Dancing the light away - Sunset Salsa
On Tuesday, the 20th of August, covered in the warmth of the last sun rays of the day, many Hudson River Park visitors stumbled upon quite an unusual scene: Every Tuesday evening, the park is swamped with hundreds of people dancing Salsa.
But as usual in this city, it is best to always expect the unexpected. This observation was also inspiration for the founder of the weekly free Salsa classes, Talia Castro-Pozo. Ten years ago, she decided to give the city something it already has but not always displays: diversity.
The weekly Salsa sessions, that are not only limited to Hudson River Park but happening all across NYC, are intended to make Latin culture more visible. Together with co-host Edwin, Talia invites people of all ages and backgrounds to come together and celebrate life at these sessions.
And every Tuesday, she succeeds. Not only is the event always in high demand, people also really seemed to openly enjoy themselves and let go of some of the day’s troubles with their evening moves.
Located right next to our beautiful skyline, the park was filled with laughter, joy and togetherness. People met, mingled and mixed dance partners as freely as it rarely happens in this busy city. Wall Street brokers danced with street artists, Republicans with Democrats and even the few grumpy people were soon swayed by the energy of the many children running around or dancing.
This observation is also the core of these events: joy, family and togetherness. Every summerly Tuesday, Hudson River Park provides an inclusive space that is vividly vibrant from its positive energy. Thanks to Edwin and Talia’s patient teachings and motivation, even beginners are able to discover their new passion for the traditional Latin dance.
But even if you are more of a savorer of the good and effortless things in life, the friendly staff of the conveniently located Beer Tent is always happy to help out. Just like the Salsa class, they are there every Tuesday evening to provide some sparkling energy after an exhausting but certainly worthy evening of Salsa.
Unfortunately, there is one small twist with the event: next week is the last Salsa session for this year at this location. If you don’t want to miss your last chance to join this or other events in this spirit, check out https://www.facebook.com/SunsetSalsaNYC/ for more information.
Lang Lang Young Scholars Concert
On Thursday, June 13th, the Lang Lang Young Scholars presented their first in a series of concerts. The night was filled with magic and music.
"We believe that music has the power to make the world a better place and with the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, we strive to achieve this every day,'' declared CEO Leszek Barwinski-Brown, as he welcomed a capacity audience to their first Young Scholars Concert at Steinway Hall. Lang Lang himself chose the performers--- offering a note to the program, "My wife, Gina Alice, and I send our love and support . You’ll forgive us for not being there as were on our honeymoon in China.”
A disarming talented and stunning Aliya Alsafa, 14, played Ravel, Mozart, Liszt and Morton Gould. With remarkable command. Amir Siraj 19, now an alumnus of the program, played Mozart, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff. Currently he’s at Harvard, studying both piano and astrophysics (and a member of the Steinway Young Artist program).
Among the audience were board members David Hyrck, Kyle Wool, plus his wife Soo Yu. Also guests Teri Agins, Lady Liliana Cavendish, Joanna Fisher, Stephanie and John Foster, Barrett Frelinghuysen, Michèle Gerber Klein, Luchia Hwong Gordon, Sylvia Hemingway, Kate and Gary Parr, Sana Sabbagh, Klara and Larry Silverstein, Mengmeng Wang, and Victoria Wyman
Leszek Barwinski-Brown closed the concert saying, "Without your friendship, we could have never accomplished and of this" A Moët & Chandon reception followed.
Photos courtesy of Lang Lang Young Scholars
Harlem Stage Gala
Photo credit: Marc Millman
Throughout the 1920s, Harlem experienced a cultural and intellectual eruption that became known as the Harlem Renaissance. During this period, Harlem was a lightning rod, drawing black writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars. Many had come from the South, escaping its repressive system in order to find a place where they could freely express their talents. This led to an outburst of African-American culture, art, literature and social change.
Photo credit: Marc Millman
Photo credit: Marc Millman
On Monday, May 20th, Harlem Stage, the legendary uptown performing arts venue hosted its annual gala celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance. The event was a cool night filled with hot Jazz. The intimate evening was hosted by MSNBC Political Analyst Joy-Ann Reid and raised Over $400,000 to support Arts and Education Programming for Harlem Stage.
Photo credit: Marc Millman
Photo credit: Marc Millman
Patrons were dressed in attire inspired by the roaring ‘20s, to mark the era. Guests enjoyed musical performances in the historic and stunning Gatehouse, a New York City landmark built in 1890 which once served as a pivotal facility in the Croton Aqueduct system and was revitalized to serve as a state-of-the-art performance space. The theme of this year’s event was “Disrupters: Then, Now, and in the Future” in honor of those who shake up the status quo in every field by pushing the boundaries of innovation.
The gala is a tribute to artists, activists, and creators, and celebrates Harlem Stage’s more than 35 years as an institution known for commissioning and presenting new, innovative work that reflects and responds to the complex conditions that shape the lives of audiences, artists, and communities of color. Harlem Stage have been an effervescent presence on the New York City arts scene, hailing and supporting artists of color from Harlem and around the world.
Proceeds from the gala will help support Harlem Stage's critical mission to commission and present works by visionary artists of color and supports the thousands of New York City school children Harlem Stage serves each year through the Frances Davis/Harlem Stage Arts Education Program.
Photo credit: Marc Millman
Photo credit: Marc Millman
The 2019 gala honored several individuals and organizations who embody Harlem Stage’s mission. I had the great pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with Noma Dumezweni, a British actress and TONY nominee (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) who was so gracious and chatted with me all night.
Later on in the night,The Philanthropy Award was presented to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which has helped Harlem Stage fulfill its artistic mission in multiple ways, including exposing thousands of students each year to the arts, support of Harlem Stage’s first-ever international live stream event, and presenting an unprecedented five-week run of Antigone in Ferguson, a critically acclaimed theater work.
The Transformative Artist Award was given to Stew of the acclaimed band Stew and The Negro Problem. Stew is a lauded musician who traversed the musical sphere into theatre to become a TONY Award-winning playwright with his play “Passing Strange” and Notes of A Native Song, commissioned and presented in 2015 as part of Harlem Stage’s WaterWorks program.
Photo credit: Marc Millman
Photo credit: Marc Millman
The Emerging Artist Award was presented to Savannah Harris, a rising star in the jazz world. Known for her unique and technical style of drumming, she has graced the Kennedy Center stage and works with Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Patricia Cruz, Executive Director, Harlem Stage said “Our gala enables Harlem Stage and our artists to join together with our audiences, community and supporters in the contemporary struggle to realize a just, equitable and truly democratic society”
Photos by Marc Millman
For more information or events for Harlem Stage please visit : https://www.harlemstage.org/
The Power of Opportunity - NAF’s 16th Annual Benefit
Success, at least from my observation, is the result of perseverance, dedication, and the ability to learn from past mistakes. However, success may not be achieved in isolation. Even the strongest, most hard working individuals need support from others to realize their goals. Unfortunately, egregious economic disparity plagues this country: nearly one third of US citizens live at or below the poverty line, and as a result, millions of teenagers face unjust obstacles as they attempt to fulfill their dreams. Thankfully, NAF, a nationwide non-profit organization, is dedicated to investing in today's youth.
Chief Executive Officer of NAF, JD Hoye and NAF alumna, Luisa Mendoza
NAF was founded in 1982 with the goal of improving education in the United States. NAF achieves systematic betterment through providing high school students with guidance from industry professionals and by equipping them with a robust skill set. Students who join NAF work with their peers to design projects. Through these projects students expand their knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math. Thus, these projects help students acquire relevant quantitative skills. Additionally, they are taught necessary soft skills through the NAF curricula. Moreover, students in NAF are able to connect with accomplished businesspeople and community leaders as they navigate their way through the professional world. Ultimately, NAF’s approach to learning is centered on work-based experiences that include career awareness, exploration, and preparation activities, eventually leading to internships.
Chief Executive Officer of NAF, JD Hoye, Founder and Chairman of NAF, Sandy Weill, and President of NAF, Lisa Dughi
On May 8th, I attended NAF’s 16th Annual Benefit held at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. Students, NAF alumni, and professionals came together to enjoy breathtaking views of Central Park while sampling tasty hors d’oeuvres.
Student presenting her project
The focal point of the event were the students that came from all across the country to share their projects. I was extremely impressed by all of them. From every group of students I learned something new. I was especially taken aback by a group of girls from McKinley Tech High School in Washington D.C that created a miniature prototype of a car completely powered by water. This method of power is called fuel-cell energy, and it provides a efficient, affordable, and sustainable solution to un-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels. They were able to develop this because of the funding given to them by NAF.
Three students from McKinley Tech High School demonstrating their project
Sanford Weill, the chairman and founder of NAF, gave an moving speech on the importance of empowering future generations. Additionally, a short yet powerful fireside chat was held by NAF CEO JD Hoye and the president of Lenovo Matt Zielinski, along with two exceptional high school students. Both of the student speakers demonstrated great curiosity, intelligence, and aptitude. Hearing them speak further illustrated the significance of having organizations that give young people the tools to jump start their careers.
JD Hoye, Matt Zielinski, with student panelist: Rushawn Johnson, and Dakota Reynolds
The Benefit was a huge success, generating nearly $1.5 million. Additionally, Matt Zielinski, announced Lenovo’s four-year, $1 million-dollar commitment to create internships for NAF students at post-secondary institutions in North Carolina, one of Lenovo’s worldwide headquarters.
President of Lenovo North America Intelligent Devices Group, Matt Zielinski’s
The high school students I spoke with gave me the extra motivation I needed to power through my finals. I left the event eager to work and excited about my future in the business world.
Photos provided by NAF
Youth America Grand Prix 20th Anniversary Gala
In the 21st century, mainstream media has little love for ballet. It’s too rigid. Too technical. While hip hop dancers churn out new moves, ballet dancers fixate on the old: Plié. Relevé. Pas de bourrée. The forms are sacred. There will be no #arabesquechallenge. The closest the ballet community has ever come to putting out a mass meme is that picture celebrating a ballerina’s bruised, bloody feet. More than anything, it was a reminder: ballet is brutal. A few years later, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan reminded us of something else: ballet is emotional. The stereotypes have taken hold. They make it all too easy to forget the crux of it all: ballet is beautiful.
It took me almost 23 years to learn this. When I saw Billy Elliot in the sixth grade, I learned more about the social stigma surrounding ballet than I did about the art itself. The same with Center Stage. In Black Swan the psychological dance was mesmerizing, the physical ones forgettable. It was only three nights ago, at the Youth America Grand Prix Performance at the David H. Koch Theater, that I learned ballet was beautiful, and I was hit with the knowledge all at once.
What makes ballet beautiful? Grace. Power. Precision. To be a ballerina is to exude both great strength and fine delicacy. The ballerinas who performed knew this all too well. They switched back and forth between the two extremes with ease. Their movements were spellbinding, no matter the routine, and they varied; from Lucia Lacarra and Fabrice Calmel’s intense performance of Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain, to Olga Smirnova and Kimin Kim’s classic homage to Swan Lake.
Thankfully, not everyone takes as long a time as I did to recognize the beauty of ballet. YAGP, the global network that put together both the performance and the follow-up gala, offers learning opportunities and scholarships to talented dancers ages 9-19 who have not only seen the beauty of ballet, but are dead set on becoming professional ballerinas. In between dance performances, the YAGP students took turns sharing how much the organization had helped them in their quest to achieve their dreams.
Following the show, ballerinas and guests alike were whisked away to the upper floor of the Koch Theater, where a live auction was held to raise money for future YAGP scholarships. Things got heated, with a bidding war breaking out between Olivier Sarkozy and Andrew Martin Weber, but it was all in good jest -- after the auction, all the guests settled down for a roast chicken dinner and made their way onto the dance floor, where they tried to keep up with a horde of enthusiastic young ballerinas.
In the modern era, it is all too easy to dismiss ballet as niche art, one of those things that simply “isn’t for everyone.” Both YAGP and I are here to dispute that. I dare you to see a ballet and not find something to love -- from the meticulous movements to the dramatic expressions. Ballet is here, and it won’t be fading into obscurity -- in fact, as YAPG expands its global horizons and the internet becomes increasingly connective, more people are discovering the beauty of ballet than ever before. So what if mainstream culture has shuffled the art to the side? The way things are going, the 21st Century is bound to be remembered as no less but the era of the ballerina.
Gala Dinner Images Gratis of YAGP by Jared Siskin for PMC
Gala Performance Images Gratis of YAGP by VAM Productions
NYC's Night to Dream - Sueños 2019
In 1995, a group of students from Dartmouth went abroad to Carbarete, in the Dominican Republic. Initially, they were planning to volunteer in the local public schools for just a semester; but after experiencing one of the poorest educational systems in Latin America, the volunteers decided to establish the Dream Project, which is committed to bringing positive changes for Dominican children.
Today, this non-profit organization has developed into 27 Dream communities, and it has achieved great success by helping more than 9,000 youth across the country. A large part of this success is attributed to the contributors who make generous donations during events such as the annual Sueños benefit, where 100% of the funds go directly towards the Dream Project to help disadvantaged students in the Dominican Republic.
Sueños, a beautiful Spanish word for dreams, is Dream Project’s most important annual benefit. This year, Sueños 2019 was held at The Mezzanine in Manhattan, where philanthropists, volunteers and celebrities in the US are brought together to support and turn the dreams into reality.
Actor Taye Digg (left) and Chef Kelvin Tasting the Roasted Beef
The event was kicked off with an open bar and the network carpet full of celebrities such as Lenny Santos, Taye Diggs, Dascha Polanco, Brandon Neiderauer, Doug Wimbish, Adriano Espaillat, Albania Rosario, and Chef Kelvin. Some of the guests published their own books for children, and the others are making significant contributions in their own ways.
The venue was warmed up by the Beat Bobby Flay winner Chef Kelvin. He performed a culinary demonstration of Dominican food while telling the story of his first time trying beef tartare. He made everyone laugh, and he enabled the guests to live a moment in the Dominican Republic by bringing its exquisite culinary flavors to New York.
Among all the activities, my favorite was the music performance by the Dream Machata Academy Band formed by students travelling all the way from the Dominican Republic. Although they were not born in a community with the best education system and resources, their passion for learning and advancing was expressed through the beautiful sounds of the instruments, and it was for sure a legendary show not to be missed.
It had been an unparalleled evening for me. Seeing people across the country gather together to discuss and bring positive changes for Dominican children allowed me to see the hope underneath the dilemma. Yes we saw poverty, but this night full of food, music, and culture that made us realize that it was possible and meaningful to help close the cycle of poverty in the Dominican Republic. Personally, I learned that there are many ways to involve ourselves to charity. In addition to donation, there are million other ways to make contributions. We can listen, propose valuable advice, help raise social awareness, or simply dance and laugh with the children.
Brooklyn Film Festival Filmmakers Party
On the night of Thursday, June 8th, the Brooklyn Film Festival celebrated both its 20th Anniversary and this year’s lineup of films with its exclusive Filmmakers Party. The party was hosted by G-Star and took place at the bright and modern G-Star RAW Store in Williamsburg, offering an intimate atmosphere for both the filmmakers and journalists to cheers to the affair.
At the party, guests enjoyed both endless drinks and appetizers. Stella Artois sponsored the event, transforming the shop into an open bar with cold, refreshing beer and hard cider. The Williamsburg-based American restaurant Midnights provided a trio of bite-sized shrimp cocktails, ricotta crostini with burnt honey, and kobe meatballs.
Conversations regarding the festival films dominated the suave party. Directors and filmmakers passionately chatted about the sources of inspiration for their films with guests. Buzz about cinematographic methods, actors, the filmmaking process, and subject matter created endless discussions. A DJ played electric and techno music as guests discussed the festival and its motion pictures, which included narrative feature films, narrative shorts, documentary feature films, documentary shorts, animation films, and experimental films.
Rodrigo Reyes’ Lupe Under the Sun, Chris Kelly’s A Cambodian Spring, David Bly’s Sweet Parents, Fernando Fraiha’s El Revenge, Stavit Allweis’s Cooking With Connie, Kyle Eaton’s Shut Up Anthony, and Katja Benrath’s Watu Wote: All of Us were only several of the 122 films selected for Brooklyn Film Festival. At the central back wall of the party venue was the focal point of the event, which was a projection screen flashing pairs of images and movie titles from the festival’s lineup.
At the end of the evening, guests were provided with party favors that consisted of a denim RAW tote bag and a signature Stella Artois chalice. On the whole, the Filmmakers Party embodied the very creativity and eagerness that represents Brooklyn Film Festival. Diverse creative minds who all share the same passion for film came together and were given a space to celebrate their progress in the film world as well as their accomplishments in earning a spot in the Brooklyn Film Festival.
Photos courtesy of Yuko Torihara