Martin: A Ballet by Gordon Parks Act 1 Introduces John Jones as Martin Luther King, Sheila Rohan as Rosa Parks and James E Murphy as the Assassin. Continue reading
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Tag Archives: Dance History
1/14/18 HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Martin: A Ballet By Gordon Parks (Prelude)
Martin: a ballet by Gordon Parks, an original five-movement ballet chronicling the struggles of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Filmed in 1990 the work stars John Jones as Dr. King and Sheila Rohan as Rosa Parks, featuring choreography by Real Lamb. “Martin” (PBS, 1990), about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. Parks served as executive producer, director, composer, keyboardist and documentary photographer for this boldly ambitious project. Continue reading
1/7/17 O&A NYC GOING BACK TO AFRICA WITH WaleStylez: Township Got Talent- Dancing Pantsula In Johannesburg, South Africa
Pantsula is a highly energetic dance form that originated in the black townships of South Africa during the Apartheid era. It developed into a form of social commentary for black South Africans and has undergone several transformations with the country’s changing political tides. Continue reading
1/6/17 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Origins of the Moonwalk
Michael Jackson is credited with introducing the Moonwalk at the Motown 25 television special. Here is a brief history of the origins of the 80’s dance craze. Continue reading
12/25/16 O&A NYC 12 DAY OF NUTCRACKER: Mariinsky Theatre
Nutcracker filmed at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, December 2012. Valery Gergiev conductor, Vasily Vainonen choreography with Alina Somova, Vladimir Shklyarov and Alexandra Korshunova. Continue reading
11/28/17 O&A NYC DANCE- ITS TIME FOR THE NUTCRACKER: Waltz of the Snowflakes- Bolshoi Ballet
From Act One “The Waltz of the Snowflakes” recorded at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1989. Natalya Arkhipova as Clara, Irek Mukhamedov as Nutcracker Prince and Yuri Vetrov as Drosselmeyer. Members of Ballet and Orchestra of Bolshoi Theatre. Aleksandr Kopilov, Conductor. Continue reading
12/16/16 12 DAYS OF NUTCRACKER: Gran Pas De Deux- Rudolf Nureyev and Merle Park- (1963)
Rudolf Nureyev and Merle Park performs Gran Pas De Deux in the Royal Ballet’s 1963 Nutcracker production. Continue reading
11/25/16 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Revelations Excerpts- Hollywood Palace (1968)
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performed two excerpts from his masterwork Revelations on the weekly television variety show The Hollywood Palace (1968). The episode hosted by Diahann Carroll helped give the then fledgling dance company national attention. The cast included Judith Jamison, George Faison, Kelvin Rotardier, and Dudley Williams. Continue reading
11/4/16 O&A NYC DANCE: Alex Smith Jr. Honored At Bessies
By Walter Rutledge
In life there are no detours, it is always the course appointed. Despite all of our plans and dreams we can count on the universe to add some unexpected twists and turns. Thelma Hill Preforming Arts Center’s Executive Chairman Alex Smith Jr. knows this all to well. In 1995 Smith become the guiding force of the organization by proxy, now twenty-one years later he was honored with a Service to the Field Award at the 29th New York Dance and Performance Awards- The Bessies. Continue reading
10/26/16 O&A NYC DANCE ENCORE PERFORMANCE: Banda (excerpt) Geoffrey Holder and Carmen de Lavallade (Repost From 10/3/14)
Geoffrey Holder’s Banda dance debuted in the 1954 Truman Capote/Harold Arlen musical House Of Flowers. Holder the Baron of The Cemetery (based on the Haitian Loa of Death Baron Samedi) and received both a performer and choreographer credit in the program. The Broadway musical takes place somewhere in the West Indies during Mardi Gras weekend. Continue reading
