~ AN AFROCENTRIC GATEKEEPERS PALACE FOR INFORMATION ~


Otta Benga, Formerly Enslaved
The Epitome of a Nubian Knight

Otta Benga, Formerly Enslaved<br>The Epitome of a Nubian Knight

Followers of Nubian Knights Network
"Thanks For The Support Everybody!!!"

QUOTATIONS OF "BLACK"

"Whenever I use BLACK it relates to some history of Africans in that particular place. It’s the idea of the color BLACK as a metaphor, or as a representation of African-Americans. It’s the notion of BLACK- BLACKNESS - and all its other meanings in relation to the history of race..."

- Fred Wilson



"Most of my fortitude to continue doing the work comes from the moral outrage I feel about the injustices that Black people endure disproportionately daily."

- N. Abdul-Wakil



"In the end, what matters is not skin shade but pan-African consciousness. Loving your complexion, your nose, lips, hair length and texture, no matter what the politics or trends decide, and simply be. That's the problem with us (African folks). We're still learning how to love ourselves. So used to glorifying others and putting others first..."

- Dredlocks Tree

The REEL Black Same Gender Loving Filmography Resource (A 24/7 ONLINE FILM DATABASE)

The REEL Black Same Gender Loving Filmography Resource (A 24/7 ONLINE FILM DATABASE)
Click The Pic To Access The Film Library Database! (166 Films)
LAST UPDATE: Monday, December 3rd, 2012

Monday, March 1, 2010

Press Release: Alex Smith, THPAC Executive Chair, Discusses African Dance Influence on
Brooklyn Dance Community




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


February 23, 2010


ALEX SMITH,
THELMA HILL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER EXECUTIVE CHAIR,
DISCUSSES AFRICAN DANCE INFLUENCE ON
BROOKLYN DANCE COMMUNITY

Smith and Panel of Dance Experts Convene
In Heart of BAM Cultural District

Alex Smith, Executive Chair of Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center (THPAC), will share his expertise as a panelist of leading members of Brooklyn’s dance community, including legendary African Dance master and founder of Dance Africa, Chuck Davis, for the “African Dance/Brooklyn Style” symposium, presented by the Brooklyn Arts Council. The panel will discuss the influence of African dance styles on Brooklyn dancers and choreographers and give brief demonstrations of African dance techniques as they are remade in Brooklyn. The event takes place in the heart of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Cultural District on Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 7:00-10:00 p.m. at A.R.T/New York South Oxford Space, 138 South Oxford Street, in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, New York.

“I feel great that THPAC is being recognized by inclusion on this panel, says Smith. “THPAC has been influential on the dance scene here in Brooklyn where it was founded, as well as on a citywide and national level,” Smith adds. “Like Brooklyn, THPAC has been a major hub and incubator for cultural creativity for people of color, and participating on this panel marks a turning point for us as we continue to further heighten the organization’s profile and brand.”

As the only non-dancer on the panel, Smith will bring the perspective of the influence of arts organizations to the discussion.

About Alex Smith
Alex Smith was appointed Executive Director by the THPAC board in 1995 and later Executive Chairman. Under his tutelage and passionate commitment over 150 artists have been presented in performance including Ron Brown, Valerie Winborne, George Faison, Louis Johnson, Marlies Yearby, and Fred Benjamin, seven new programming formats have been added, and THPAC’s annual Life Time Achievement Awards, whose recipients include Louis Johnson, George Faison, Ella Thompson Moore, Dianne McIntrye, Fred Benjamin, and Kathy Grant and Dudley Williams, were established. During the coming summer 2010 season Smith will present, A Ramp to Paradise, a commissioned choreographed work by Kyle Abraham designed to pay homage to New York City’s ultimate dance experience, the legendary underground dance club Paradise Garage.


Asase Yaa Dance Company
Copyright © Bob Gore


About Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center
THPAC, www.thelmahill.com, an independent non-profit organization, was formed in 1976 to forge and temper creative talent. Over 34 years the organization has attracted both emerging and established artists of color who developed a perpetual evolutionary cycle in which more than 300 alumni have gone on to successful careers as dancers and choreographers in the U.S. and abroad. The mission of THPAC is to build bridges of understanding through the presentation and celebration of choreographic works by artists of color. From fostering grassroots involvement at home to expanding awareness of the arts abroad, THPAC facilitates artistic collaborations, such as performances, workshops, seminars and community projects. Through these efforts, new channels of creative dialogue inspire free-flowing dynamic cultural expressions.


Asase Yaa Dance Company
Copyright © Bob Gore


For more information regarding Alex Smith and THPAC contact:

Jelani Bandele
RedMEDIA 347-471-1733
Redmediac[at]gmail.com

BLOOM: The Spring Dance Party
A Pan-Sexual Celebration of
African & Latin American Diasporas
Sunday, March 28th, 2010 @ Arena (NYC)








BLOOM
THE SPRING DANCE PARTY


ARENA
135 West 41st Street
(between 6th Avenue & Broadway)


SUNDAY, MARCH 28th, 2010
6PM - 12 MIDNIGHT

Tickets From $10.00
TICKETS HERE


Music By:
Funmi Ononiaiye & DJ Africa
Spinning Soul, House, Tribal, Afrobeat, Dancehall & Hip-Hop

Featuring
THE BEAUITFUL ONES
Male & Female Burleque Dancers
Body Paint Artists, FIne Artisits, Video Stimulation And More!


Details:

BLOOM-The Spring Party, is a Sunday evening dance event that features live DJs spinning house, soul, Afro-beat, tribal, disco and hip-hop at Club Arena. The party is a pan-sexual celebration of cultural expressions from the African and Latin American Diasporas, with presentations of visual fine art, video installations and performance art that will celebrate sensuality and eroticism.






UPDATE (Tuesday, March 30th, 2010)

YO!! Black Family....!!

The BLOOM Spring Dance Party (that happened Sunday evening, March 28th, 2010) in my opinion was off da FUCKING CHAIN!!!! U hear me!! LOL!

Olubude, the brutha who is the host/promoter of these BLOOM party events has been doing it to my knowledge (since I've been going to them) for the last 2 years at different venues.

He always finds a way to infuse some Africentricity to his parties for Black same gender loving bruthaz and their ALLIES which always has a good mix of African, Afro-Caribbean and African -American bruthaz (and sistahs, though mostly bruthaz and anyone of the African Diaspora is welcomed).

However, this BLOOM Spring Party of 2010 was his BIGGEST one to date and really something different that I clamored for and appreciated to no end. Besides having the really beautiful space at Club Arena located in the heart of 42nd Street Times Square with nice house music and go-go boys and go-go girls, what made it truly unique compared to other parties is a theme and infusion of African culture with facial paint on the exotic dancers as well as some of the patrons who, by the way, danced up a storm with some magnificent solo performances (truly ROOTS, ROOTS, ROOTS), plus we had bruthaz onstage who entertained us with African drumming and percussion instruments all-night long in conjunction with the house music. And further... the DJ would cleverly lower the music to a stop every so often and let the drummers have their solos in creating Afrocentric beats that fed our feet, our hearts and our souls as we moved to the beats!!!!! OFF DA CHAIN!!

HOUSE PARTIES are my favorite types of parties to mix & mingle and meet some nice same gender loving bruthaz, but I have to admit this BLOOM The Spring Dance Party 2010 was one of the best club parties I've ever been to - and I'm NOT a club and bar person for my friends who know me well.

Anyway, enough talk and just feast your eyes on the pics I have to share below. Next time I'll bring my good camera! LOL!

THANKS OLUBUDE FOR PROVIDING A BEAUTIFUL SPACE TO PARTY AND THE INFUSION OF OUR AFRICAN CULTURE AS WE PARTIED! BLOOM The Summer Party 2010 anyone???!!!!!