown’s artistry. The season provides an insight into the thirty-eight-year journey of Brown and Evidence. Continue reading
11/25/22 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Alvin Ailey’s Revelations (1960),
Alvin Ailey’s masterwork Revelations (1960), one of the most recognizable modern dance works, remains a powerful testament to the human spirit. This cast includes Marilyn Banks, April Berry, Kevin Brown, Gary DeLoatch, Ralph Glenmore, Deborah Manning, Renee Robinson and Dudley Williams.
10/21/22 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Greed | A Story Told Through Dance
Josh Killacky is a famous Dancer, Choreographer, Tik Tok Star, Model from the United States. He is famous for his dancing on Tik Tok as well on other social media platform. He has been seen Ellen Show, NBC World Of Dance, Good Morning America. Continue reading
3/31/22 O&A NYC DANCE REVIEW: Airs- Paul Taylor Dance Company
By Walter Rutledge
I had planned to do a season review of the Paul Taylor Dance Company following the final performance tonight. Then last night I saw Airs! First, the company’s dancing during the entire season has been impressive to say the least. The eighteen-member ensemble is comprised of fourteen relatively new members. Due to the pandemic for many of the dancers this season is their New York City Center debut. Continue reading
