The Life and Times of Olu Dara aka Charlie Jones
 
Saturday, February 2, 2013, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
 
  
 



This tribute hosted by actor Avery Brooks will feature an exciting  lineup of performers paying homage to the unique and multi-talented artist Olu Dara. 

Performing artists include: Cassandra Wilson, The Olu Dara Band with  Lady Cantrese, Sounds In  Motion, Melba Joyce, The Brawner Brothers,  Amiri Baraka, Omar Edwards, The Tony Terrell Caribbean Jazz Quartet, and Makane Kouyate with Dembaya.
Musical Director: Kwatei Jones-Quartey.

Post-Reception with The Reggie Quinerly Trio for VIP ticket holders starts at 9:30 p.m.

Tribute Committee: Malaika Adero, Roberta Alloway, Celeste Bullock, Jill Newman, LaMarr Robinson, Greg Tate, Lana Turner.

Program Locations:
Schomburg Center for Research in Black
Culture, Langston Hughes Auditorium (Map and directions)
Partially accessible to wheelchairs
$30, General Admission; $60, VIP Tickets with 
 
For ticket charge, call 1-888-71-Tickets or  212-491-2206; or visit ShowClix.com.
Buy online

E-Moves 14
April 12 – 20, 2013
 
Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13 at 7:30pm
Friday, April 19 at 7:30pm


Leaping Forward with Radical New Works
As our signature dance series, E-Moves has, for 14  years, showcased extraordinarily talented choreographers who create  fearless, trailblazing works.  In a new twist this season we’ve invited  back nine of these daring dance-makers, all with sharply contrasting  styles, placing them in teams of three creating original 30-minute  pieces that will leave you breathless.
Get ready for a dance potpourri of epic proportions.
The Teams are:
#1:   Nia Love, Germaul Barnes & Maurice Chestnut
#2:   Nathan Trice, Marguerite Hemmings & Hattie Mae Williams
#3:   Adia Whitaker, Satoshi Haga & Nelida Tirado

On Saturday April 20th, with the next generation in mind, each of the nine choreographers will select an emerging artist for the closing evening’s Harlem Stage Takeover.  The Harlem Stage Gatehouse will  reverberate with adventurous  site-specific creations by this collection of promising dance dynamos.   The evening will be topped off by a pulsating DJ dance party.

E-Moves 14: The Takeover
 Saturday, April 20 at 7:30pm
 
On Saturday April 20th, with the next generation in mind, each of the nine choreographers from E-Moves
14 will select an emerging artist for the closing evening’s Harlem Stage Takeover.  The Harlem Stage
Gatehouse will reverberate with adventurous  site-specific creations by this collection of promising dance dynamos.   The evening will be topped off by a pulsating DJ dance party.


$20 General / $16 Members 

 *All programs subject to change

This is a must see event! The production team is Robert Wilson, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Toshi Reagon and Jacqueline Woodson. The dancer in the cast is Francesca Harper.
"See those zinnias in the picture? They my favorite 'cause they looking straight at you!" ~ Clementine Hunter


Zinnias - The Life of Clementine Hunter 
World Premiere - A Peak Production
January 26 and February 2 • 8:00 p.m.
January 27 and February 3 • 3:00 p.m.
January 31 and February 1 • 7:30 p.m.
Alexander Kasser Theater - Every seat: $15*


Concept, Direction, Set and Light Design by Robert Wilson
Libretto and Music Composition by Bernice Johnson Reagon and Toshi Reagon
Book by Jacqueline Woodson

Coming from NYC? Take the Peak Bus! Peak Performances offers round  trip bus service from Manhattan for all Saturday and Sunday  performances, for just $10.00! Reserve after you purchase your tickets,  or click here for more information!

A new opera based on the life of renowned African-American artist Clementine Hunter, Zinnias is an intimate exploration of one of America’s greatest natural  talents. Born on a plantation in Natchitoches, Louisiana, Hunter's experiences revealed an innate talent for depicting life in the early  20th century through her paintings. Now, using her artwork and stories,  Clementine Hunter’s touching and unique journey is brought to the stage  through the collaboration of Robert Wilson, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Toshi Reagon and Jacqueline Woodson. The title of the piece refers to the vibrantly colored flower of the  same name which was one of Hunter's
favorite subjects to paint  throughout her career.

My January 2013 Dance Calendar for The Amsterdam News  
http://www.amsterdamnews.com/arts_and_entertainment/january-dance-calendar/article_e5f1b148-5c34-11e2-b14b-001a4bcf887a.html

New York’s Ballet Hispanico will join other luminaries in the arts (Chita
Rivera, Eva Longoria, Jose Feliciano and Rita Moreno) for "In Performance at the Kennedy Center," an event honoring the presidential inauguration and Latino arts and culture, on Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 7pm.  Actress Eva Longoria will host the evening. The Company will perform an excerpt from artistic director Eduardo Vilaro's Cuban-inspired Danzón, set to music by Latin Jazz great Paquito D'Rivera.  In addition, 20 students from the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance will perform in a piece choreographed for the finale of the evening.

Read more about the Latino Inaugural 2013 - http://latinoinaugural2013.org/

WINTER 2013 DANCE CALENDAR
CALENDAR  “Live Artery” & “Studio Series”  – January -June
New York Live Arts - http://www.newyorklivearts.org/#/calendar

The Men Dancers: From the Horse's Mouth –  1/10 – 13
The Theater at the 14th Street Y - http://horsesmouth.org/

Ailey  II – 1/17
Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture in the Bronx - http://communityworksnyc.org

Paco Pena Dance Company – 1/19
Metropolitan Museum of Art- http://www.worldmusicinstitute.org/event/paco-pena-flamenco-dance/

Karole Armitage/Armitage Gone!  Dance  - 1/31 – 2/2 & 2/5 – 2/9 
New York Live Arts - http://www.newyorklivearts.org/event/karole_armitage

Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE  – 2/12 – 2/17
Joyce Theater - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=476&theater=1

The Martha Graham Dance Company – 2/20 – 3/3
Joyce Theater - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=477&theater=1

Nordic Festival – 3/11 – 13 & 3/15 – 17
Joyce Theater – 
1 - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=479&theater=1
2 - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=480&theater=1

Via Katlehong Dance – 3/16-17 & 21-24
Montclair State University’s Peak Performances - http://www.peakperfs.org/artists/Via_Katlehong

Dance Brazil – 3/19-24
Joyce Theater - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=481&theater=1

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo- 4/7
NJPAC  -  http://www.njpac.org/show_events_list.asp

Khmer Arts Ensemble  – 4/9 – 14
Joyce Theater - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=483&theater=1

Bill  T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company – 3/26 – 4/7
Joyce Theater - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=482&theater=1

Nrityagram’s Surupa Sen & Bijayini Satpathy  – Dancing the Gods –  4/6-7
NYU’s Skirball Center – http://www.worldmusicinstitute.org/event/nrityagrams/

Bebe Miller Dance Company –  4/10 – 14
651 ARTS @ The Kumble Theater  (more venue information TBA) - http://bebemillercompany.org/history.asp
 
Dance Theatre of Harlem  – 4/10 – 14
Rose Theatre at Lincoln Center - http://www.dancetheatreofharlem.org/calendar-1/the-return-new-york-season-opening

Nederlands Dans Theater – 4/10 – 12
The Koch Theater @ Lincoln Center - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=499&theater=1

Ballet Hispanico – 4/16 - 28
Joyce Theater - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=484&theater=1

EMoves–  4/12 -13  & 4/19-20
Harlem Stage - http://www.harlemstage.org/what-we-do/#dance

Jasmin Vardimon Company –  4/18 -21
Montclair State University’s Peak Performances - http://www.peakperfs.org/performances/_Freedom

Stephen Petronio Dance Company  – 4/30 – 5/5
Joyce Theater - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=485&theater=1
 
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet  – 5/7 – 12
Joyce Theater - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=486&theater=1

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater –  5/10 – 12
NJPAC – http://www.njpac.org/show_events_list.asp

Hubbard  Street Dance  – 5/14 – 26
Joyce Theater - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=487&theater=1
 
DanceAfrica - 5/24 - 5/27
BAM - http://www.bam.org/dance/2013/dance-africa

Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana  – 5/29 – 6/2 
Joyce Theater - http://www.joyce.org/performancestickets/calendar_detail.php?event=488&theater=1

Check out Wendy's "Best of 2012" on her blog for
Dance Magazine: http://www.dancemagazine.com/blogs/wendy/4849

Yet another season of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater comes to an end. Sunday afternoon, December 30 was without a doubt another special performance. Jiri Kylian's Petit Mort (1991) opened the program.  The nuance needed for Kylian’s work was absolutely there.  As a company, the men opened with the dreaded task of dancing in unison with a sword as partner, and they did.  (Ok, yes, one dropped and we all watched, hoping that they were all careful not to lose the added lines that dancing with the sword demanded, or drop another sword). The women were given the task of dancing with a black, strapless gown that moves on wheels!  Of course this drew a pleasing laugh from the audience. What followed were intricate duets that scream Kylian, but were concurred by the Ailey cast (Ghrai DeVore, Sean A. Carmon, Kelly Robotham, Kanji Segawa, Megan Jakel, Michael Francis McBride, Rachael McLaren, Daniel Harder, Demetia Hopkins, Vernard J. Gilmore, Sarah Daley
and Michael Jackson, Jr.)  
 
Artistic Director Robert Battle’s Strange Humors (1998), true to the title, was a fun duet, danced so well by Renaldo Gardner and McBride.  Keep bringing your treasures to the Ailey crew!

Kyle Abraham’s premiere Another Night was performed by another fabulous cast (see original blog post (12/16) about the 12/5 premiere).  Needless to say, this was yet another fabulous showing of this work. Standout performances were from DeVore and Jakel!  Well done ladies!

The evening closed with Roland K. Brown’s now iconic work Grace. Certainly not a replacement for the requisite Ailey closer Revelations, but what an idea!  Linda Celeste Sims opens with a most meditative solo in all white, as if clearing the space for what is to come.  The others would soon enter, in red or white to pulsing sounds that was highlighted by incomparable Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti, whose sounds each of the dancers matched with fierceness.  Lucky for the audience that Matthew Rushing (guest artist/rehearsal director who simply cannot help getting on the stage) joined this cast.  

Next year then! 

The British choreographer Richard Alston, and his company, Richard Alston Dance Company, in their Peak Performances debut brought Roughcut (1990), Unfinished Business (2011) and the American premiere of A Ceremony of Carols (2012).  Roughoutwas a playful work for the 10 dancers, exploring shapes, balance and counter-balance, and moving in and out of various groupings, while Unfinished Business showcased many of the dancers individually.  Elly Braund and James Pett’s delivery of the “Andante” duet was especially breath-taking.  Most assuredly, there is nothing more wonderful than live music to accompany dance.  Alston offered just that in A Ceremony of Carols, which was the highlight of the evening.  The dancers were joined on stage by a full choir (Prima Voce), Choral Director (Heather J. Buchanan), and Harpist (Andre Tarantiles). A lovely evening of a great deal of unison dancing.