Enjoy the New York Jewish Film Festival from January 11 through January 26. This is an annual event celebrating its 21st year of bringing the most innovative and provocative films which focus on the Jewish experience throughout the world to the people of New York.
The Jewish Museum and the Film Society of Lincoln Center together present these less well known films, which sometimes go on to become quite successful, gaining entry into theaters around the country and broadcasts on television. Ajam was one such movie; a crime thriller shot on the streets of Jaffa in Israel, which was featured in the 2010 New York Jewish Film Festival and went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film.
For more information visit the web site of the Jewish Museum.
Four Hundred Miles to Freedom is just one of the many fascinating films which will be shown at the festival.
Back in 1962 $3.50 was a lot of money; it at least could pay for a ticket to see a performance of Paul Taylor’s “Aureole,” a dance piece set to the music of Handel. You might think that those days are long gone; but no, The Paul Taylor Dance Company announced last Thursday that they are planning on adding one special performance during its three-week season for which the audience will only have to shell out $3.50 for a seat. The great price is in honor of the 50th anniversary of this unique work.
One of a rare breed of choreographers, Paul Taylor is one of the few still alive whose work is considered classic. There is no other dance company in New York whose repertoire is so beloved that a season of performances by the 54-year-old modern dance troupe is considered an annual event not to be missed.
Paul Taylor
The 2012 season opens on March 14th and continues through April 1st, at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. The additional show for which tickets are rolled back to 1962 prices, the year that Aureole was first staged, will take place on March 13th. There will also be a Gala performance, including dinner, dancing on the Promenade and a Dutch Auction, on the evening of March 15th.
The most famous place to bring in the New Year is without a doubt Times Square. This is where the famous ball descends along its path on a flagpole atop number One Times Square at exactly 11:59pm, taking 60 seconds to make its way to the bottom, when the New Year officially begins on the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Billions of people can watch this event on television or over the internet worldwide, but those who are lucky enough to be in New York for New Year’s Eve will have a real treat this year. Beginning at 4pm the usually bustling Times Square ‘bow-tie’ intersection is closed to traffic, and people begin arriving. The revelers are placed into viewing areas by the police officers, and as one area becomes full, another section begins to fill with revelers.
From 6pm until 6:03pm there is a ceremony to light and raise the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball into place. The organizers of the event, Tim Tompkins and Jeffrey Straus, together with a few representatives of the Philips Lighting Company will flip the huge switch to light the Ball and begin its rise to the top of the pole to the accompaniment of some cool pyrotechnic effects.
The rest of the evening is filled with exciting surprises and entertainment, including the distribution of tens of thousands of hats, balloons, and lip balm in preparation for the famous midnight kiss. As midnight approaches wishes are read from the “confetti wishes” which are thrown up at the arrival of the new year, while there is a constant flow of singers, dancers, speakers and pyrotechnics to make sure the crowd of revelers is having the absolutely best time possible.
At 11pm Lady Gaga will perform, and from 11:53 pm until 11:59 there will be a special performance of the song “Imagine” by an as yet unannounced performer.
At 11:59pm New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will have the honor of pressing the button which brings the New Year’s Eve Ball down the 70 foot pole in its world famous 60 second descent. As it arrive at the bottom, the ball’s lights go dark and the numerals 2012 blaze on, signaling the moment of the beginning of the New Year.
On November 21st and 22nd youthful poets will read their works expressing “hurt and hope on their journey towards self.” The featured poets are Nia Allen, Aziza Barnes, Kedene McLeod, and Diamond Wynn. The poets are teamed with Writing Mentor Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai and Director/Choreographer Nicco Annan.
The unique hybrid performance is a creation of the partnership between New York Live Arts and Urban Word NYC whose goal is to support inner city youth in their artistic development. The project is now in its fourth year, and includes the input and participation of the spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai.
New York Live Arts was created in 2011 when the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company merged with the Dance Theater Workshop. It is housed at 219 West 19th Street, and led by the Executive Artistic Director Bill T. Jones and Artistic Director Carla Peterson. The CEO and Executive Director is Jean Davidson.
Do you love to dance? Have you ever thought about taking dance lessons? New York is literally overflowing with possibilities for anyone interested in getting into shape while also having an absolutely fantastic time.
Steven Hughes
One such place is “Stepping Out Studios,” whose stated mission is to “introduce and spread the joy of partner dancing far and wide.” Stepping Out began in 1985, and has always been on the forefront of introducing the latest dance styles to New Yorkers; being the first to bring Argentine Tango and West Coast Swing to the Eastern Coast of the US. They have also played a key role in the exciting revival of Latin, Swing and Country Western dancing which has taken New York by storm over the last decade.
The latest development at Stepping Out has been the addition of Steven Hughes to the studio as the new managing director. Hughes has over 20 years of experience as a business owner, theater director, choreographer, producer as well as a certified professional dance instructor.
Stepping Out offers a lot more than just dance lessons. In addition to both private and group lessons, Stepping Out can provide wedding planning, corporate programs, teacher training programs and lots more. Check it out and come down and dance!
There is no shortage of places to go to hear some fine music in New York City. But what to do if you would like to be on the giving end of the music scene in New York, rather than the taking end? Easy, just get yourself over to Guitar Cities – New York, located at 1350 Avenue of the Americas, at 55th and Sixth Avenue. At their location in midtown Manhattan experienced guitar instructors Adam Neely, Tim Norton and Marcel Hamel have put together a talented, and more importantly, effective group of guitar instructors who will personalize a tutoring program in guitar for you which will perfectly meet your needs.
Neely, Norton and Hamel are all graduates of the famous Berklee College of Music in Boston. Their stated goal when forming their amazing team of guitar instructors was to not only have the most knowledgeable and gifted artists as teachers, but to make sure that each tutor was an “experienced communicator and teacher” with the ability to impart their vast knowledge onto the eager student.
Guitar Cities, which also has locations in Chicago, San Francisco and London, provides the instrument gratis, does not charge a registration fee, is open to all students of all ages and backgrounds, and will accommodate any style guitar playing which is desired, from jazz to rock, pop, blues and more.
There is no limit on how long the lessons must last, from a month to years. As long as the student is happy, Adam Neely, Tim Norton and Marcel Hamel are also happy. So stop by and start to learn guitar.
Fall is a great time to be in New York. The weather is perfect, the leaves are gorgeous, and the events are endless. Here are just a few things to do this autumn which go beyond the usual and are guaranteed to be memorable.
Jane's Carousel
• The restored 1922 carousel at the Empire and Fulton Ferry Park (Brooklyn Bridge Park) will be the centerpiece of the newly renovated and reopened waterside park in DUMBO. September 16 was the opening date, and new lighting at the site will keep the park open into the evening for the first time. Empire–Fulton Ferry Park, Dock St at the East River, Dumbo, Brooklyn (718-802-0603, janescarousel.com). Mon, Tue–Sun 11am–7pm, through Nov 5; Thu–Sun 11am–6pm through Apr 5. $2.
• There is no need to leave the city to see the colorful display of autumn leaves Mother Nature organizes for us each year. Check out the view in Central Park as you stroll down the 1.58 mile track which encircles the Reservoir. You can also see the leaves in Prospect Park. Observe the leaves of ash, tulip and other trees as they turn bright orange and red reflected in the ponds along the ravine trails which are found between the Nethermead and Long Meadow.
Bear Mountain Inn
• Circle Line Cruises is offering a special trip to Bear Mountain until the end of October. Sail up the Hudson, disembark at Bear Mountain State Park, and enjoy a beer and a hike during the three hour stop over until the return trip. Bear Mountain offers over one hundred miles of trails for hikers and bikers, and the beer is flowing at the Bear Mountain Inn where you can catch the celebration of Oktoberfest. Pier 83, W 42nd St at the Hudson River (circleline42.com). Sat, Sun 8:30am–5:30pm; $50, with bike rental $79. Sept 17–Oct 30.
Remember the film Sister Act? Whoopi Goldberg plays a singer who must hide from the Mafia after witnessing a murder, and the police hide her in a convent where she must play the part of a nun. The screenplay was adapted for the theater and became a big hit in London’s West End after it opened there in 2009.
Now you can see Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy on Broadway. Unfortunately Goldberg is unable to reprise her role as Sister Mary Clarence, but Patina Miller is up to the challenge, with a wonderful voice and amazing stage presence. The chorus of nuns backing up Miller is spectacular, singing some old favorites and original tunes by the likes of Alan Menken, who gave the Little Mermaid her voice, and Aladdin his genius.
Sister Act is taking part in “Broadway Week,” and tickets can be purchased at the 2 for 1 price for shows beginning September 18 through the 30th.
Glen Campbell was in New York recently to promote what will be his last album, “Ghost on the Canvas.” Still young-looking at age 75, and still the same genius on the guitar that he was decades ago when he played with the famous Los Angeles group “Wrecking Crew,” so why is this his last album?
Campbell, sadly, is in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and although he still gives a wonderful performance, and this last album may even be his best, his memory is showing signs of deterioration. He already cannot remember who in his family rescued him from drowning, the name of the last city he performed in, or which guitar he played on “Good Vibrations.”
The songs on “Ghost” were written by such talented songwriters as Paul Westerberg, Jakob Dylan and Teddy Thompson and others were co-authored with Campbell, and are every bit as good as some of Campbell’s greatest hits like “Galveston” and “Wichita Lineman” from the late ‘60s.”
When asked if his memory loss has impeded his ability to play and sing at all, Campbell had this to say:
“Not really,” he answered in the faintest Arkansas accents which still sharpen his vowels. “My producer, Julian Raymond, and I went through about 50 submissions and picked a bunch. Co-wrote some others. Recording is still easy for me. Like when I played with the Beach Boys. I just put the capo up to the proper key and go! We had a saying in the ’60s: ‘Make the feel, feel good.’ It was no different this time.”
If you want to take in a bit of history and culture while hanging out in the Big Apple this summer, check out different activities occurring at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. As part of the 2011 Festival, this August you can enjoy the Mostly Mozart program that will be running from August 2nd to August 27th.
On opening night as well as August 3rd, the program will be the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra with conductor Louis Langrée. On August 4th and 6th, there will be the Don Giovanni concert with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and conductor/director, Iván Fischer. Prior to the August 6th concert there will be a discussion with Jane Moss and Iván Fischer.
On August 11th, enjoy the sounds of the International Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by Matthias Pintscher at the Alice Truly Hall, Starr Theater. This will be a true celebration of Mozart, opening with a gentle Mozart composition performed in a new Salvatore Sciarrino arrangement. It will end with Gran Partita, one of the maestro’s most majestic works.
