Our bodies, our health

Health Screen for Dancers
What is being done for the small companies and independent dancers?

March 9 -- 6:30pm
FREE ADMISSION

Dance New Amsterdam (Front Lobby)
280 Broadway, 2nd Floor (entrance on Chambers Street), Manhattan

Dance/NYC and the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, on behalf of Dance/USA's Taskforce on Dancer Health, have combined forces to bring dance medicine screening and services information to independent, freelance and pick-up company dancers. This free-of-charge meeting on March 9 will serve as a platform for the freelance dance community's screening initiative by Dance/NYC and HCDI, planned to begin in Spring 2010.


Additionally, information on injury statistics in dance, important financial information in relation to injury, and healthcare options and resources for the dance community will be provided. 

HCDI and Dance/NYC's collaboration has been created to supply the local, independent dancers with a body of knowledge that will impact their health and career longevity.

Refreshments provided.

Please click here to RSVP.

Strike a pose

Voguing at the Whitney

by Julie Bloom, The New York Times, March 4, 2010

Nina Simone tribute

NINA SIMONE TRIBUTE/ BLACK ROCK COALITION ORCHESTRA
presented by Harlem Stage at Aaron Davis Hall

Friday, March 26, 7:30pm

7:30 pm Pre-show DJ mixer
8:30 pm Performance
10:00 pm After party

An 18-member all-female ensemble, under the direction of composer Tamar-Kali:

Angela Johnson http://www.angelajohnson.com/fr_index.cfm
Imani Uzuri http://www.imaniuzuri.com/
Joi http://www.myspace.com/joi
Lisala Beatty http://www.myspace.com/lisalab
Toli Nameless http://www.tolinameless.com/
Portia Rolle
Tara Thierry http://www.myspace.com/tarathierry
Tarrah Reynolds http://www.myspace.com/misstarrah
LaFrae Sci http://www.lafrae.com/Frae%20Frae.html
Jenny Hill http://www.jennyhilljazz.com/
Pam Fleming http://www.fearlessdreamer.com/
Lauren Sevian http://www.laurensevian.com/
Mazz Swift-Camlet http://www.myspace.com/mazzmuzik
Amali Premawardhana http://www.myspace.com/amaliprema
Surai Balbeisi http://www.myspace.com/nesrinebalbeisi
Narjess Saad-Ellaoui
Dawn Drake http://www.dawndrake.com/

For complete details, click here. For tickets, click here.

Accessible Broadway

Making Broadway Accessible for the Disabled

by Erik Piepenburg, The New York Times, March 2, 2010

Abraham.In.Motion at Danspace

Here's my Dance Magazine review of opening night of Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion at Danspace Project!

P.S.1 Responds To Censorship Claims Following Incident

P.S.1 Responds To Censorship Claims Following Incident
by Claudia La Rocco, WNYC Performance Club, March 2, 2010

Toshi Reagon brings the power

Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely--plus their big crew of lovely friends--really rocked the Schomburg Center last night. This return engagement for Reagon's band, part of the Center's Women's Jazz Festival 2010, was precisely the jolt of joy we need, mid-winter, and in the midst of the often demoralizing struggle for truth in this country.

You know Reagon, if you're lucky, as a talented, versatile singer, songwriter and musician with a profound ear for sonic Americana--from folk to funk, from blues to rock. She masters each of these genres with vocal strategies that easily spiral and swoop from the expressively sinuous to the hard-charging, a combination of warmth and mischief.

She's the daughter of beloved singer-activist, Sweet Honey In The Rock co-founder Bernice Johnson Reagon and shares her mom's knowledge of the power of song to focus, unite and mobilize people. If you've been lucky enough to be in Toshi's presence, you know you can't walk away from her without feeling better about yourself as a human being. She aims for nothing less.


Take all that and multiply it by everyone on the two lists below. You're in the right place when you're watching a show where the audience doesn't have to be coaxed to sing along or clap in time. They do it because it just feels right. And they accept every type of song in the spirit of generosity in which it's offered.


BIGLovely's musicianship is all good, with Adam Widoff's soaring guitar work ringing especially true. Judith Casselberry, Marcelle Davies Lashley and the guest vocalists* formed a sturdy backup for Reagon, but each also got her own excellent moment. The diversity of these spotlights was mindblowing. A day later, I'm still having a hard time deciding on my favorite, although the intense Helga Davis--singing of rallying her life, her joy, her fear and her anger, without judgment or exception, thank you--might just be the one.  

If you happened to miss the Schomburg show (tsk, tsk, tsk), just be sure to get over to New Jersey Performing Arts Center where the Reagons, mother and daughter, will be holding court (Saturday, March 20, 7:30pm).

Many thanks and all praises to:

Toshi Reagon (guitar, vocals)

Fred Cash (bass)

Adam Widoff (electric guitar)

Robert Burke (drums)

Judith Casselberry (guitar, vocals)

Marcelle Davies Lashley (vocals)

*and featured vocalists:

Helga Davis

Stephanie Battle

Josette Marchak

Karma Mayet Johnson

Morley