2/7/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Jamel Gaines Frontline Mentor

By Walter Rutledge

The applause has subsided, curtain fallen and the house lights are at half during a brief pause between dances. Instinctively we peruse the program to find the bio of that one standout performer. In many cases that dancer’s initial training and nurturing did not happen in one of metropolis’ elite dance academies. Instead, that first fire was probably kindled in a storefront, church basement, or school gymnasium. Continue reading

1/24/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Ailey Celebrates Ellington

Shall We Dance Friday

Ailey Celebrates Ellington premiered in 1974 on CBS. Narrated by R&B legend Gladys Knight the television special showcases the collaborative bond between choreographer Alvin Ailey and jazz music royalty Duke Ellington. Continue reading

1/10/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Earl “Snake Hips” Tucker

Earl “Snakehips” Tucker  was an African American dancer and entertainer. Also known as the “Human Boa Constrictor”, he acquired the nickname “snakehips” via the dance he popularized in Harlem in the 1920s called the “snakehips” Continue reading

12/6/24 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: The Nutcracker Ballet- Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland (1977)

Shall We Dance

nutcracker-baryshnikov

During the 1977 Christmas season, CBS brought Mikhail Baryshnikov’s highly acclaimed American Ballet Theatre production of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet The Nutcracker to television. The production has remains the most popular and most often shown television production of the work in the U.S.  Mikhail Baryshnikov performed the title role, with Gelsey Kirkland as Clara.
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12/9/16 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: The Nutcracker Ballet- Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland (1977)

Shall We Dance

nutcracker-baryshnikov

During the 1977 Christmas season, CBS brought Mikhail Baryshnikov’s highly acclaimed American Ballet Theatre production of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet The Nutcracker to television. The production has remains the most popular and most often shown television production of the work in the U.S.  Mikhail Baryshnikov performed the title role, with Gelsey Kirkland as Clara.
Continue reading

11/29/24 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Rudolf Nureyev’s Nutcracker (1968)

Shall We Dance

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This historic performance from 1968 captures choreographer/performer Rudolf Nureyev at the peak of his career. Filmed at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the ballet features artists of the Royal Ballet including Wayne Sleep, Jillian Gibbs and Merle Park as Clara. Continue reading

11/21/24 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY:  Christine Shevchenko & Calvin Royal lll- Swan Lake Act 3 excerpts

 

Christine Shevchenko is Odile the black swan seductress and Calvin Royal is the poor duped Prince Siegfried  in excerpts from Swan Lake Act 3. Continue reading

11/15/24 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: RUNNIN & GUNNIN | ‪@901ENT.‬ CYPHER | MEMPHIS JOOKIN 2024

Shall We Dance Friday

Memphis Jookin is a dance style that originated in Memphis, Tennesse in the 1980s and 1990s. It’s a blend of hip hop and modern dance that’s known for its intricate footwork, slides, glides, and toe stands. Continue reading

11/1/24 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Hinton Battle/Alfonso Ribeiro -Tap Dance Kid (Tony Awards 1984)

Shall We Dance Friday
Fabulous Feet from the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid choreographed by Danny Daniels and featuring Alfonso Ribeiro, Hinton Battle and Company. This performance is from the 1984 Tony Awards Continue reading

10/25/24 SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Paula Abdul – Straight Up

Straight Up by dancer and choreographer Paula Abdul from her debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988). Straight Up became Abdul’s first top-40 hit in the United States, eventually topping the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1989. Continue reading