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The Twain Shall Meet
Building bridges between cultures to promote greater understanding is an age-old dream that too often suffers from clumsy execution, resulting in the exact opposite effect. But recently, the revolutionary German artist Carsten Höller got it right. A big name on the international art scene who exhibits at the Tate Modern in London and the Guggenheim…
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Is Toronto Exploiting Caribana?
When the jubilant extravaganza known as Caribana officially begins on July 14, more than 1 million people from around the world will take to the streets of Toronto in an outpouring of enthusiasm for the culture and pleasures of the Caribbean. Established in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s centenary and its many cultures, the three week…
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An Interview with Dance Africa Founder Chuck Davis
Dr. Charles ”Chuck” Davis founded Dance Africa in Brooklyn in 1977, thereby creating the country’s first festival solely devoted to the legacy of African dance. From that modest beginning at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, it has blossomed into one of our largest celebrations of African and African-American culture, encompassing dance, music, art and film.…
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Dancing Through Tough Times
You can find thrilling black dance companies in every part of the country, a fantastic improvement over the situation 50 years ago when dancers of color could hardly find a professional troupe to join. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Dance Theatre of Harlem started the revolution, the first was the triumph of…
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Dancing Through Tough Times
You can find thrilling black dance companies in every part of the country, a fantastic improvement over the situation 50 years ago when dancers of color could hardly find a professional troupe to join. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Dance Theatre of Harlem started the revolution: The first was the triumph of…
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Two Works of African-American Art Arrive at the White House
President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, recently added some color to the White House art collection, and African-American art collectors were thrilled. While there are only a few black artists numbered among the Obamas’ selections, they did choose works by relative unknowns from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: Glenn Ligon, a conceptual artist,…
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Black Theaters Keep the Flame Alive
Black theaters are flourishing all across the country, offering communities access to excellent plays and musicals that touch on the African-American experience. In these tough economic times, they search for creative ways to keep going while maintaining their standards. A few recently experienced the toughest years in their history; others enjoyed some of their best.…
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The Root Interview: Passing Strange's Stew and Heidi Take on Brooklyn
Well settled in the basement of the slightly dilapidated Brooklyn, N.Y., brownstone of their band member Mike McGinnis, Stew and Heidi Rodewald looked like two happy, overgrown kids allowed to let loose and make music. They’d just started writing songs for their new show, Brooklyn Omnibus, which will be performed with their band, the Negro…
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The Root Interview: Singer Buika on Growing Up Black in Spain
MADRID — Buika wends her way toward a dimly lit corner of the funky bar in the Hotel de las Letras off the boisterous Gran Via, her pretty face lighting up when people stop to compliment her on her recent concerts. On tour now for more than half the year, she cherishes her time at…
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The Root Interview: Carmen de Lavallade
Few people in the performing arts can match the accomplishments of the supremely elegant Carmen de Lavallade. Over her 50-plus-year career, Alvin Ailey’s first muse has starred in ballets, contemporary dance works, plays, films, Broadway musicals and television programs. The New Orleans-born, Los Angeles-bred dancer has directed dance and opera and taught and performed at…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
