Born in Cecina, Italy, to Nigerian parents, Nnamdi Nwagwu doesn’t remember a time when dance wasn’t part of his life. Dance was always present in his family home, and after a short, unsuccessful stint with basketball, he began formal training at 6. At 13, he received a scholarship to study at Professione Danza Parma in […]
The story took flight with a chance encounter at the 60th Street post office in Manhattan. It was the mid-’90s and Denise Jefferson, then head of The Ailey School, and Edward Bristow, then dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center, would often bump into each other in the neighborhood. At that point, both schools were […]
For years, young dancers fresh out of high school who wanted to continue their training were faced with a choice: Join a trainee program or enroll as a dance major at a four-year university. Nowadays, the options are vast, ranging from one-year postgraduate training programs and second company positions to unique partnerships between lauded dance […]
With effortless extensions, sky-high leaps, and equal parts elegance and strength, Ailey II company member Caroline Theodora Dartey is impossible to miss onstage. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Dartey actually started out training in rhythmic gymnastics, where she earned both national and international titles. She later took up dance, training at the Conservatoire Populaire de Musique, […]
While I’ve trained in many dance styles (including ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop and Indian dance), my new love is Zumba! This Latin and international dance-inspired fitness program incorporates easy-to-follow choreography to get your heart rate up with intense exercises to keep your muscles working. This weekend I was licensed to teach Zumba, which will […]
Late night goofball Conan O’Brien has brought his “Conan” hijinks to NYC this week, to the delight of all New Yawk peeps. Though he’s in town a tad too early to enjoy Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater‘s fall season (it kicks off November 30 at New York City Center), O’Brien decided to get his Ailey […]
I will never stop wanting to hear about even the littlest, most mundane details of dancers’ lives. I mean, let’s be honest: We all have our stalker-y tendencies. But while my friends get their celebrity dirt from Us and People, I read dance companies’ Facebook pages and scour dancers’ Instagram feeds. They’re my celebrities, and […]
The dance world lost one of its pillars this summer with the passing of Denise Jefferson, The Ailey School’s director. Following a performance career with Pearl Lang Dance Company, Jefferson began teaching at The Ailey School in 1974. A decade later, Alvin Ailey appointed her director. During her 26 years at the helm, Jefferson (affectionately […]