This timeless documentary about Mahalia Jackson, the legendary Queen of Gospel, features Jackson herself telling her story of her life and times! Continue reading
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Tag Archives: documentary
10/20/23 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: House of Flowers From Carmen & Geoffrey (2005)
This House of Flowers excerpt featuring Geoffrey Holder and Carmen De Lavallade is from the 2005 documentary Carmen & Geoffrey. Holder and his brother Boscoe talk about their early roots in Trinidad, forming a dance company and Holder meeting his wife (De Lavallade) in the 1955 production of House of Flowers. Continue reading
10/19/23 O&A NYC ART WILL NEVER DIE: TRACY 168 – Bonus Feature From Just To Get a Rep Graffiti Documentary
TRACY 168 is famous for Wild Style lettering and being one of the most prolific early writers in New York. Bonus clip from the graffiti film Just To Get A Rep. Unfortunately Michael Tracy died of a heart attack on September 3rd. His artistry will live on forever. Continue reading
8/29/23 O&A NYC DANCE: Sneek Peek at THPAC Documentary- To The Souls of Our Feet
By Walter Rutledge
On August 18 and 19 the Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center (THPAC) began two days of interviews with dancers, choreographers and directors about their experiences with Thelma Hill and THPAC for the upcoming documentary To The Souls of Our Feet. The two days of filming captured the experiences of six artists, (George Faison, Alfred Gallman, Dyane Harvey Salaam, Abdel Salaam, Edisa Weeks, Jill Williams and Lakai Worrell), who lives and careers were directly impacted by Ms. Hill and/or THPAC.
THPAC Documentary Preview
Here is an excerpted from the upcoming documentary with the one and only dance and theater legend George Faison. The final filming will take place in the fall and we will keep you inform as our documentary “To The Souls of Our Feet” get one step closer to coming to a theater near you. For more information about the Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center and/or to make a donation to the “To The Souls of Our Feet” documentary project visit https://www.thelmahill.org/. An additional filming date will take place later in the fall.
8/8/23 O&A NYC DANCE/FILM: Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center Bringing Its Groundbreaking History To The Screen
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
4/22/23 O&A NYC FILM REVIEW: An American Ballet Story- The Harkness Ballet
By Walter Rutledge
An American Ballet Story is the long-awaited documentary about the rise and fall of the Harkness Ballet. The company and school had an almost mythical two-decade impact on dance and helped changed the artform forever. The 94-minute documentary, which was seven years in the making, tells the unvarnished story of the now defunct and largely forgotten Harkness Ballet of New York. Continue reading
4/15/23 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Lawrence Rhodes- Beginning of the Harkness Ballet
Larry Rhodes discusses the events leading to the formation of the Harkness Ballet in an excerpt from the upcoming documentary An American Ballet Story. The story about the all too short life of the Harkness Ballet, will have its New York live screening premiere on April 20th at the New York Public Library Performing Arts – Bruno Walter Auditorium. O&A NYC Magazine Editor-in-Chief Walter Rutledge will moderate the post screening Q and A. Continue reading
4/13/23 O&A NYC MORE HARKNESS STORIES: Cheryl Clark- A Few 1966 and Beyond Harkness Memories for Walter Rutledge
A Few 1966 and Beyond Harkness Memories for Walter Rutledge
By Cheryl Clark
Dear Walter,
I am sending you the above attached Playbill Legacy Bio when I received the 2019 Legacy Award (that is housed now in the Jerome Robbins collection at Lincoln Center for Performing Arts Library…). It mentions my great appreciation for Mrs. Harkness and Patricia Wilde, 1st Director of Harkness House who recommended me to Mrs. H. Both gave me my full scholarship at age 15 at Harkness House for Ballet Arts, and it mentions many of the great teachers, etc. In another article I will try to send you, I mention the great pianists that Mrs. Harkness hired to play class for us training- hugely inspiring, particularly John Anderson and John Childs. Continue reading
4/7/23 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Ballet For Life: Harkness Ballet- Finis Jhung
In the dance film autobiography Ballet For Life: Harkness Ballet former dance and acclaimed teacher Finis Jhung reminisces about his years with the Harkness Ballet where he reached the pinnacle in his career and discovered Buddhism, which dramatically changed the course of his life. 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.
