Bill Shannon’s Window

This summer’s massive River to River Festival is in its final days. The last dance program of the season, Window, is being presented on Lower Broadway all this week at lunchtime.

Created by Bill Shannon, Windows is presented to two audiences simultaneously: pedestrians on the street and viewers observing through the windows of a nearby skyscraper.

The Step Fienz, a crew of breakdancers, accompany Shannon (also known as “the Crutchmaster”), as he performs on a skateboard and crutches, weaving in and out of traffic, flipping and spinning, startling drivers and engaging passers-by with his grace, athleticism and humor.

Those who entered the lofty viewing space  (located in an ordinary business office) were able to see live video closeups of the action below and listen to recorded music mixed with Shannon’s comments and street noise. The same music is played outside, but only on the dancers’ earpieces. 

Passers-by can’t hear the music, see the audience gathered at the office windows (unless they look up and squint), or view the cameras positioned above. As a result, most of the people on the street don’t realize they are witnessing (and participating in) a carefully-planned performance. The spontaneous interactions between the unsuspecting pedestrians and the dancers are, in and of themselves, vital parts of the show.

The crutch and skateboard, while important elements of the dance, are not simply used for dramatic effect. Shannon’s dance technique—known as the Shannon Technique—is one he invented out of necessity. Born with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (a rare hip deformity), the dancer and choreographer has spent most of his life on crutches.

He has traveled and performed around the world, won numerous awards for his work and choreographed Cirque de Soleil’s production, Varekai. A documentary about Shannon, entitled Crutch, is scheduled to premiere at film festivals this fall.

An audience gathers at the window

Shannon skates around traffic

He is joined by another skateboarder

He lies on the sidewalk

Maneuvering with his crutches

Pedestrians walk by

A good samaritan stops to assist

She “helps” him stand

Then wants to discuss religion

More dancers join in

The Step Fienz in action

Darting through the crowd

Another attempted conversation

Shannon aloft

The finale

The company takes a bow

Bill Shannon
MySpace: Crutch
Village Voice: ‘Crutchmaster’ Takes Dance to the Next Level
Cirque du Soleil: Bill Shannon
Time Signature Productions: The Step Fienz
DJ Excess
MySpace: DJ Excess
River to River Festival
LMCC Sitelines: Window
The New Yorker: Window

New York Burlesque Festival

Advertised as “4 Days and Nights of Glitter and Glamour in Gotham,” the New York Burlesque Festival takes place over four days at several locations around Manhattan.

Tonight I attended the festival’s Saturday Spectacular hosted by New York showbiz legend Mister Murray Hill. The evening featured about 40 acts with names like Gwendoline Lamour, Panty Raid, Lux la Croix, Peekaboo Pointe, Vivienne Vavoom and the Peach Tartes.

If you haven’t seen a burlesque performance, you might anticipate something similar to the raunchy grind-and-grab found in go-go bars and so-called “gentlemen’s clubs.” But in fact, modern-day burlesque is a form of entertainment that combines glamour, dance, performance art, a tad of titillation and more than a touch of humor and its practitioners attract equal numbers of male and female fans.

Most of the women onstage resembled WWII-era pin-up girls come to life, dressed in elbow-length gloves, tightly-laced corsets, veiled hats, fluffy boas, slinky satin, yards of rhinestones and towering heels. They flirted, teased, waved feathery fans, twirled their tassles, dusted themselves with enormous powder puffs and shimmied until their fringes flew.

Each act on the bill put its own twist on the form: Miss Saturn danced with hula hoops, Gravity Plays Favorites did intricate acrobatic moves on a pole, Diamond Back Annie was inspired by the rock group Kiss, Lux La Croix portrayed a lawn jockey and Imogen Kelly (using a French accent) was a witty Marie Antoinette.

Mr. Murray Hill

Mr. Murray Hill helps replace a lost pasty

Tassles twirling

With red sequins

Diamond Back Annie

Diamond Back Annie

Using feathered fans

With red feathers

New York Burlesque Festival
Backstage Blog: 5th New York Burlesque Festival
Mr. Murray Hill
Angie Pontani
Amber Ray
MySpace: Bastard Keith
Belladonnas De Lux
Big Apple Burlesque
Miss Delirium Tremens
MySpace: Diamondback Annie
Gravity Plays Favorites
Gwendoline Lamour
Lux La Croix
Panty Raid
Peach Tartes
Peekaboo Pointe
Miss Saturn
Tigerlil
MySpace: Tigger
Vivienne Vavoom
MySpace: World Famous *Bob*
NY Post: Vavoom Town
NY Magazine: The Return of Burlesque in NYC
Riverfront Times: Gravity Plays Favorites
Secrets in Lace
Thirsty Girl Productions

Howl on the Road

After a couple of years’ absence, the Howl Festival is back. The event, named in honor of Allen Ginsberg’s landmark poem about love, madness and death, is designed as a celebration of art created in Greenwich Village and the East Village.

This year, the ultimate downtown festival has taken a detour uptown to participate in Lincoln Center Out of Doors: Summer of Love: Celebrating the Spirit of the ‘60s.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the “Summer of Love” gathering in San Francisco—a defining moment of the era …. For its own “Summer of Love” 2007, Lincoln Center Out of Doors offers music, dance, street theater, and family events highlighted by artists and styles of the period.

Held on Josie Robertson Plaza, the celebration included art, music, dance, puppetry and even a fashion show. Participants dressed as hippies sang, danced and distributed flowers, incense and love beads. 

Three interactive art installations added to the experience: Block Busting by George Spencer, Howling and Other Justifiable Actions by Terry S. Handy, and Wink by Jan Lynn Sokota.

In early September, the complete, full-blown Howl Festival will return to its home turf downtown, in and around Tompkins Square Park in the East Village.

Minds! New loves!
Mad generation!
down on the rocks of Time!
Real holy laughter in the river!
They saw it all!
the wild eyes! the holy yells!
They bade farewell!
They jumped off the roof to solitude!
waving!
carrying flowers!
Down to the river! into the street!
– Allen Ginsberg, Howl

From Howling and Other Justifiable Actions by Terry S. Handy

From Howling and Other Justifiable Actions by Terry S. Handy

From Howling and Other Justifiable Actions by Terry S. Handy

Wink by Jan Lynn Sokota

Hippie chicks

The self-described “Goth Ethel Merman”

Musician

Hungry Marching Band

Block Busting by George Spencer

Trystette

Monsieur Pierre (Todd Shaffer)

Paper peace dress

Channeling the spirit of Janis Joplin

Flower child

The Federation of East Village Artists
Howl Festival
Terry Hardy
Jan Lynn Sokota
Trystette
Hungry March Band
Wikipedia: Bob Holman
East Village Dance Project
Howl at Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center Out of Doors
Josie Robertson Plaza
Howl
Footnote to Howl
Wikipedia: Howl
NY Times: Special section on Allen Ginsberg
Literary History: Allen Ginsberg
The Beat Page: Allen Ginsberg
Lawrence Ferlinghetti on Howl’s 45th anniversary
Lawrence Ferlinghetti on Howl & Banned Books (click under his photo)
GOH Productions
Bonnie Sue Stein
Village Voice: Ed Woodham
Martha Tornay

Dance of the Gypsies

In addition to the Sand Sculpting Contest, last week’s celebration at Coney Island featured a performance by a group billed as (I believe) the World Wide Gypsies.

Clad in bright, flowing silks, adorned with countless jewels, bangles and spangles, three women swayed and whirled on the sunlit Boardwalk.

When the moustachioed violinist launched into Ochi Chyornye (also written as Ochi Tchornya or Ochi Chernye), the lead dancer sang along.

Ochi chyornye, ochi zhguchie
Ochi strastnye i prekrasnye
Kak lyublyu ya vas, kak boyus’ ya vas
Znat’ uvidel vas ya ne v dobryj chas

Dark eyes, burning eyes
Frightful and beautiful eyes
I love you so, I fear you so
For sure I’ve seen you at a sinister hour

Passers-by were captivated by the romantic melody, the flamboyant costumes and the laughing, dancing gypsys.

Swirling their skirts

Playing Ochi Chyornye

The gypsy sings of love & suffering

Captivating a passerby

Dancing with the Boardwalk boys

Doing a few belly dance moves

Dancing to a lively mazurka

Twirling gypsy dancer

Bay News: Fairy tales still thrive in Coney Island
NY1: Sand Sculptors Complete
Astella Development Corporation
New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
Wikipedia: Ochi Chyornye

Whose Broads Stripes

One of the most imposing buildings on Wall Street, Federal Hall was the original home of the United States Congress, Supreme Court, and Executive Branch offices. It was here that George Washington first took the oath of office.

Today, while Wall Streeters despaired over a slump in the stock market, the steps of the Federal Hall were the site of Lawrence Goldhuber’s Whose Broads Stripes.

No signs, announcements or explanations preceded the performance, so the tourists who crowded around the building, snapping each other’s photos, were shocked when guitarist Geoff Gersh launched into Jimi Hendrix’s Star Spangled Banner and two showgirls dressed in red and white sequined gowns began to dance with feathered fans.

After a few minutes of shimmying in the sunlight, they went back up the steps and held aloft protest signs. The music changed to a recording of Pink Floyd’s Money, the dancers dropped the signs, descended and flung phoney $50 bills into the air. 

As the audience dove to grab the funny money, the glamour girls seemed to notice a middle-aged businessman sitting on the steps with the rest of the lunchtime crowd. They pulled the laughingly protesting man to his feet, and he awkwardly, gamely attempted to join them in their dance.

Then, suddenly, they covered him with their fans. From behind the feathers, the man’s jacket flew into the air. Then his tie. And then … when the women lowered the fluffy white fans, the stuffy businessman was gone, replaced by a dancing, strutting superhero.

Geoff Gersh in front of Federal Hall

Geoff Gersh & his guitar

The showgirls appear

Dancing on the steps

Displaying signs asking for peace and love

Throwing fake $50 bills to the crowd

Spotting a businessman beneath the statue of Washington

The businessman awkwardly joins in the dance

They hide the businessman behind their fans

He emerges as a superhero

The superhero & showgirls shake & shimmy together

The end!

Lawrence Goldhuber/BIGMANARTS
Geoff Gersh
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council: Sitelines
River to River Festival
Pink Floyd
Jimi Hendrix
Federal Hall National Memorial

Broadway in Bryant Park

Now in its sixth year, Broadway in Bryant Park is a series of Thursday lunchtime performances held in the park behind the main branch of the New York Public Library. Cast members from leading Broadway musicals usually perform two or three songs from each show.

Today the audience saw “showstopping” numbers from four hits: Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Lion King, Curtains and Xanadu. No costumes, no makeup, few props, just a stage full of some of the best singing and dancing in the world, all for free.

Lewis Cleale & Marin Mazzie from Monty Python’s Spamalot

Lewis Cleale & Marin Mazzie sing The Song That Goes Like This from Monty Python’s Spamalot

Cornelius Jones Jr. from The Lion King

Sophia N. Stephens & Cornelius Jones Jr. sing Can You Feel The Love Tonight from The Lion King

Michael McCormick sings What Kind of Man? from Curtains

Debra Monk sings It’s a Business from Curtains

Kerry Butler & Curtis Holbrook from Xanadu

Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa sing Witchy Woman from Xanadu

The audience in Bryant Park

New York 106.7 FM: Broadway in Bryant Park
Bryant Park: Broadway in Bryant Park
Monty Python’s Spamalot
The Lion King
Curtains
Xanadu
Bryant Park
Broadway.Com

Singing and Dancing in the Sunshine

It was lunchtime on sunny day and the crowd in downtown Brooklyn was being treated to a free open-air concert.

Schoolchildren from PS 27 in Red Hook and PS 276 in Canarsie gathered near the fountain in front of Borough Hall to sing and dance. Those on stage put their hearts into the performance, but the audience was a tiny bit distracted.

A bunch of kids from the surrounding neighborhood scampered away from the parents and babysitters who’d brought them out to enjoy the sunshine, began dancing in front of the stage, and effortlessly stole the show.

PS 27 Chorus at Borough Hall
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Dancers from PS 276 in Canarsie
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Chorus from PS 276 in Canarsie with fan
Originally uploaded by annulla.

The kids form a mosh pit
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Dancing to the music
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Tiny dancer
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Shall we dance?
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Dancing hand in hand
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Dancing cheek to cheek
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Inside Schools: P.S. 27 The Agnes Y. Humphrey School for Leadership
Inside Schools: P.S. 276 Louis Marshall School
Great Schools: P.S. 27 Agnes Y. Humphrey School
Great Schools: P.S. 276 Louis Marshall Elementary School
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz

DanceAfrica at 30

In early 1977 the New York-based Chuck Davis Dance Company staged a remarkable performance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Influenced by a recent trip to Nigeria, their show incorporated elements of both modern dance and African traditions.

The critics were captivated. New York Times noted that, “the dancers performed with spirit, good humor and the kind of exuberance with which the Davis company consistently manages to draw in its audience” conveying “the spirit as well as the steps of African dance.”

The success of the show at BAM inspired Davis to create a day-long celebration of music, dance and culture from — and inspired by — the nations of Africa. He called it DanceAfrica.

In the 30 years since that first performance, DanceAfrica has become an annual Memorial Day weekend tradition. Now a three-day festival, the event includes performances, classes and films as well as a sprawling outdoor African Village Bazaar where vendors from around the world fill the streets surrounding BAM with movement, music and color.

Baskets for sale
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Masks for sale
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Men examining African crafts
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Friends
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Three old friends
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Dancers with son
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Men with jewelry & shades
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Woman Examining Rack of Dresses
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Man with red scarf
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Man with gold chain
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Drummer
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Mother & daughter
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Boy selling t-shirt
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Couple
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Dancing in the street
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Woman shopping
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Man with flag
Originally uploaded by annulla.

BAM: 30 Years of DanceAfrica
Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble
NY Times: African Energy Celebrated Ebulliently and Symbolically
NY Times: Dance Review - African Pieces by Chuck Davis (02/27/77)
Wikipedia: DanceAfrica
Wikipedia: Brooklyn Academy of Music

The Dance-In Drive-In Movie

Drive-in theaters are the product of a time and place (America in the early 20th century) where land and gasoline were plentiful and cheap. Uniting two national passions — cars and movies — thousands of drive-in theaters operated across the country during the 1950s and 1960s.

Today, they are rapidly disappearing from the landscape and in New York City (which has the lowest rate of private automobile ownership and highest real estate prices in the U.S.) there are none at all.

But this week, the Tribeca Film Festival recreated the drive-in experience in Lower Manhattan. Today a large screen, loudspeakers and rows of chairs were erected in the cove behind the World Financial Center for an event called the “Tribeca Drive-In.”

Early arrivals received free popcorn, candy, drinks and seat cushions and settled in for a special screening of Planet B-Boy. The film is a new documentary about Battle Of The Year, a world-wide break-dance competition held annually in Germany.

The evening’s program began when Fab 5 Freddy, the former host of Yo! MTV Raps (who is now known as the grandfather of the New York hip-hop scene), welcomed the crowd. He explained that “B-Boy” stands for, variously, “Break-Boy,” “Beat-Boy” or “Bronx-Boy,” and is the preferred term for those who practice this form of dancing.

He went on to introduce Ken Swift, one of the original members of the fabled Rock Steady Crew, who demonstrated “classic” break-dancing moves and gave lessons to audience members. Other live performers included the Persuaders, the Beatbox Orchestra, Knucklehead Zoo, Toni Blackman and the Drifters (a team of B-Boys from Korea).

By the time the sky was dark enough for the main attraction, the crowd that had gathered at the “Drive-In” was overflowing and enraptured. Even when it began to rain, the crowd stayed in place to watch the film and, afterwards, to give director Benson Lee a standing ovation.

Fab 5 Freddy
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Ken Swift
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Knucklehead Zoo
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Persuaders
Originally uploaded by annulla.

The Persuaders
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Beat Box Orchestra
Originally uploaded by annulla.

Planet B-Boy
MySpace: Planet B-Boy
Battle of the Year
Tribeca Drive In
Fab 5 Freddy
Rock Steady Crew
Ken Swift’s Breaklife
Knucklehead Zoo
Toni Blackman
The Persuaders
Google video: Drifters (Korea) v. Pokeman (France)
Wikipedia: Drive In
Wikipedia: Yo! MTV Raps
World Financial Center

Running Amok! Playing Amok! Clowning Amok!

Singing, dancing and playing, a group of musicians stood on the boardwalk enticing passersby to a live free show. The band, part of Circus Amok, led the crowd down Brooklyn’s West 10th Street to watch Citizenship: An Immigrant Rights Fantasia in 10 Short Acts.

Mixing acrobatics, juggling, twirling, clowning, jumping, dancing and general silliness with political messages, Cicus Amok has performed in New York City’s streets and parks since 1989.

The current one-ring show, emceed by a glamorous bearded lady named Jennifer Miller, includes a man escaping from a wire coat hanger, clowns tumbling out of a firetruck to save a baby from a burning building, enormous puppets representing the heads of Latin American states, construction workers riding synchronized pogo stick “jackhammers”, a quartet of spinning tea cups, George Bush and a trio of dancing goats.

Click the arrow above to view a video of Circus Amok

The band attracts passersby

The Ferocious Fernando number

Heroic Heads of State

The fire truck arrives

Help, my house is on fire!

Escaping from blue & yellow hanger

Bush’s Nightmare

Pas d’ Goats

Performer pile up

Master of ceremonies Jennifer Miller 

You Tube: Circus Amok

Circus Amok

Time Out New York: Juggler Vein

Step Right Up! See the Bearded Person!

Children of Uganda

Children of Uganda, a performing troupe that tours the world every two years, is currently appearing at the Joyce Theatre. The company is comprised of African children whose lives have been affected by AIDS; most are orphans and many have lost aunts, uncles, siblings and cousins, too.

While their mission — preserving the traditions and beliefs of their East African homeland — is serious, these talented performers sing, dance and play with unbridled energy, exuberance and joy. The youngest member of the company, 6 year old Miriam Namala, absolutely stole the show. Radiant, she dominates every scene in which she appears.

Unlike earlier tours, this season there is no discussion of AIDS or its affects on Uganda; that information is confined to the performers’ biographies in the Playbill and printed materials that are available in the lobby. This time, the focus is simply on songs, drums, and dance, dance, dance.

2006 Tour Poster 

Children of Uganda

New York Times review of Children of Uganda

Joyce Theatre

Children of Uganda Study Guide

Stretching on the Brooklyn Bridge

It was the perfect day for a leisurely walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. A bit past the halfway mark, near the bronze plaques commemorating the bridge’s construction, I came across members of The Silver Brown Dance Company - a small group who were rehearsing for a performance they’ll hold here tomorrow.

Walking towards Manhattan 

Midway across the East River, looking up 

Dancers stretching 

Warming up 

Preparing for rehearsal 

Reaching up 

Silver Brown Dance

Brooklyn Bridge Web Site

Brooklyn Bridge Web Cam

Brooklyn Bridge: American Icon

The Brooklyn Bridge in Harper’s Monthly, 1883