Black women in ballet speak out: February 2 [UPDATED]

Dance Iquail, in partnership with Dance/NYC and HAA: Harlem Arts Alliance, will presents Black Swan: Solidarity Beyond Colored Pointe Shoes on Monday, February 2, 6:30pm at The Riverside Theater.

This free panel discussion of women of color in the ballet world "examines the importance of resilience as seen in the stresses on black artists, communities and institutions" and "how dance as an art form can help organizations and individuals adapt and recover from the stress of racial segregation, diminished resources, and social disenfranchisement."

Scheduled to speak:

Baraka Sele (moderator), Independent arts consultant, former VP of Programming at NJPAC

Zita Allen, dance historian

Delores Brown, former ballet dancer and teacher, member of NY Negro Ballet in 1957

Karen "KB" Brown, former Artistic Director Oakland Ballet

Andrea Long-Naidu,  former NYCB and DTH dancer

Iqail Shaheed, Artistic Director, Dance Iquail, choreographer of Black Swan, a new work set to the music of Nina Simone, exploring "the experience of the black ballerina as a window into issues of race, identity, and isolation"

Monday, February 2, 6:30pm (free admission)

Limited seating. RSVPs recommended: iquail@danceiquail.com

The Riverside Theater
The Riverside Church
91 Claremont Avenue, Manhattan
By Train - #1 to 116th and Columbia University
By Bus - M4, M104, M60 to 120th and Broadway
Enter on Claremont and 121st Street.

Uptown/Downtown: Open Call

What does it mean to be an Uptown or Downtown Artist? Is the idea grounded in geography? Community? Aesthetics? Are there Uptown and Downtown audiences? How can we bring these artists and ideas together? www.lmcc.net/

This spring, The Field, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and Harlem Arts Alliance will collaborate to provide a unique opportunity for performing artists to explore these questions within the context of developing new work for presentation.

Uptown/Downtown provides an opportunity for participating artists to:

--work with and learn from artists working in different performing disciplines, communities and career stages

--explore the feedback process as a tool for developing their own work and responding to the work of others

--develop a work-in-progress for performance in a supportive and responsive environment

--connect with artists, presenters and audiences in two of Manhattan's most vibrant creative communities

Information Session

Feb 11, 6:30pm at The Field's FAR Space

The Information session will provide an overview of Uptown/Downtown, as well as a discussion of the components of a well-prepared application. This will also be a chance to hear from some of last year's Uptown/Downtown artists about their experience with the project. All potential applicants are encouraged to attend.

Application Deadline: Tue, Feb 26, 5pm

Visit LMCC for an application and the full scoop!