October 25, 2pm / $80

Imperial Theatre / 249 W 45th Street / 10036

billyelliotbroadway.com

For more than 20 years, the dancer-illusionists of MOMIX have been creating living art pieces under the guidance of Moses Pendleton. Five dramatically different shows use props, humor, music, and the human body to create surrealistic images of the everyday world around us, as well as the spiritual one which inspires us. Opus Cactus, Sun Flower Moon, and MOMIX in Orbit bring a desert landscape to the stage, create vignettes of light and shadow, and incorporate multimedia for a journey out of this world. Baseball evokes the essence of spirit created only by America’s pastime. Spirituality is explored and brought to life with the collaboration of Peter Gabriel and his powerful score in Passion. While performing at The Joyce Theater in Chelsea, this innovative Artistic Director and Choreographer discusses how these sensual and athletic moving sculptures continue to evolve.

www.mosespendleton.com

The Joyce Theater
175 8th Avenue, 10011

www.joyce.org

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From their first performance in 1958 at the 92nd Street Y to their current role as international ambassadors, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is known for its excellence and commitment to African American cultural expression. Now a mainstay in New York City culture, Alvin Ailey has performed for an estimated 21 million people in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents. They also offer a myriad of programs to delight and educate, which proves that dance isn’t reserved for the classically trained anymore. The Alvin Ailey Extension program gives anyone a chance to take classes that utilize fun techniques such as Samba and Capoeira. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater strives to give dance back to the community, both through invigorating classes and innovative performances.

Free Performances in New York City
* St. George Theatre (Staten Island) – Tuesday, August 5 – PERFORMANCE SOLD OUT (however, classes are available)

* Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture (Bronx) – Wednesday, August 6

* Celebrate Brooklyn – Thursday, August 7

* New York City Center (Manhattan) – Saturday, August 9

* Queens Theatre in the Park – Tuesday, August 12 – PERFORMANCE SOLD OUT (however, classes are available)

Visit the link below for more information about performances and classes.

Have you seen a good performance lately?

Post a comment below and tell us where you go to experience NYC culture!

If you are involved in or are a fan of dance, you can get an inside look at the lives of these dedicated and astounding artists on The Winger. This blog was created by Kristin Sloan as a way to bring the dance community together, as well as to allow them to connect with the audience in a new way. After a series of hip injuries forced her to retire from her career as a ballet dancer, Kristin focused her interests in art, dance and technology and built a forum for dancers, choreographers, students, teachers, journalists and even medical professionals from all over the world. These contributors share their tales of training and performing, discuss performances they have seen, and talk about what their day to day lives are like. Kristin’s goal is to encourage a dialogue that promotes dance as an artform and a lifestyle.

Kristin joined the New York City Ballet after leaving her native Boston and traveling the world studying ballet. We asked her about what life in NYC is like for her.

What brought you to New York?
I left Boston when I was 14 to come to New York and attend the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet. I lived in their dormitory at Lincoln Center (also in the same building as the Juilliard dorms) with some other budding ballerinas, and moved into my own apartment – with my parents’ help – a few years later. From the very first time I visited New York I knew I wanted to live here someday, but I had no idea I’d luck out and it would be so early on. Lincoln Center is a mecca for the performing arts, so to actually get to live and study there was a dream. I ended up performing there for many years as a dancer with the New York City Ballet. Now, 12 years later, I live downtown but still get to go there every day for my job as Director of New Media for NYCB.

What do you love about living in New York?
This sounds cliche, but there really is a special energy here… this feeling that if something new and interesting is happening, it’s happening here. Even when you go on vacation for a week, there are new things when you come back. Things are always changing, moving, and evolving. It’s a fun challenge trying to keep up, and even more fun trying to drive some of that change. New York is a living, breathing organism.

What do you think makes a New Yorker?
I think being a New Yorker involves constantly being aware of your surroundings – whether it’s watching your back while walking down the street, trying to find the fastest route from A to B, or trying to take in and absorb all the incredible sites, sounds, and personalities. You’re always dealing with sensory overload – perhaps that’s why people here move so quickly, constantly moving on to the next new thing so we can experience as much as possible and stay ahead of any trouble.

What surprises you about New York or New Yorkers?
The diversity. It’s not so much a surprise as it is an amazing feat – that so many people from all walks of life can live in relative harmony in 5 small boroughs. New York attracts and supports any and everybody, and it’s something that makes the city as a whole feel so rich, vibrant, and full of potential.

When you leave New York, what do you miss the most?
I miss that feeling of knowing you’re in the middle of it all. So much is right at your fingertips – some of the best art and culture… and the corner bodega.

Do you know any tricks or insider info?
That would take the fun out! There’s a sense of ownership gained in the things you discover on your own – and there’s almost always an interesting story involved.

Tell us about your blog… what is the premise, what are your main coverage areas, how did you get started?
I first started mobile photo-blogging (sending photos directly from my cell phone to a blog) in 2004, because I’m really into technology and was fascinated that such a thing was possible. After a few months I realized that instead of taking random pictures throughout the city, it might be interesting to turn the camera on my profession – on my daily life as a ballet dancer for the New York City Ballet. Friends were always confused about what it was I did all day, and I personally think the process and creation of art (as well as the artists) is as interesting as the final product, so I started The Winger. My boyfriend who has a branding and design company came up with the name and created a logo and basic design for me early on. Since then, the site has grown to include over 30 contributors from around the world, all sharing their personal stories, opinions, and process. There are dancers, choreographers, teachers, students, physicists, doctors… they all effect the dance world every day, and now have a means of communicating with their audiences as well as with each other.

Best corny tourist attraction that you secretly love?
The West Side Highway. I don’t think it’s really a tourist attraction on its own, but I think it could be. When I used to come back to the city from Boston, we’d drive down the Henry Hudson/West Side highway and it always meant that I was back! Nowadays, I commute on my motorcycle from Downtown to Lincoln Center, and when it’s a beautiful clear day, the “sea” air is breezing past, and the sun is on your face, you really can’t beat it. It’s one of my favorite things.

Best neighborhood bar?
I like the little bar attached to Supper for wine, Spitzer’s for beer, and Loreley for Baerenjaeger martinis and fried Camembert. Palais Royale has a great jukebox. They’re all comfortable and low-key enough that it’s easy to talk to your friends.

Best late night joint?
Marshall Stack for drinks, and Lil’ Frankies for food when it’s 1:00am and you realize you forgot to eat dinner. We often work late, so that happens a lot.

Last cultural thing that you did (movie, museum, theatre, etc…)?
Last night we went to our friend Amelie Chabannes’ art opening at Luxe Gallery. Today we spent $40 on ingredients to make lunch – a different, but classic, NYC cultural experience.

Best fancy schmancy restaurant?
Anywhere with a great steak.

Best place to meet members of the opposite sex?
Probably not the ballet, unfortunately.

Best place to hear live music?
Carnegie Hall, Bowery Ballroom, Mercury Lounge, 55 bar…
Music has always been a huge inspiration to me. I had a period of about 3 and a half years that I was injured and unable to dance, and to fill that void I would go to hear live music as often as I could. New York provides such a wide variety of musical experiences of the highest caliber.

Best place to watch a dance performance?
Lincoln Center or Cedar Lake’s performance space in Chelsea. It’s intimate and puts you at eye level with the dancers which I think is a really interesting perspective, probably for both the audience and the dancers.

www.thewinger.com

There is nothing like the feeling of sitting in a dark theater and getting swept away in the emotion and drama on the big screen. Throw in a big, bright, frenetic dance number and you’ve got an experience you won’t soon forget. These sequences are the very unique calling card of Bollywood films. Pooja Narang wants everyone to enjoy this style of dance, which helps make the Indian film industry the largest in the world. She started Bollywood Axion in 2003 to teach Bollywood moves – as well as Bhangra, Garba, and Raas dances. These mixtures of traditional Indian dance – along with jazz, hip hop, salsa and ballet influences – get your whole body moving. For Pooja, choreographing and teaching is her calling. She says, “It’s the only way I can contribute and spread my love for the music and dance of the Indian Cinema.” The studio in 10018 offers classes for absolute beginners and experienced dancers, and features an in-house dance troupe called BAX Dance Company. Whether you’re in for a new, fun workout, want to look like an expert dancing at an Indian wedding, or want to feel like a movie star, Bollywood is calling.

www.bollywoodaxion.com

The 92nd Street Y has been a bastion of culture for over 130 years. Supporting a wide array of performers, lecturers and exhibits, The 92nd Street Y brings people together. “It’s about people who entertain and challenge, inform and educate. It’s about people who learn and discover, observe and participate.”

In the beginning the Y was the Young Hebrew Association, serving young Jewish men within the surrounding community. Retaining the original principals of good fellowship and harmony, it has evolved into a world renowned center of cultural diversity, teachings and opportunities. One of their largest cultural events is the annual International Street Festival. Every September, New Yorkers swarm to the Upper Eastside for a taste of world traditions. It’s a cultural bazaar like none other. Whether you’re looking to whet your appetite, enlighten you mind, or listen to a master musician, chances are you’ll find something that fits the bill at The 92nd Street Y.

Find something that tickles your fancy at www.92y.org

1395 Lexington Ave., 10128

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Rincon Criollo Cultural Center has been an oasis of Puerto Rican, Latin and New York culture for over 25 years. This community garden found in the South Bronx serves as a gathering place, performance space, and celebration grounds open to anyone looking to experience or rejoice in the convergence of cultures. Rincon Criollo literally means Creole Corner and is one of the oldest community centers of its kind. One unique feature is the casitas, replicas of wooden houses that would traditionally be found in the countryside of old Puerto Rico. Perhaps the largest part of the Rincon Criollo experience is the music. Featuring Bomba and Plena, the music of Puerto Rico’s working class, the beats are infectious and dance parties are a common occurrence.

Yerbabuena, a mainstay at Rincon Criollo, plays soul infused music that has been called a cross between a jam in the park, a spiritual ceremony, and a family reunion. “The main thing we bring is a way for the audience to connect with themselves through something we’re sharing with them that’s already there,” explains band leader Tato Torres. The interactive Boricua roots music is loved at the Rincon Criollo Center and the feeling is obviously mutual. “In a way, the whole place is a shrine to who we are and where we’re from,” says Torres. Vibrant and alive with energy, Rincon Criollo is “a non-profit institution, garden and community spot where people come to breath culture that is not for sale.”

157th Street and Brook Avenue, 10451