The acclaimed theater, The Apollo, among a long list of grant recipients.

The grants, totaling $47.1 million, include new investments and measures to support the city’s nonprofit cultural sector as it continues to struggle through the pandemic. These include allocating funding to hard-hit BIPOC communities and supporting arts education programs.

The department also announced that those receiving funding this upcoming year will also be receiving funds in 2022 of a similar amount, pending final budgets. NYC really has been leading the way in America when it comes to actively working to protect and support its citizens. Not perfect, by any means, but as always, a win for any black group is a win for us all. 

Look below for a larger list of NYC arts organizations impacted. 

Up to $9,999

LAByrinth Theater Company

League of Professional Theatre Women 

Negro Ensemble Company

$10,000 – $19,999

Bedlam

Harlem9

The New Group

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater

The Shed

Sing for Hope

$20,000 – $49,999

Bushwick Starr, Inc.

National Black Theatre

Primary Stages Company

The Vineyard

$50,000 – $99,999

Ars Nova

Atlantic Theater Company

MTC

New Dramatists

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre

Second Stage Theatre

The Tank

$100,000+

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

The Apollo Theater

La MaMa

New York Theatre Workshop

New York Philharmonic

Playwrights Horizons

Roundabout Theatre Company

Signature Theatre Company

Repertorio Espanol

St. Ann’s Warehouse

TDF

The post Money Moves: Several Black Arts Organizations to Receive NYC Grant appeared first on Broadway Black.

This year, the theme of Black History Month at the White House is “Honoring the Past While Celebrating the Present; 7 Years of Living African American History.” As part of this celebration, First Lady Michelle Obama will highlight the contributions African American women have made to dance by hosting a day-long dance workshop for local students.

The First Lady will welcome 51 local Washington, D.C. students to the White House. These students will work with iconic leaders in dance, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Judith Jamison, Debbie Allen, the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Virginia Johnson, and Hip-Hop choreographer Fatima Robinson. Each of these women have played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of African American women and girls in dance.

12:30pm ET – In the afternoon, the First Lady will join Judith Jamison, Debbie Allen, Virginia Johnson, and Fatima Robinson for a panel discussion. The panelists will take questions from the students in the audience on a variety of topics including self-confidence, health, hard work, and overcoming adversity.

4:15pm ET – Later In the evening, the First Lady will deliver remarks and introduce a student presentation. As a culmination of the workshops, these young dancers will tell the story of African American history and culture through dance.

Excited to be in DC for #DanceAtTheWhiteHouse with @fatima_noir & @dancetheatreofharlem’s Virginia Johnson! #BlackHistoryMonth

A photo posted by Debbie Allen (@therealdebbieallen) on Feb 8, 2016 at 7:25am PST

#ALVINAILEY dancer Jacqueline Green leads a group of young ladies in Mr. Ailey’s signature movement from his “Revelations.” @whitehouse @jagreen711 Stay tuned for more photos from @michelleobama’s #DanceattheWhiteHouse #BlackHistoryMonth celebration! #AILEYinDC #instaAILEY #AILEYontour

A photo posted by Alvin Ailey (@alvinailey) on Feb 8, 2016 at 8:42am PST

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World Premieres

Robert Battle’s Awakening
Battle uses his taut, ritualistic style to powerful effect in a dance that expertly balances chaos and resolution, dissonance and harmony. His first new work since becoming artistic director in 2011 is set to a symphonic score by frequent collaborator John Mackey.

Rennie Harris’ Exodus
In an electrifying piece called “one of the best made for Ailey in recent years” (The New York Times), Harris imbues his signature house dance moves with uncommon depth.

Ronald K. Brown’s Open Door
Renowned for his fusion of African and modern dance, Brown adds new flavor to his signature style, setting this work to recordings by Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Kyle Abraham’s Untitled America: First Movement
In the first installment of a 3-part suite to be completed in 2016, Abraham – a MacArthur ‘genius grant’ winner – explores the lasting impact of the prison system on individuals and their families.

Company Premieres

Robert Battle’s No Longer Silent
A long-forgotten score by Erwin Schulhoff, a Jewish composer banned in Nazi Germany, inspired this searing, large ensemble work, which shows off “a different side of Ailey” (The New York Times).

Paul Taylor’s Piazzolla Caldera
Astor Piazzolla’s fiery tango music sets the stage for a series of sizzling encounters – some predatory, some playful.

 New Productions

Alvin Ailey’s Blues Suite
Ailey’s first masterpiece launched his company in 1958 and still poignantly conjures the sorrow, humor and humanity of the music he called “hymns to the secular regions of the soul.” Performed with a live, on-stage band.

Judith Jamison’s A Case of You
This duet – an excerpt from Jamison’s 2005 Reminiscin’ – is a “steamy, emotionally intense” (The New York Times) showstopper danced to Diana Krall’s sultry rendition of the classic Joni Mitchell song.

Alvin Ailey’s Cry
Ever since Judith Jamison debuted this tour-de-force in 1971, it has been an unforgettable standout in the Ailey repertory, depicting the struggle of women throughout history who overcame ruthless hardship to arise triumphant.

Alvin Ailey’s Love Songs
A male counterpart to Cry, this lyrical solo from 1972 offers an emotional journey through love and longing, to a suite of songs recorded by Donny Hathaway and Nina Simone.

Talley Beatty’s Toccata
This high-spirited romp – a section from Beatty’s longer work, Come and Get the Beauty of It Hot – evokes the energy of the city streets, illuminating his genius for using the jazz idiom to its fullest expressive and musical effect.

Returning favorites include After the Rain Pas de Deux, Bad Blood, Caught, Four Corners , Grace, LIFT, Memoria
Night Creature, ODETTA, Polish Pieces,Revelations and Uprising 

If you haven’t yet experienced the exciting, powerfully inspired creativity that defines an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance, this season at the New York City Center is bound to make you a lifetime fan. The website even has a handy tool to assist you in selecting the best performances for you whether its your first time attending or you are a long time supporter. With tickets starting at $25, this is a season you don’t want to miss. For more information, click here.

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Theater greats including Phylicia Rashad, Melba Moore, Marva Hicks, George Faison, and Chita Rivera all participated in the exclusive event purposed to honor the life and works of Johnson as well as raise money for the full-length feature documenting his career, also entitled Up In The Air.

Most renowned for his choreography in the timeless film, The Wiz, Johnson was one of the first African Americans to appear in a Broadway ensemble.  Having been featured and learning from some of the dance greats, including Bob Fosse and Jerome Robbins, Johnson began creating his own art in the 1950’s.  In addition to commissioning some of his most notable works for the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, he also received a Tony Award nomination for his choreography in the 1970 musical Purlie. 

The evening was hosted by the regal Ms. Rashad and proved to be a glorious exhibition of Johnson’s contributions.  The Philadelphia Dance Company and Howard University’s department of dance restaged some of Johnson’s well known choreographed pieces.  Moore, an original cast member of Purlie, and Hicks, a former Howard University student of the tribute, both provided vocal selections in his honor.

The man behind the documentary- choreographer/writer/teacher and Up In The Air producer, David Robertson, provided one of the most thrilling pieces of the evening – a revival of the infamous Emerald city scene from “The Wiz” complete with special appearances of original dancers from the film.

Having been inspired by Johnson, Robertson has spent the last few years interviewing the sensation and building this tribute in hopes of creating a “lasting testament to his creative genius that will inspire future generations of artists.”

For more information and to contribute to Up In The Air, visit UpInTheAirDoc.com.

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This is a rare opportunity to see performances on such a large scale. In particular, Revelations, a masterpiece of American dance and described by “The New York Times” as “one of the great works of the human spirit,” will be showcased.  The iconic dance performance is backed by African American spirituals, sermons, gospel songs, and blues, and is truly a must see for even the most casual of art appreciators.  In addition, not only is this is an affordable way for people throughout the country to  see the company perform, it allows viewers to see Ailey literally larger than life, which is the way the performances typically feel when watching them on stage.

In addition to “Revelations,” the electrifying program will include Wayne McGregor’s “Chroma,” set to music scored by Joby Talbot with orchestrations of songs by The White Stripes; Ronald K. Brown’s “Grace,” which combines modern and West African dance accompanied by Duke Ellington, Roy Davis, and Fela Kuti‘s music, and closing with Robert Battle’s “Takademe.”

This showing is one night only, and pre-sale tickets are available now.

The post Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Comes to the Big Screen appeared first on Broadway Black.

Also featured in this film is the incredible Katherine Dunham and her dance troupe. Dunham’s choreography was part of countless film and stage productions and her company travelled internationally for over 20 years. She inspired artists such as Alvin Ailey and her technique is still taught today in dance programs around the world.

Other brilliant dancers in this piece are the incomparable Nicholas Brothers. Their performance of “Jumpin Jive” with Cab Calloway and his orchestra is still one of the most thrilling dances captured on film.

What makes this film so important is not only the presence of artists of color on the silver screen, but the portrayal of black people as more than just domestic workers and servants in the background which had been Hollywood standard with few exceptions. This film joyously showcases some of the most talented entertainers while also breaking barriers and blazing trails for artists today.

The post Remembering A Classic: Stormy Weather Starring Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, & Cab Calloway appeared first on Broadway Black.

A spokesperson for the company told the New York Times “Mr. Williams was found dead in his apartment on Sunday. No cause was given, but the medical examiner’s office said the death was not considered suspicious.”

Dudley Eugene Williams was born in East Harlem to Iban Leroy Williams and Austa Beckles, on Aug. 18, 1938. His brother, Iban Jr., is his only immediate survivor.

At the age of 12 Dudley took his first dance classes at Sheldon B. Hoskins’s theater school, which he paid for by selling copies of The Amsterdam News.

As the budding dancer began to make his dream a reality a knee injury he suffered in the 1960s lead doctors to tell the dancer he would never walk again. Williams’ resilience defied the odds and was back onstage two weeks after.

It was in 1963 that Alvin Ailey himself recruited Williams as a last-minute replacement for an Ailey troupe member.

During that time Williams had several memorizing leading performances in Ailey’s “Reflections in D” , Louis Falco’s “Caravan” , which solidified Williams as central member of the company.

He became known for his virtuosity in performances such as Ailey’s 16-minute solo “Love Songs”, his comedic “backwoods huckster” role in Ailey’s “Blues Suite” and his riveting solo “I Want to Be Ready” in Ailey’s renowned “Revelations”.

Williams performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater until 2005.

After that he danced with Paradigm, a trio of older dancers he formed with Carmen de Lavallade and Gus Solomons Jr., and taught at The Ailey School in Manhattan, until he died.

In 2013, at age 75, Williams, made a triumphant return to the stage for an Ailey company New Year’s Eve performance of “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham,” the finale of the troupe’s classic “Revelations,” which was choreographed by Ailey.

In 2003 Williams described his passion for dance to the New York Times.

“It’s a hunger — doing it until you do it right,” he added. “It’s a nervousness that puts me on the stage, it’s palms sweating, feet sweating, wondering, ‘Am I going to hit this position?’ ”

Dudley Williams you will be missed but your passion and dedication to the art of dance will live in through the many people you have impacted.

Dudley Dances from Chris Thompson on Vimeo.

The post Rest In Poise: Alvin Ailey Dancer, Dudley Williams, Deceased At 76 appeared first on Broadway Black.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was founded in 1958 with a mission to bring African-American cultural expression and the American modern dance tradition to the world. This mission was first carried out with the creation of Ailey’s masterpiece, Revelations, in 1960. A school was established in 1969 and the following year, both school and company found a home in Manhattan. In the years to come, the company gained national and international acclaim as the ensemble grew and Ailey collaborated with the Metropolitan Opera (Carmen) in 1972, performed at the Duke Ellington Festival at Lincoln Center with the Ellington Orchestra in 1975, and performed for President Carter at the White House in 1978. In 1987, Alvin Ailey received modern dance’s greatest honor, the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award

The following year, he was the recipient of The Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime contribution to American culture through the performing arts. Shortly before Ailey’s untimely death in 1989, Judith Jamison, a company member since 1965, was named Artistic Director. Jamison continued to take the company further causing Dance Magazine to call the Ailey company “recession-proof” due to its worldwide success in 1992. Under her leadership, the company has continued to tour all over the world and dancers from all over the world have come to study at the Ailey School. In 2011, Jamison became Artistic Director Emerita and choreographer Robert Battle became the active Artistic Director, continuing a legacy of dance that has become vital in the artistic fabric of America.

Check out Alvin Ailey’s REVELATIONS below!

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform at Lincoln Center at the David H. Koch Theater June 10-21.
For tickets and more information, visit www.alvinailey.org

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Joining* the dance/entertainment event of the new season are Special Guests: James Earl Jones, Chita Rivera, Chuck Scarborough and Karen Ziemba. There will also be special performances by artists from: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; American Ballet Theatre; Arthur Murray Dance Center, Columbus Circle; Ballet Hispanico; Jonah Bokaer; Dance Theatre of Harlem; Industrial Rhythm; Silva Dance Company; Tony Waag’s American Tap Dance Foundation plus a special appearance by the Rockette Alumnae. *program and artists subject to change

The 2014 Career Transition For Dancers Outstanding Contributions to the World of Dance Awards will be presented to Janice Galli Becker, Fe Saracino Fendi, and Joe Tremaine & Tremaine Dance Conventions & Competitions.
Angela Lansbury has enjoyed a career without precedent spanning more than half-a-century as a star of movies, a 5-time Tony Award-winning actress, and star of “Murder, She Wrote,” the longest running detective drama series in television history.

ROLEX presents NEW YORK NEW YORK a helluva town – Career Transition For Dancers’ 29th Anniversary Jubilee on Monday, October 6, 2014 at 7:00 pm at New York City Center, 131 West 55 Street (btwn. 6th & 7th Aves) NYC followed by dinner at The Grand Ballroom at The Hilton New York. Angela Lansbury will receive the 2014 Rolex Dance Award.

This is a fundraiser so be sure to check out ticket prices and membership via the Career Transition for Dancers site.

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