Walter’s World: Weekend Picks

For the second week dance dominates the art scene. We have dance happening throughout the five boroughs from ballet to African. In theaters, museums and on the screen. Dance is everywhere. Here are a few events taking place in our community and across new York City.

 Werk!: The Armitage Gone Variety Show will be held at the Abrons Arts Center, at 466 Grand Street, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The evening is anchored by the American premiere of Rave, a work that mixes voguing with a vast array of other movement forms, resulting in a unique combination of ball, ballet and carnival. In the polymorphous, celebratory spirit of the piece—and characteristic of her embrace of visual art—she has invited Will Cotton, Doug Fitch, Kalup Linzy, Richard Phillips, Aïda Ruilova and William Wegman to contribute short (5-to-10-minute) pieces to the program, which will close with Rave, performed by Armitage Gone! Dance.

Performances will take place Friday May 4 at 7:30 & 10:00 p.m.; and Saturday May 5 at 7:30 & 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by calling 212.598.0400 or by visiting www.abronsartscenter.org.

Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, in association with Sundance SELECTS, presents the opening screening of First Position on Friday, May 4, 2012 at 6:45pm at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Theater at Lincoln Center, 144 West 65^th Street (between Amsterdam and Broadway), NYC. Tickets are $13 ($9 for Seniors/Students/Children; $8 for Members) and are available for purchase at http://www.filmlinc.com/films/on-sale/first-position1

With unprecedented (and exclusive) access to the Youth America Grand Prix, the largest competition that awards full scholarships to top ballet schools, First Position takes audiences on a yearlong journey around the world.  It Follows in the inspirational footsteps of six talented ballet dancers (ages nine to nineteen) as they struggle to maintain form in the face of injury and personal sacrifice on their way to one of the most prestigious youth ballet competitions in the world. First Position is a feature-length documentary about a love of dance and a drive to succeed that trumps money, politics and even war.

Ballet Noir will present their first free performance of 2012 at Harlem School of the Arts on Saturday May 5th, at 12 noon. The performance will take place inside the school located at 645 St. Nicholas Avenue at 141 street. The company will be performing works by Zach Ingram, Willy Laury, Ja’Malik, and Earl Mosley.

Forces of Nature Dance Theatre will perform at the Brooklyn Art Museum’s Target First Saturdays, Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 6pm. The museum is located at 200 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, New York. The company will presents original pieces that blend dance forms including modern, traditional West African, ballet, and house. This performance is presented in partnership with BAM Dance Africa. Free timed tickets are available at the Visitor Center at 5 p.m.

The renowned American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Jose Manuel Carreno will join the New York season of Igal Perry’s Peridance Contemporary Dance Company for the first weekend of performances on Saturday May 5 at 8:30 PM, and Sunday May 6 at 7:30 PM. In the Capezio Theater at Peridance, 126 East 13th Street (bet. 3rd & 4th Avenues). The program will be repeated without Carreno on Saturday May 12 and Sunday May 13.

The program will consist of world premieres by Perry, Sidra Bell, and Kristin Sudeikis, along with the NY premiere of Perry’s “El Amor Brujo.” Carreno will appear in a solo created for him by Perry. Music will be live at all performances: a String Quartet will play the Henryk Gorecki composition  for Perry’s new work, and “El Amor Brujo” will be performed by the post-classical Ensemble of Washington D.C., conducted by Angel Gil-Ordonez joined by Flamenco singer Marija Temo. For more information visit www.peridance.com.

As always thank you for letting me share my world with you.