Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
The Kinjaz serve up some smooth moves for a little Daily Dance action.
Choreographed by Pat Cruz, he’s joined in the clip by Vinh Nguyen and Bam Martin.
And yep, those dulcet tones are by Janet Jackson on ‘Got Til It’s Gone.’
(screen capture)American Dance Machine for the 21st Century has released its latest virtual video, “Cool” from West Side Story, performed by 10 talented dancers around New York City.
“Cool” was directed by Tony Award nominee Joshua Bergasse, with choreography by Jerome Robbins recreated by Robert La Fosse.
Bergasse has staged for ADM21 include “20th Century Fox Mambo” which Josh created for the hit NBC series “Smash,” and “The Great Lover” pas de deux for the 2014 revival of On The Town which was originally choreographed by Jerome Robbins, the revival for which Josh received his first Tony nomination.
Back in December, ADM21 released its first virtual video, “The Music and the Mirror” from A Chorus Line, performed by 27 singer/dancers coached by Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie.
Jamal Josef on The TODAY Show (screen capture)Jamal Josef, who helped choreograph part of Beyonce’s groundbreaking Coachella performance, is sharing his love of dance in a new children’s book called Black Boys Dance Too.
He recently spoke with The TODAY Show’s Sheinelle Jones to talk all about it and explain why it’s so personal to him.
You can check out the book over on Amazon.
You can find more of my Daily Dance posts here.
Ashkia ‘Kia’ Randy Trujillo (screen capture)This Navajo and Tewa man, Ashkia ‘Kia’ Randy Trujillo, spontaneously performed a traditional dance in celebration after learning of Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
The footage, captured by photojournalism student Sharon Chrischilly, went viral garnering over 5 million views on social media.
Trujillo told NBC News that the dance “tells of how a battle was won and how the evil was pushed away.”
His joy is infectious.
By the way, Trujillo cleared up some confusion some had about his red hat. It wasn’t a MAGA hat but a Chicago Bulls hat.
This Navajo and Tewa man spontaneously performed a traditional dance in celebration after learning of Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/4GOB2g8hgz
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) November 11, 2020
Just fyi I am new to Twitter and I didnt plan on ever having one but wasnt quite sure how to get a hold of @Schischillyy to give her thanks and props for capturing this moment. Words can not express how happy I am. I hope you feel the love everyone!
Aho! 🙏❤— Self Made Warrior (@SMWfromNM) November 8, 2020
(screen captures via Instagram)As we all head back to work after the holiday weekend, let’s remember to take a minute to dance every now and then.
Check out InstaHunk Dr. Curtis Fitzgerald serve up a little salsa as some sassy inspiration.
This guy can hit it.
When “WAP” comes on mid-workout…LOL
I love the dog running through in the middle.
@thefittestwizardThis should’ve stayed in my drafts🙈😂 ##gym ##wap ##summerworkout
Anthony Mmesoma Madu (screen capture via Leap of Dance Studio – Nigeria)Back in June, I shared a short clip of 11-year-old Anthony Mmesoma Madu (above) practicing ballet on a muddy street in his town of Lagos, Nigeria.
After his dance in the rain went viral, Madu is now training with the American Ballet Theatre online and has been offered a scholarship to study with the acclaimed ballet company in the U.S. next year.
#SoManyPossibilities
After his dance in the rain captured the eyes of millions, this 11-year-old Nigerian boy has earned a scholarship to study ballet in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/9SgFBxdE15
— AJ+ (@ajplus) August 11, 2020
2020 Virtual Fire Island Dance Festival (photo: Scott Shaw Photography)What to watch tonight? Check this out 🙂
The charitable event of the Fire Island summer goes digital when the Virtual Fire Island Dance Festival streams an evening of celebrated dance at 7 pm Eastern on July 17, 2020.
The first-ever stream in the event’s 26-year history will feature world premieres of three new pieces and three beloved festival favorites. The festival is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Last year’s event – held on July 19-21 – raised a record-shattering $657,842 over three days.
The player below will go live as the stream begins, or you can click here to watch directly on YouTube.
This year’s virtual festival will include world premieres by modern tap dancer Ayodele Casel, one of The New York Times’ “Biggest Breakout Stars of 2019”; KEIGWIN + COMPANY Artistic Director Larry Kiegwin; and Stephen Petronio, artistic director of Stephen Petronio Company.
The stream also will feature past festival performances by Emmy Award nominee Al Blackstone; MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellow Kyle Abraham and acclaimed dancer and choreographer Garrett Smith.
“Although we can’t gather together in The Pines, we’re thrilled to be able to invite our community to enjoy world-class dance performances online through the Virtual Fire Island Dance Festival,” said Denise Roberts Hurlin, founding director of Dancers Responding to AIDS.
While the stream is free, should you feel ‘moved’ to do so (see what I did there?), any donation large or small is definitely appreciated.
You can check out highlights from last year’s event below.
Broadway actor Adam Perry backstage at Frozen (image via Instagram)Adam Perry, who’s appeared in numerous Broadway shows (Frozen, Rocky, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Anything Goes, Promises, Promises, A Chorus Line, Wicked) shared his ongoing journey with the coronavirus having lived with symptoms now for over 100 days.
For months now, the myth of the coronavirus has been that it “only affects the elderly.”
But Perry, who has been in peak physical condition for years thanks to dancing on Broadway and hitting the gym regularly, says his experience with COVID-19 has been “terrifying.”
“There is nothing like the feeling of not being able to breathe,” he told CNN’s Kate Bolduan on Erin Burnett OutFront.
A Broadway actor says he’s still feeling the effects of Covid-19 after contracting the virus in March.
“There’s nothing like the feeling of not being able to breathe. … I would feel better for a few days, and then it would come and smack me again.” https://t.co/HOEHHuGJdy pic.twitter.com/WgbobpGh4b
— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) July 3, 2020
Since testing positive for the virus on March 17, Perry says his ongoing symptoms start with a cough and then develop into tightness in his chest.
Even more disconcerting, every time the veteran Broadway performer thinks he’s beaten the disease, his symptoms return.
“I would feel better for a few days and then it would just come and smack me again,” Perry said. “I had two days of symptoms and then felt like a million bucks for three days. So I thought I was off the hook, thought I beat it, but then it came back with a vengeance.”
A serious concern for Perry today is struggling with his ‘new normal.’
Adam Perry (center) in Broadway Bares in 2017 (image via Instagram)“I have been doing eight shows a week for 15 to 20 years,” he said. “Now the capacity is not the same. I am just praying daily that it will get back to normal and I will be able to do things again.”
The 39-year-old actor shared on his Facebook page that watching the news of new COVID-19 cases surging across the country left him in tears.
“I cried watching the news tonight,” wrote Perry. “Cases are spiking. The president makes jokes about coronavirus. People shame others for wearing masks. The country is making it a partisan issue.”
Perry urged viewers to “come together, wear a mask, socially distance for as long as we can until there’s a vaccine because this thing has an infinite variable of outcomes for people.” He added that, in his view, there’s “a short term, long term, and ‘we just don’t know,’ so it’s just really important that people take care of each other.”
He added, “I just really don’t want other people to have to experience what I experienced.”
Watch Perry’s recent appearance on CNN above along with just a few posts from his Instagram account showing how fit the Broadway veteran has stayed over the years.
From the Instagram account of the Leap of Dance Academy in Nigeria, a vocational ballet school that is dedicated to providing quality ballet education to indigenous students and young artists.
“With very little or no resources our kids are training to be the best they can,” reads the caption in part. “This is not to bring down anyone but to show their high level of dedication and commitment to our program.”
“Who wouldn’t be proud of them? What teacher wouldn’t pray for students who show/come to class with so much desire to learn? Kids who are ready to dance with or without conditions.”