Category Archives: NYC

Arts, NYC

Get Ready for Shoot Your Close Up

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On September 19th, The Tribeca Film Festival has opened submissions for next year’s festival, which will be held April 18 to April 29.  Currently they are accepting submissions for narrative and documentary features as well as short film entries.

Below are the submission deadlines:

October 28, 2011 (6pm EST, postmark)
Early entry deadline for Features and Shorts

December 2, 2011 (6pm EST, postmark)
Official deadline for then-complete Features and for ALL Shorts

January 6, 2012 (6pm EST, arrive by)
Late deadline for Features completed after the Official Entry deadline

The Tribeca Film Festival is looking for the next Woody Allen, Scorsese, Spike Lee or Kenneth Branagh to showcase their talent at NYC’s premiere film event.  The next great Big Apple film may be resting in the annals of your mind, so get that camera out and submit your movie.

To learn more about The Tribeca Film Festival and its submission details, click

http://www.tribecafilm.com/news-features/2012_Tribeca_Film_Festival_Submissions_Now_Open.html

Music, NYC

The Reemergence of The Night Queen

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If Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary featured a photo for the colloquialism “Renaissance Woman,” then Yejide The Night Queen’s picture would prominently be placed underneath showing the indie hip-hop empress in the stoic stance she is known for.  This Brooklyn-born and bred artist is not only famous for dropping conscious rhymes on the frontal lobes of those thirsty for creativity, she is also a dancer, photographer, paralegal, mother and grandmother.  In the underground house music scene, she is a living legend.  A fixture at clubs such as Sound Factory Bar, Afterlife and Club Shelter, Yejide has been an active member of the New York City house scene for over 20 years chronicling its evolution through photos and gaining respect on the dance floor for her mastery of multiple dance styles.

In 2001, Yejide released Seventh, her first full length CD.  In 2006, she released The Smokey Chronicles, a collaboration of unreleased tunes, in-studio bloopers and seven-inch dub plates dating from 1997 to 1999. The Night Queen has also been a featured vocalist on several projects from 2002 to 2009.  Currently, this Lyricist Lounge and Knitting Factory all-star is in the studio completing her second full length CD; the release date is tentatively set for winter 2011/2012.  To give fans an early treat, The Night Queen has released a video for the single “Half,” a potent diatribe about self-empowerment and manifesting one’s own destiny in an industry known for being shady.

Discovering Yejide’s insightful, informative and expressive lyrics is a hip-hop head’s equivalent to unearthing rare gems.  The force that is The Night Queen harkens back to an era where being an individual, having a flow and ability to spit comprehensive bars were more important than following the hip-hop industry’s “How To” guide on building a rap brand.

And without further ado FAMERS, here is Yejide’s video for “Half,” enjoy!

To follow and learn more about Yejide The Night Queen, click the following links,

http://www.facebook.com/yejide7

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/yejide

http://www.myspace.com/yejidethenightqueen

http://www.soundcloud.com/UmYejide

Photos courtesy of Yejide

 

 

 

NYC

F.A.M.E NYC Remembers 9/11 10 Years Later

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Rarely in modern history has the enormity of an event made the entire world pause, witness history unfold and realize that the paradigms of society have shifted.  No one with the ability to recall memories will ever forget where they were on September 11, 2001.  Like most Americans, I read about the attack on Pearl Harbor and thought an incident like that would never happen in this country again.  Sure, I had grown up in the dawning of the age of terrorism – viewed bombings and other attacks happen on the nightly news as if I was watching a scene from a movie.   “Those were other countries,” I thought, “They would never try anything like that here.”   I willingly shrouded myself with a tapestry of naiveté and overconfidence. 

On the morning of September 11, 2001 I, like most Americans, were on my way to work.  While driving to my job, I listened to the Star and Buckwild Show on Hot 97, as I did every morning.  As I pulled up to my building, I heard Star say that a plane flew into one of the World Trade Center towers.  Immediately, I thought it was an obscene joke, but when I arrived at the floor of my office, others had heard the news too.  Most of us assumed it was a single engine plane that somehow went off-course.  We went to the window, looked at the picture perfect blue sky and Manhattan skyline and wondered how anyone could not see the Twin Towers.  Then we heard about the second tower being hit, then the Pentagon, then the downed airplane in Shanksville, PA, we even heard rumors that the Sears Tower in Chicago had been hit.  As we looked around, searching for a sense of normalcy in each other’s faces, one single thought resonated through our minds – this is real.  America was under siege, and worst of all, the attackers were using our commercial airplanes to complete their mission of horror.

I and other members of the company raced to the media room; helplessly and frantically we watched as the Twin Towers smoldered and reports came through that people were jumping from the towers.  Then gaps and screams crowded the room as the South Tower disintegrated before our eyes.  The screams became louder as the North Tower fell.  We watched the gargantuan plume of smoke that once was the mighty World Trade Center towers engulf the area with an eerie shade of gray as people ran to escape it.  We hugged and cried trying to find solace.  We pressed our faces against the window watching the cloud of death rise into the blue atmosphere.  Suddenly terror came to our building – a bomb threat was called in.  After all we had witnessed, there was no way we were going to have an orderly evacuation.  We ran as if our lives depended on it.  No one was taking any chances, the sky had literally fallen like an old children’s fable, and danger was thick and palpable.    We poured out into the parking lot, shaken and frighten like abandoned children. How could this happen so quickly?  Who would do this to us? Why would anyone target civilians?  Questions that lingered in the backs of our minds that soon would be answered, but at that moment, all any of us wanted was to go home and be with our loved ones. 

Upon arriving home, I crawled on my bed and watched as the first responders signals beeped (the echoes of those beeps still haunt me).  I knew each beep was a life begging to be saved and my heart broke as the beeps began to fade.  My boyfriend, my parents and I watched as 7 World Trade Center fell.  The next day, we returned to work like zombies.  My company, a telecommunications company, needed volunteers to help hand out cell phones.  I volunteered; I had to do something.  The days, weeks and months following that tragic day was a haze.  Everyday there were funerals on the news.  A co-worker, whose husband worked at Cantor Fitzgerald, had died.  The streets were littered with flyers of missing people.  Walking in New York City at that time felt like we were muddling through a post-apocalyptic ghost land.

Within the first year after 9/11, emotions feverishly ran the gamut. The pendulum between anger and sadness swung back and forth as we learned more about the hijackers and their ties to Al-Qaeda.  The anger even was focused toward our government as people murmured about conspiracy theories.  Now, 10 years has passed.  Sometimes the memories are foggy; sometimes they are as vibrant as they were on the day it happened.  Bracelets and signs stating, “We will never forget,” are everywhere.  The 9/11 memorial has officially been opened, but even before that, I believe each of us carried a tribute in our hearts.  Life has carried on, but we will never be the same.  We will never forget what the World Trade Center was before that day.  We will never forget the lives of the people that died.  We will never forget the fire fighters, police, EMS and other first responders that tried to save lives and gave their life in the process.  We will never forget the freedom fighters of Shanksville, PA.   We will never forget our soldiers that gave the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan.  We will never forget the families that must carry on without their loved ones.

Ten years since 9/11, soon it will be 20, 30 and beyond.  I have read about September 11, 2001 in my niece’s and nephew’s history books as if it was Pearl Harbor.  I have always had a love for New York City, and the events of 9/11 only increased that love.  When I conceived the idea for F.A.M.E NYC, I know in the back of my mind that part of the reason I did so was because of 9/11.  Ten years later, New York City still stands strong and as long as I can, I will always report about the city I love and revolve in.

 

 

 

 

Slide show courtesy F.A.M.E NYC Editor

 

Arts, NYC, Theatre

Broadway Sheds Its Prices for Fall

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The sun-filled days, the crisp in the air at night, the Caribbean Day parade on Labor Day, the makeover of Lincoln Center for Fashion Week – all signs that fall is fast approaching.  With the impeding10th anniversary of 9/11 reminding New Yorkers of how resilient we are and how much we have overcome since that tragic day, Broadway brings discounts center stage. 

After the events of September 11, 2001, Broadway as well as other businesses in the theatre district suffered huge losses in sales.  In response, Seasons of Savings was created in January 2002 to entice theatergoers to go back to The Great White Way.  The special edition Playbill is published twice a year, and is called the unofficial “New York Theatergoer’s Guide to Times Square.”  

Seasons of Savings features discount coupons with savings codes for various Broadway and Off-Broadway shows as well as restaurants, hotels and other Big Apple attractions.  On August 29, Serino Coyne, Broadway’s largest advertising agency, hosted an event at Tony’s Dinapoli, located at 147 West 43rd Street, to introduce this year’s coupon booklet.  Tony’s Dinapoli is a family style restaurant located in the heart of the theatre district.  It is famous for its scrumptious Italian cuisine and great relationship with Broadway.  This year’s booklet offers discounts to Memphis, Mary Poppins, Godspell, Chinglish, The Adams Family, Catch Me If You Can, Circle Line and more.  Seasons of Savings makes Broadway more affordable and provides an opportunity for more people to fall in love with the theatre.  Tis the season to save, I encourage all FAMERS to take advantage. 

To learn more about Seasons of Savings and its discounts, click http://seasonofsavings.com/, and join their mailing list.

 

Music, NYC

F.A.M.E NYC Remembers Nick Ashford

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“Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” – a 1968 single released by Motown, sung by the incomparable Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.  For me this title is more than just a name to a classic song, it sums up my feelings for Nick Ashford.  On August 22, Nickolas Ashford lost his battle with throat cancer.  News of his death sent tremors throughout the music and dance communities that were stronger than the earthquake that made New York City the day after his death was announced.  Nick Ashford was a recording artist and one half of one of the most dynamic songwriting duos in R&B and pop music history. 

As part of Ashford & Simpson, he and his wife, Valerie Simpson not only recorded some great disco and R&B classics, they also helped to pen the “Motown Sound” and define disco. Together they turned Diana Ross into The Boss, influenced Ray Charles to Go Get Stoned, made Chaka Kahn into Every Woman and created magic for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell that anyone living on a mountain high or valley low could feel.  When they lifted their voices in song, they were as Solid as titanium.

In a sense, New York City was the genesis of Ashford & Simpson; they met at Harlem’s White Rock Baptist Church in 1963.  The Big Apple was their home and along with their singing and songwriting careers, the duo was also DJs for Manhattan’s KISS-FM and opened Sugar Bar, located on 254 West 72nd Street, in 1996.  Their music kept the dance floors of New York City’s most memorable clubs and parties packed with sweaty souls all singing their lyrics word for word, hustling, moving and not missing a beat.

As a music lover, his passing affects me deeply, but I know that when I step on a dance floor and hear my favorite Ashford &Simpson jam, “It Seems to Hang On”, I know I will lose it as I always have.  I will bring my hands to my mouth, kiss the sky, hold my hands up high and give thanks that a star like Nick Ashford was allowed to burn for 70 years and left such luminous memories behind in the form of music and lyrics that will survive until the end of ages.  My deepest condolences go out to his wife Valerie Simpson and their two daughters.   Personally, I cannot fathom the loss of a true life partner – a husband, father and business partner.  I hope she will find solace in the knowledge that she and her husband provided a voice and helped contributed to the soundtrack of an era where music was still about artistry, not branding, and that millions of music lovers mourn with her.  Nick Ashford’s funeral is planned for tomorrow at Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church.  A repast is scheduled at Sugar Bar.

NYC

NYC Women’s Empowerment Summit Electrifies The Big Apple

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L-R Abby Ellin, Abiola Abrams, Valerie Smaldone, Alycia Kaback, Judith King, Pat Addiss, Laura Fredricks

The release of Beyonce’s “Run the World (Girls)” this April seemed to be a felicitous occurrence that conceivably set the tone for the summer’s activities; imagine my surprise when I was invited to cover The 1st Annual NYC Women’s Empowerment Summit, set to take place in the summer, a month later.  The brainchild of Alycia Kaback, a powerhouse and owner of six businesses including Kaback Models and VIP Talent Connect, the NYC Women’s Empowerment Summit is a comprehensive one-day event aimed at creating networking opportunities and bringing awareness to causes that are imperative to women.  Intimate, exclusive and extremely affordable, the summit was capped at 100 attendees and the proceeds from the $45.00 ticket price went to Make a Wish Foundation.

Alycia Kaback and Vivica A. Fox

 Summer weekends in Manhattan generally consist of trips to the Hampton’s for NYC’s social elite and Coney Island and Rockaway Beach for everyone else.  The humidity hit-parade smacks us with sweltering temperatures and tourists are allowed to take possession of the city.   Saturday is generally the day of the week to kick back, but on July 16 NYC was all about business.  As I walked to Bennett Media Studios, located on 723 Washington Street, I had no idea what to expect.  At the most I thought I would hand out a few business cards and gain more awareness for F.A.M.E NYC.  I had no suspicion of the reward that was waiting beyond the doors of this building.  The summit surpassed my greatest expectations.  Along with the chance to meet women from various professions, The NYC Women’s Empowerment Summit provided a rock star panel of guest speakers from a variety of business fields.  Each of these women injected the attendees with doses of hope, determination and lessons the audience could take with them as they conquer or change their career path.

 What first impressed me as I looked for an open chair was the wide range of

Fran Kirmser

women that were present.  Women representing diverse age groups and ethnicities (and even a few good men) eagerly found open seats in anticipation for the presentations from the speakers.  The summit began with a few words from Alycia Kaback then radio personality Valerie Smaldone took the mic.  A five-time Billboard Magazine Award winner and the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF) spokeswoman, Valerie recommended women to find the people around them that they wanted to connect to, be a maverick and back up their natural talents by furthering their education in their desired career.  Chelsea Krost, media personality and author of the book NINETEEN: A Reflection of My Teenage Experience in an Extraordinary Life. What I Have Learned and What I Have to Share, was the youngest speaker on the panel.  At 20, she is well on her way to becoming the voice for the Millennial Generation by bringing a new demographic to AM radio, covering President Obama’s Inauguration and documenting the aftermath of the deadly tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri.  Her heartfelt message stressed persistence, turning dreams into reality and that age should never be a factor in pursuing one’s dreams.  Chelsea’s exuberance served as an inspiration to the panel as most of the women following her chose to speak from the hearts as well.  Pat Addiss ran a promotions company for 30 years before switching careers to become a theatre producer.  She produced The Fantasticks, the longest running musical of all time.  By joking that the panel shifted from the youngest member its oldest, Pat reminded the attendees that it is alright to have more than one dream.  “If you find out your dream is not your calling…change,” she said.   

The subject of change flowed into the message of Fran Kirmser, the next speaker.  Fran’s theatre production company produced Lombardi, the longest running play of the 2010 season.  Starting out as a professional dancer, she like Pat also transitioned into another career, but her message was not about career changes.  Instead, she focused on attitude changes.  Women are conditioned to think of everyone else, especially when taking on the roles of wife and mother.  Fran advised women that it is okay to put self first and to make time for one’s passion, even if that passion is not business related.  The thread of self was woven into the uproarious commentary of Judith King.  She is the lead partner and co-principal of The Morris + King Company (MKC).  Through laughter Judith drove home the points of staying true to one’s self, being fearless without being reckless and losing the fear of failure.  Subsequently, she also may have discovered a new career path as a stand up comic. 

Innovation was the theme for speakers Sibrena Stowe, Gala Darlin and Vikki

Valerie Smaldone, Sibrena Stowe, Judith King, Gala Darlin

Ziegler.  Sibrena, having virtually no experience, became one of the leading media buyers in the urban music market working with Jive Records, Kedar Entertainment and Universal Music.  She is the founder of La Chic Media and a proud mother.  In fact, one of her career goals was to do something her daughter could be proud of.  Along with having pride in one’s work, Sibrena emphasized the importance of associating with positive people, visualizing goals and learning new things.  Gala Darlin’s unique approach to blogging, fashion and the power of practicing radical self-love has given her a cult following.   Creating a strong, identifiable brand from scratch, she did so by having faith and the desire to write and work for herself.  Gala’s distinct methodology for life also resonated in her speech suggesting that audience members write down every compliment, start a bible filled with feel good paraphernalia and occasionally take yourself on a date.  A child of divorce, Vikki Ziegler transformed a painful chapter in her life into a lucrative career.  Although she has carved a niche as a successful divorce lawyer and television personality, Vikki also offers her wisdom to help couples overcome their issues and stay in their marriages.  She shared with the audience one of her favorite quotes, “God’s delays are not God’s denials.”  She also stressed the significance of knowing your worth and learning from personal experiences.

Prevailing over one’s shadow presented itself as the motif for Abiola Abrams,

Abiola Abrams

Lubna Dajani and Wendi Caplan-Carroll.  Abiola is the go to girl when it comes to sex, love, dating, lifestyle and pop culture news.  She is BBC Radio’s Entertainment Correspondent, blogger and editor of Abiola’s Passionista Playbook and host/producer of her own award-winning web series.  Abiola’s message was, “How we do anything is how we do everything.”   Her spirited speech specified the need to let go of old excuses, take risks and trust.  Lubna Dajani was named as one of Mobile Marketer’s “Mobile Women to Watch” in 2010.  A pioneer in digital and mobile media and technology, Lubna has held positions as a consultant, senior manager and new business developer for multi-national companies and non-profits.  Accentuating the concept that everyone is a brand, Lubna suggested that at times we are our worst enemies and sometimes we must step out of our own way, find the good residing inside you and follow it.  Wendi Caplan-Carroll is a social media and digital marketing guru.  After working with companies such as CBS Radio, Infinity Broadcasting and Emmis Broadcasting, she is currently the Development Director for Constant Contact.  She implored everyone to be what you meant to be, never abandon your dreams and stay focus on what your business and customer should be like.  Most importantly, she left the audience with the theory of the red thread stating that we are all connected.

Finance, energy and freelance were the topics that ended the summit as

Laura Fredricks

speakers Laura Fredricks, Judith Glaser and Abby Ellin took the stage.   Any artistic or business endeavor requires money; Laura Fredricks has raised millions for several organizations.  A bestselling author, she runs a boutique consulting business that trains and coaches non-profits and companies on how to ask for funds and get it.  Her tips for raising funds are: tell your story, create a business plan and organizational structure, quantify and follow up.  Judith Glaser thinks of herself as Organizational Anthropologist.  An author of three bestselling business books on leadership; she is the Founder of Benchmark Communications, Inc., the Co-founder, Chairman of Creating WE Institute and founding partner of Creating WE, LLC.  The story of who Judith is today started with a homeless man.  She left the audience with the knowledge that energy connects and binds us when it is positive.  Abby Ellin is a freelance subject-matter expert crafting a career as a writer without ever accepting a position in a company or publication.  Her pieces have been published in The New York Times, Self, Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, Sassy, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan and Glamour.  In 2005, Abby published Teenage Waistland: A Former Fat Kid Weighs in on Living Large, Losing Weight and How Parents Can (and Can’t) Help.  Her witty and keen observations about her 20-year career educated the audience on how not to worry about things that are beyond the scope of their control, to stand still if you are unsure where to go and to find out what works for you.  “There’s no recipe for success,” she advised.  Keynote speaker Vivica A. Fox eloquently summarized the points offered by the guest speakers.

Inspirational, exhilarating, engaging and extremely time worthy, The 1st Annual NYC Women’s Empowerment Summit left me well fed.  Not only was the lunch provided by BBQ’s tempting, but the thought-provoking speeches given by the panelists gave me much to chew on.  It was refreshing to be around women that were willing to share their knowledge, become connectors and seemed genuinely concerned about helping other women achieve their career goals.  The intimacy of the venue and the size of the attendees made networking less intimidating.  I doubt that any woman left the summit feeling anything less than enriched for the experience.  Hats off to Alycia Kaback for organizing such a wonderful event, go Girl Power!

 To learn more about Alycia Kaback or The Women’s Empowerment Summit, click http://www.alyciakaback.com/womens-empowerment-summit/.

 Photos courtesy of Touch of Menel Photography

Arts, NYC, Theatre

The Book of Tony

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The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards’ long association with Broadway has created 64 chapters filled with red carpet glamour, humor, special surprises, musical numbers and acceptance speeches.   Last night, the 65th chapter was recorded, and this year’s show was filled with a Mormon takeover, puppet stallions, Spiderman jokes and a whole lot of heart. 

Host Neil Patrick Harris is eons away from his teen surgeon days and his second round at playing master of ceremonies was even better than the first.  Held at the iconic and grand Beacon Theatre, this year’s events started with an irreverent number that pokes fun at the relationship between the theatre and the homosexual community.  Harris informed one and all that the theatre is “not just for gays anymore.”  The number would have come off without a hitch if not for a cue card flub from Brooke Shields after Harris jumped off the stage for a little audience participation.  Cue card-gate aside, the 65th Tony Awards production team must have learned from the Oscars mistakes.  This year’s show was as electric as the marquees on 42nd Street.  Presenters included Alec Baldwin, Robin Williams, Viola Davis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Harry Connick Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson (both Connick and Jackson will be coming to Broadway later this year).  Ghetto jester and actor John Leguizamo and others shared their Broadway moments.   But showcasing to the world the dedication and pizzazz of Broadway is truly what the Tony Awards are all about. Revivals like Anything Goes and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying showed the greatness past American musicals; new productions such as The Book of Mormon, Sister Act, Catch Me If You Can and The Scottsboro Boys presented the inventiveness of future American musicals. 

Although this season presented singing nuns on Broadway, it was South Park fans that were rejoicing.  The Book of Mormon came, performed and conquered, sweeping this year’s awards.  The cheeky musical about religion walked away with nine Tonys including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Orchestrations, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical and Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for Nikki M. James who gave an emotional acceptance speech.  The spirit of Cole Porter is alive and the three Tonys Anything Goes won proves why his music is timeless.  The revamped Porter production won Best Choreography, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for Sutton Foster.  It appears that Broadway was too busy creating new chapters to revisit its past.  How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying was the only other musical that was up for best revival, and although they did not win, they did not walk away empty handed.  John Larroquette won for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical.  The story of Frank Abagnale, Jr. has now added music, lyrics and choreography.  Catch Me If You Can has also provided Norbert Leo Butz with his second Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. 

War was also ubiquitous theme for Broadway’s big winners.  War Horse took the lead and never gave up the reins.  The poignant production about a boy who loves his horse so much, that he enlists in the military and risks his life to bring him home won every category it was nominated for including Best Sound Design of a Play, Best Lighting Design of a Play, Best Scenic Design of a Play, Best Direction of a Play and Best Play.  The woods of South West England was setting for a standoff in Jerusalem, which garnered the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for Mark Rylance  who offered jocular commentary about walking through walls.  Frances McDormand delivered a passionate speech upon accepting her Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play.  Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart is the personification of the phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword.”  His compelling examination of the early years of the AIDS epidemic in New York was a call for action in the fight against AIDS and gave voice to a mute sector of our society.  The production won Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for John Benjamin Hickey and Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for Ellen Barkin. 

After parties are over, websites have been updated and reviews of Sunday’s award show are in.   As Broadway gets back to penning new chapters of the modern theatre experience, I believe the Tony Awards proved why The Great White Way is still profitable during The Great Recession.  There were plenty of memorable moments, but for me the most impressive aspect of the show was Neil Patrick Harris. From his blithe exchange with Hugh Jackman to his final riveting recap of the show, Harris was the Motherf*cker with the Mic and he was wicked!

Photos: Kevin Kane/Wireimage.com

Entertainment, NYC

NYC Gets Ready To Dance

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May in New York City brings lots of tequila on Cinco de Mayo, tons of sailors during Fleet Week and plenty of parties to mark the unofficial start of summer over Memorial Day weekend.  For the past five years, May in Gotham also sends New Yorkers dancing in the street with Dance Parade New York.  If you missed the festivities that occurred on Saturday, May 21, there is still an opportunity to get your dance on in June.   The seventh season of National Dance Week – NYC begins June 15 with a kick-off event featuring choreographer Michelle Robinson leading a routine of more than 20 dancers at Union Square.  National Dance Week – NYC is an annual 10-day festival that enlists the support of well known dance studios and fitness centers throughout New York City in an effort to commemorate the beauty and variety of dance and offers free dance, fitness and wellness classes. 

Participating studios include The Ailey Extension; American Tap Dance Foundation, Astoria Fine Arts Dance, Ballet Basics, Bridge for Dance: Brooklyn Ballet, Covenant Ballet Theatre of Brooklyn, Dance Manhattan, Dance New Amsterdam, Dhoonya Dance, Dokoudovsky New York Conservatory of Dance, Fit, Fab and Sexy, Fit, Fab, Teens, Flamenco con Magdalena, Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, Fred Astaire (West Side), The Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory, Joffrey Ballet School, Kat Wildish at The Ailey Extension, LA Dance, Mark Morris Dance Center, Marie-Christine Giordano Dance, Nika Ballet Studio, Peridance Capezio Center, Pushing Progress, The Queens Dance Project, Sandra Cameron Dance Center, STREB Extreme Action, Tropical Image NY and Yoga Works (Downtown).  To view the lists and schedules of studios, offerings and instructions, click on NDW-NYC’s website at www.ndw-nyc.org/free-classes.

The festival ends on June 26 with a special performance from Jacob Clemente who plays the lead role of Billy Elliot on Broadway. I suggest all New Yorkers put their dancing shoes on and get to stepping.  National Dance Week – NYC is a great way to experience the eclecticism of NYC’s dance scene.

Just in case you missed last month’s dance parade, check out the slideshow.

Slideshow:  Ronnie Ginnever, Brian Lin, Leonard Rosemarin and Jessica E. Stack

FAME, NYC

Pass Me Not –Words of Wisdom from Tonya Kerry

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F.A.M.E NYC was created to not only showcase the city I love, but to feature individuals who are looking for fame in New York City.  During my journey with F.A.M.E NYC, I have met plenty of wonderful, inspiring people.  Tony Kerry, Esq. is one of those people.  Tonya is a relationship strategist and speaker.  She specializes in personal development and relationship success.  With 10 years of experience, Tonya helps others maximize their relationship potential.  She is also the Author of Twelve Secrets to Living a Life You Love and will soon publish, How to Attract an Amazing Man:   Power Principles for Getting the Love You Deserve.  She is happily married and affectionately calls her husband a six foot two sack of sugar!   Many of the people I profile are burgeoning artists.  In this city it can be tough to hold on to your dreams when you are not seeing any results.  Tonya has some great advice for anyone that is working toward a goal and has yet to see their dreams come to fruition.  F.A.M.E NYC would like to share it with all of our FAMERS:

Perhaps God has forgotten I exist.  Sure I want to be successful, but the truth is I’m feeling sad and like a failure.  Everybody else is getting his or her blessing.  But mine?  It keeps passing me by.  Will my time ever come?

If you have ever said these words, don’t give up!  The secret to shaking off those “bluesy” feelings is right in your feet.  That is right.  It is in your feet.  Anytime I have ever felt as if God had forgotten me, I was not moving in the direction of my dreams.  In fact, I was not doing anything at all.  One thing I know for sure, faith without work is dead.

 It is time to take action.  Move your feet and do something.  Do not ask God to order your steps if you are not willing to move your feet.  God does not drop blessings on lazy people.  Bishop TD Jakes preached about the danger of doing nothing.  Take action.  Even if you have to fix it later, do something towards your dream.  Even if you fail, failure is not final; it is an opportunity to fix things.

Here are tips you can implement today:

Set Your Mind

Set your mind that you are getting your blessing.  You can set your mind by watching what you put into it.  Start the first 30 minutes of your day with something positive.  Change the annoying alarm clock by programming it with a positive message.  Wake up and get grateful.  Say, “Thank you Lord,” out loud for something, even if it is for your toes.

Get to Work  

Stop wasting time.  The Quakers say, “Hands to work; hearts to God.”  Do something towards your dream everyday.  Not some days, not most days, every day.  If you want change, you must change.  God is not passing you by:  he never has and never will.  You and I let opportunities pass by.  We are waiting for God, but God is waiting for us.      

George Bernard Shaw said, “The people who get on in this life look for the circumstances they want, and if they cannot find them they make ‘em.”    Jesus took action and fed 5,000.  Moses took action, stretched out his staff and parted the Red Sea.  Gideon took action, blew the trumpet and the walls came tumbling down.   God blesses action. 

So get to work.  Make that phone call, work on your book, go and see that person.  You want big blessings in 2011?  Make some big changes.   Stop passing on the things the Holy Spirit guides you to do.  Ask God to bless the creative process and let the Holy Spirit come alive in you, so the universe can see how amazing you truly are.

By using the tips outlined above, you will get the blessings you seek.  Change your mind about your situation and get up and do something.   The words of the hymn will then ring true:  “Our savior will hear your humble cry, and surely he won’t pass you by.”

To find out more about her speaking and training, please visit www.tonyakerryspeaks.com.   Also be on the look out for Tonya’s seminar How Attract an Amazing Man Seminar, coming soon.

Fashion, NYC

Tell-Alls, Patricia Field and Empanadas…Oh My

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Fashion and beauty are two industries that often intersect, and on May 6 two heavy hitters from each of these industries converged to create one super chic event.  Lora Condon most common pseudonyms are the “Beauty Buster” or the “Lash Doctor.”  A celebrity makeup artist and esthetician and expert, she is recognized for being an expert in the spa and cosmetic businesses.  Now Lora can add author to resume with SPA WARS: The Ugly Truth About The Beauty Industry.  SPA WARS is jocular memoir about the spa and beauty industries – it is part narrative, part cautionary tale.

Lora Condon

One of NYC’s most iconic boutiques was the setting for SPA WARS coming out party.  Legendary stylist and fashion maven Patricia Field hosted a book signing at the House of Field and Salon, located on 302 Bowery Street, which also benefitted GLAAD, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.   Guests enjoyed Chambord and Fris Vodka cocktails, ate empanadas to die for courtesy of Empanada Mama and listened the electro-rock sounds of DJ Sharri Model.  And what is an in-store event without the shopping, guests also had the opportunity to shop with a member of the Patricia Field Styling Team and received a 20% discount on clothes.  Good food, good drinks, a little shopping and gossip – sounds like the perfect Friday in the city to me.

Photo and Slideshow: F.A.M.E NYC Editor