Walter’s World: Weekend Picks

By Walter Rutledge

This weekend is a great mix of downtown dance and uptown cinema. It diversity promises to explore different eras of the African- American experience with candor and humor.

Two dance companies will perform this weekend at the Joyce Theatre. David Dorfman Dance and Camille A. Brown and Dancers. David Dorfman Dance returns to The Joyce with the New York premiere of Prophets of Funk. The work is a multi-media tribute to the music of Sly and The Family Stone. Choreographer Dorfman took us on a dance theatre excursion that can only be described as funky.

The eight-member company is clad in period costumes complete with platform shoes and large Afro wigs. The fifty-minute one act work is staged without an intermission, and used music, spoken word and video projections to transport the audience back to the turbulent 1970’s; but it is the message driven lyrics of Sly Stone that provides the best backdrop for the time travel. “A celebration of the band’s groundbreaking, visceral and political music, a tribute to the ‘funk’ of everyday people, the piece leaves everyone dancing in their seats, except for those choosing to join the performers on stage,” says the choreographer.

Camille A. Brown makes her company solo evening debut this weekend beginning Friday, January 27^th. The three performance will include Ms. Brown’s solo dance The Evolution of a Secured Feminine, The Groove To Nobody’s Business featuring guest artists Christopher Huggins and Matthew Rushing, Been There, Done That, and a new solo performed by Carmen de Lavallade.  Brown will also present an excerpt from a new work in development Mr. TOL E. RAncE.

The completed work, Mr. TOL E. RAncE, will premiere in 2012/2013. The premise of the work is a historical overview of the African- American role in American entertainment, with a special emphasis of the comedic contributions. Through sketch comedy, live music, and haunting animation, this work (in collaboration with J. Michael Kinsey) Brown examines the sustained stereotypes of black performers.

David Dorfman Dance will perform on Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 2pm. Camille A. Brown and Dancers will perform Friday January 27 at 8pm. Saturday 2pm at and Sunday at 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased at JoyceCharge: 212-242-0800, and joyce.org .

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in collaboration with the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), Firelight Media and Columbia University’s Institute for Research in African-American Studies (IRAAS), is proud to premiere More than a Month on Saturday January 28^th at 4pm. This is a  provocative new film is by African-American filmmaker Shukree Tilghman, who is making his New York debut ths weekend. Through a challenging, complex, and often comedic journey, More than a Month explores what history tells us about race and equality in “post-racial” America.

Following the screening, the audience is invited to join media personality Amanda Seales as she leads a conversation with Shukree Hassan Tilghman, Schomburg Director Khalil Gibran Muhammad, and filmmaker Sharon LaCruise (Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock) about the films. The discussion will be streamed live on Facebook. This program is free and open to the public. For registration, go to www.schomburgcenter.eventbrite.com or call (212) 491-2040.

As always thank you for letting me sharing my world with you.

In Photo: 1)  Kyle Abraham, Raja Kelly, Whitney Tucker  2)

 

 

HW Nominations For the Best Five Films Ever Made in Harlem

While The 84th Academy Award nominations are telling you who and what talent to keep your eyes on for the upcoming Oscars on February 26th, at 7 pm on ABC. We here at Harlem World Magazine thought we would nominate our best five films ever made in Harlem, starting with the best first.

HW Pick: Harlem Gospel Choir And Lincoln Center Celebrate Black History Month

The world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir will have audiences on their feet, clapping and singing to their universal message of peace, hope, and joy.

Drew Barrymore and Fiance Will at Rao’s In Harlem

As the face of Covergirl Drew Barrymore has lots of nice things that she should be smiling about. And that’s exactly what she was doing during a fun date with her fiancé Will Kopelman in Harlem last night.

Harlem’s Azealia Banks Performs “212″ At House Karl Lagerfeld (video)

Azealia Banks is the rapper of right now, so it makes sense that Karl Lagerfeld would be into her. In celebration of his new line, Karl, he invited the Harlem rapper to perform at his house in Paris. 

Riz: Kiss The Ring (Wiz Khalifa, Rick Ross & Amber Rose Diss)

Harlem rapper Riz is creating some waves with the release of his new music video for the title track of his recently released mixtape, Kiss The Ring, which dropped in early December 2011.

HW Pick: Romare Bearden, Southern Recollections

Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections is a significant development in the wider understanding of the sources and inspiration behind much of Harlem man Bearden’s art.

The book focuses on a largely unstudied area of the artist’s work, his recollections and memories of his southern childhood that informed his art. The book draws together a significant and broad ranging collection of his work, produced throughout his career, including selections from his The Prevalence of Ritual series. Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections presents 90 works from the full span of the artist’s career, drawing on the Mint Museum and other public and private collections of Bearden’s work.

HW Pick: Lana Del Rey, Born To Die (video)

Lana Del Rey has been on everyone’s radar, be it good or bad or just plain undecided.

Harlem Hospital’s Dr. Janet Taylor and Divas, MPH’s “Be more. Do more. Live more” at Londels Supper Club

Join the ladies of Divas, MPH for our second annual New Year, New You women’s empowerment brunch in New York City. This year’s brunch is centered around our 2012 theme, “Be more. Do more. Live more.”, and the entire event has been designed to incite action, and healthy risk taking, towards reaching new heights in the coming year.

Our first class brunch will feature a scrumptious buffet with a menu of traditional, savory breakfast items including homestyle eggs, beef sausage, and homefries; as well as lunch favorites including a southern-style fried whiting and fresh garden salad.

Walter’s World: Prophets of the Funk- David Dorfman Dance

By Walter Rutledge

David Dorfman Dance presented the New York première of Prophets of the Funk on Tuesday January 24 at the Joyce Theater. The work was an homage to the genius of Sly Stone and his band Sly and The Family Stone.  Choreographer Dorfman took us on a dance theatre excursion that can only be described as funky.

Alexis Smith, Basketball Director at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, Passes at 48

The city’s girls basketball community has suffered another tragic loss.

Alexis Smith, a fixture of the girls game and the longtime basketball director at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem…

MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota agrees with Senator Perkins and WE ACT’s on Rat Attack in Harlem subways(video)

At the Senate Transportation Committee confirmation hearing for MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota held earlier this month, Senator Bill Perkins brought up the issue of Rat Attack regarding the rat infestation in the Harlem subways.