Satellite Collective presents Dig Dance

SATELLITE COLLECTIVE

presented

DIG DANCE

Performed at 92Y Harkness Dance Center, Home of Dance Education Laboratory, NYC

June 10-12, 2016

still from "Gran Jericho"
directed by Lora Robertson
presented by Satellite Collective
92Y; Dig Dance

Artistic Director Kevin Draper gave a lovely introduction of the various genres of works to be performed by emerging artists from New York City Ballet and Juilliard and more seasoned artists who recently retired from Alvin Ailey. The program opened up with the spoken word, followed by four works of contemporary ballet, modern dance, a short film and a live string quartet. The multidisciplinary approach proved to be an interesting paradigm with some collaboration between the musicians and dancers.

The dancers were beautiful, the musicians talented, although the music was not for everyone's ears. The short film by Lora Robertson with the protagonist dancing around a steeple seemed a bit long. Satellite Collective brought the steeple physically to the space so it would have been more creative to have had the dancers dance around the real steeple as a surprise for the audience after the short film ended or during the short film.

The last dance was about kindred spirits or lovers who portrayed a relationship that was appreciated, then spurned with retreat, to turn back into the embrace of one another resembling a typical sequence to most types of relationships. Or was the story about the beginning, maturation, and death of a relationship, to be reborn again?

 Overall, the interdisciplinary program showcased new works but it needs fine tuning.

By

- Laura Thompson -

http://www.loralia.com   @LORALIA

Michael Feinstein, Sinatra Centennial Celebration

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College

Opened is 2015-16 season with

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN

Sinatra Centennial Celebration

October 25, 2015

with

TEDD FIRTH, Piano

and

SEAN SMITH, Bass

and

MARK McLEAN, Drums

 

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN is a two-time EmmyÒ and five-time GrammyÒ Award-nominated singer/pianist known as "The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook". This multi-platinum-selling entertainer opened Brooklyn Center's 61st season with a tribute to Ol' Blue Eyes in celebration of what would have been Frank Sinatra's upcoming 100th birthday on December 12th.

Feinstein's impeccable interpretive skills were brought to the greatest tunes sung by Sinatra in the 20th century. TED FIRTH did an outstanding job playing the piano accompanied by SEAN SMITH on Bass and MARK McLEAN on Drums. Feinstein having once met Sinatra sang some of the family's favorite songs as well as songs from Sinatra's preferred composers and lyricists, along with a commentary about the back story of many of the songwriters who wrote for Sinatra which proved very interesting.

Mid-way through, Feinstein spoke about the Great American Songbook Foundation that he founded dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, Master Classes, and the annual High School Songbook Academy. As a delightful surprise, he introduced the winner of the 2010 Great American Songbook Academy, ANNIE YOKOM who sang and performed brilliantly by herself with the trio of musicians and earned laudable applause.

Feinstein returned to the stage and finished with a swinging Sinatra medley, a real crowd pleaser, including "I've Got You Under My Skin, Witchcraft, and ending with New York, New York" but of course, a grand tribute to a great city! 

Overall, it was a wonderful rendition to Sinatra and Feinstein put together a great song selection that turned out to be a nice ode to Ol' Blues Eyes' career with some video footage as a backdrop. 

For more information about the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College

2015-16 season, please visit www.BrooklynCenter.org. 

By

Laura Thompson

www.loralia.com

Medley Song

A tale of two cities: New York and Paris are my favorite cities in the world from the point of view of culture, cuisine, art, architecture + design and the sheer sensation of fun of discovering each city by foot. Dickens, Charles Dickens wrote about London and Paris, although he did visit America. Dickens is an author I emulate and perhaps I was his muse in Paris, if you believe in reincarnation.

Speaking about reincarnation, Michael Feinstein is a firm believer. He states his belief in front of Broadway audiences from all over the world in his performance with Dame Edna in All About Me. It’s a charming musical and an ode to Ira Gershwin and the great American songbook. In the end, the story is really about us which brings me to the theme of love.

Love is the oldest love story in the world and what better love story is there than Romeo & Juliette written by Shakespeare. Recently, I saw a musical adaptation of this famous love story at Le Palais des Congres in Paris by Gerard Presgurvic. It was powerful and energetic with exquisite vocals accompanied by modern dance and ballet. It’s the best version I’ve yet to see and highly recommend it.

Back in New York, I saw the classic fairytale of Sleeping Beauty performed by the American Ballet at The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. We all dream of finding our Prince. In fairytales, it’s happily ever after. In Shakespeare’s reality, it’s true love found that ends tragically but ultimately unites families or rivals; therefore, bittersweet. Hopefully, for most of us, we fall in the middle. We fall-in-love with our dream partner but realize we have to work at the relationship with excellent communication skills and continue to grow in loving ways and fun along the way, too.

Love is beautiful but life can be like a comedy. Once again, I saw a vaudeville performance at Maxim’s in Paris. The famed restaurant now houses a tiny theatre. Lots of laughs with Parisian humor about love triangles, family members, neighbors and lots of misunderstandings. Return to New York, I watch a comedic opera La Fille du Regiment, a story about star-crossed lovers but actually turned out on a good note with magnificent singing, operatic voices and performances. Both were love stories with comic twists. It’s good to be reminded to see the lighter side of life.

For one whole week, I decided to not take life so seriously, and it was a glorious high. Since then, I’ve crashed landed but shall try to live my life in balance between the highs and lows and between New York and Paris, my beloved cities.

Happy Spring!

Valerie Capers at The Pen and Brush

On June 28th, in celebration of Black Music month, The Pen and Brush bestowed Dr. Valerie Capers with a Life Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding career as a composer, pianist and educator. Before the official ceremony, there was a live jazz performance given by Dr. Valerie Capers playing the piano, along with her ensemble featuring John Robinson on bass and Rudy Lawless on drums.

Friends of the trio, The Pen and Brush and jazz enthusiasts moved their bodies in rhythm to the beats and sounds and applauded with enthusiasm at the end of each song. The ensemble was a joy to listen to and it was suggested that The Pen and Brush host more “Jazz on Sundays.” For more information about The Pen and Brush, please visit: http://www.penandbrush.org/

After the performance, Dr. Capers was given her award by Rashidah Ismaili, a Pen and Brush board member. Dr. Capers graciously accepted this honor and happily chatted with her fans afterwards.

A brief history of Dr. Capers follows:

Dr. Valerie Capers was born in the Bronx and received her early schooling at the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind. She went on to obtain both her bachelor's and master's degrees from The Juilliard School of Music. She served on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music, and from 1987 to 1995 was chair of the Department of Music and Art at Bronx Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY), where she is now professor emeritus.

Dr. Capers has been awarded many honorary doctorates from various prestigious universities and colleges for her impressive work as an innovative educator. She has also received many awards and commissions, including the National Endowment for the Arts, a special-projects grant to present a jazz series at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, Meet the Composer, the CUNY Research Foundation, the Smithsonian and The Fund for Artists of Arts International.

Throughout her performing career, she has appeared on numerous radio and television shows and has also performed with a roster of renowned artists, such as, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Ray Brown, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, Slide Hampton, Max Roach, James Moody and Paquito D'Rivera.

With her ensemble, she played at concert halls and jazz festivals around the world: International Grande Parade du Jazz Festival in Nice, France; the Martin Luther King Festival in Ottawa, Ontario; the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague; the Monterey Jazz Festival; the Salzburg Global Seminar, Salzburg, Austria; the World-Wide Plaza Summer Festival New York City; and, the opening concert for the Women in Jazz Festival for Jazz at Lincoln Center at Dizzy's Coca-Cola Club in New York City. The extent of her musical performances has been enjoyed by many people around the world.

As a composer, three of Dr. Capers' most noted compositions are Sing About Love, the critically acclaimed Christmas cantata produced by George Wein at Carnegie Hall; Sojourner, an operatorio based on the life of Sojourner Truth, performed and staged by the Opera Ebony Company of New York; and Song of the Seasons, a song cycle for voice, piano and cello (which has been recorded several times) was both commissioned by the Smithsonian Institute and premiered in Washington, D.C., at the invitation of the Smithsonian, and recently performed at Weill Recital Hall in New York City.

Dr. Capers was the first recipient of Essence magazine's "Women of Essence Award for Music," where she was in the elite company of fellow honorees Oprah Winfrey and Marla Gibbs.

For those of you who love her music, she has recorded five albums: Portrait of Soul (Atlantic, 1966), Affirmation (KMA Arts, 1982), Come On Home (Columbia/Sony, 1995), Wagner Takes the 'A' Train (Elysium, 1999), Limited Edition (VALCAP Records, 2001, and is currently in production for a new CD to be released in 2009.

If you ever get a chance to see Valerie Caper and her ensemble perform, I’d highly recommend it; especially, if you love jazz.

Katya Grineva at Carnegie Hall

On June 12, 2009, Katya Grineva, Moscow-born pianist, graced the stage at Carnegie Hall for the 11th year and played a selection of romantic, solo piano pieces in honor of Adi Da Samraj who was a renowned writer, artist and spiritual teacher.

Her diversified program of music focused on some of her favorite romantic composers, including Chopin, Liszt and Schumann as well as Satie’s First Gymnopedie, Debussy’s Clair de Lune and Ravel’s Bolero. Her mastery of the piano and the subtlety and beauty of tone truly transported the audience to a state of bliss. The New York Times described her as “liquid…dreamlike.” One could feel that her music came from deep within her heart inspired by love. It was a magical evening with three encores and Katya was showered with bouquets of red roses at the end of her performance.

Not only does Katya play at concert halls and for presidents and dignitaries, but also for the impoverished and children around the world. She’s dedicated especially to exposing children to the beauty and benefits of classical music. As a result, there were many children of all ages at this concert and from looking at their facial expressions; they seemed to be enraptured by her music. It was delightful to see so many children present.

In summary of her achievements, Katya, a Steinway Artist, has been a soloist with the Acadiana Symphony, the ARS Nova Musicians Chamber Orchestra, the Manhattan Virtuosi Orchestra, the European Philharmonic Orchestra in France, the Guayaquil Symphonic Orchestra in Ecuador, and as a guest artist at Avery Fisher Hall. Her recitals have also captivated audiences at the Laurier Society in Paris and at the Salle Gaveau, one of Paris’s most prestigious concert halls. In addition to sharing her musical gift worldwide, she has been honored with many awards for her philanthropic efforts, most recently, with the Gusi Peace Prize awarded by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the President of the Philippines.

For further information about Katya Grineva, please visit her Web site: http://www.katyagrineva.com