One Wild Thing

I can't help myself...Fall is right around the corner. I would style these with black skinny jeans, an grey relaxed tee and a sleeveless slouchy black cardigan.

Jenni Kayne, $550, by special order at Jenni Kayne, West Hollywood

Solar 1 Dance Festival World Premier!

You are invited to the World Premier of my new work:
Ed-u-ma-cated

at the
Solar-Powered Dance Series Program B
July 30, 2009 6:00 pm to August 1, 2009 6:00 pm

JULY 30th- AUGUST 1: The Fifth Annual Solar-Powered Dance Series features 14 emerging choreographers in a diverse variety of styles, from African/hiphop to circus to vaudeville/burlesque and beyond.

Performances are accessible to a general audience and are appropriate for all ages!

This week’s dances will include choreography by: Adelka Polak & Larry Hunt, Faye Lim, Julie Troost, Catch Me Bird, Sharon Mansur, Gabriel Forestieri, and Alexandra Joye Houston.
Dances begin at 6 PM!

Check out an excerpt of the piece in the rehearsal process (courtesy of the Outer/Space grant from Dance Theatre Workshop) :

http://alexandrajhouston.blogspot.com/2009/03/ed-u-ma-cated.html



Directions to Solar One:

Solar One is about a 10 minute walk from the closest subway stations, but the area is also serviced by several bus lines.

By Subway & Bus: take the (6) to 23rd St. and the M23 east to Avenue C *or* take the (L) to 1st Ave and walk about 10 minutes to the site or take the M15 north to 23rd St. and walk along East 23rd St. The M16 and M21 buses also stops near E. 23rd St. and Avenue C.

Julie&Julia

I randomly stumbled upon a free advanced screening of this movie tonight! No literally, meeting up with a co-worker on 63rd and 2nd Ave, needed to go to the bathroom and decided to go in the movie theater where people were heading in for a free screening. They gave me a ticket and boom, a lovely evening! (This is another reason why I love NY). It was a very sweet and uplifting film. If you're feeling doubtful about yourself or your life this film will lift your spirits. And, of course, Meryl Streep's performance is phenomenal.

Kid Sister...I'm a little obsessed

Once upon a time my boyfriend asked, how do you find out new music(especially because I don't really listen to the radio). I replied, "I read about it!"
I read about Kid Sister in Elle magazine and decided to check her out on MySpace. I am such a fan of her music. She's like 80's female rap (WHERE ARE ALL THE FEMALE EMCEE's????) meets 2009 down south beats. I can't wait until her full album comes out. I am so inspired by her that I might entirely change the genre of music that I'm practicing to spin. (By the way, DJ Phoenix is scheduled to enter the scene early 2010, you heard it hear first. Shhhh!)
Anyway, check out this adorable video: Kid Sister - Pro Nails ft. Kanye West

Tesla Motors- Hot and Gorgeous Electric Cars

Yes, I will take one of these please!

Blood Dazzler Preview!

Blood Dazzler - an exploration of Hurricane Katrina through the convergence of verse, dance, theatre and multimedia. In development over the last three years, and direct from a recent Voice & Vision residency at Bard College, we invite you again to experience the artistic evolution of this dynamic and important issue. Your presence is vital to our process!

Please join us for a private work-in-progress showing
Monday, July 20th at 7:00pm
@ Classic Stage Company
136 East 13th Street
[4, 5, 6, N, R or L trains to 14th Street/Union Square]

Seating is limited. RSVP to blood.dazzler.09@gmail.com by Sunday, July 19th
Blood Dazzler
Based on poems by Patricia Smith
Adapted & Directed by Patricia McGregor
Choreography by Paloma McGregor


Performers
Cristal Albornoz
Eddie Brown
Alexandra Joye Houston
Lizan Mitchell
Sarita Louise Moore
Rhea Patterson
Tiffany Stewart


Set: Scott Dougan
Costumes: Katherine O’Neill
Lights: Ji-Youn Chang
Sound: Keith Obadike
Education/Community Engagement: Mendi Obadike & Nicole A. Watson
Associate Producers: Martha Jurczak, Abigail Katz & David Roberts

The Thing Around Your Neck

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of my favorite author's EVER. I read her first novel Purple Hibiscus years ago and was hooked. Her new book of short stories is a good combination of that raw straight forward African way of storytelling with beauty, grace, and emotion. This is a MUST read. Favorite stories in this book, "Jumping Monkey Hill", "The Shivering", "The Arrangers of Marriage" and my favorite favorite favorite "The Headstrong Historian"

Revel in the blessings

I think everyone from time to time struggles with enjoying the moment that you're presently in. It's a BEAUTIFUL summer day, perfect breeze and gentle sunshine and you find yourself dreaming about Fall '09 boots with zippers and long slouchy cardigans. Or you have the best boyfriend in the world, you're totally in love and you both see a future together but you can't stop thinking about how great it would be to married to him RIGHT now. Or you're doing the work that you love and enjoying the process but you can't wait until the next step. I know if I don't learn to enjoy the moment I will miss my fantastic life. I want to savor everything, I want revel in my blessings. A few things I am meditating on from the Scriptures: Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy; it is promised when you focus on things such as these you will have peace.
(Paraphrased from Philippians 4:8) Cheers!

"Got to be there"

I went to the Jumbotron in front of the Adam Clayton Powell building to watch the memorial service on 125th street. The air was heavy. Then a saw a lady wearing a Thriller jacket who was beginning to weep. I knew I couldn't handle it and I went home. I am watching it alone. Good-bye Michael. We love you.

BLACKsummers'night

THE WAIT IS OVER!

Afro-Punk Festival 2009: Radically Delicious!

Tonight, the LORD blessed with me with the most incredible evening. By a miracle I made it to the Afro-Punk festival just in time to get up right in the front to see Janelle Monae. This girl is amazing. She is so intelligent, so beautiful, so wierdly awkward and so fun to watch. She is my reminder that you don't have to be conventional to make it. I met up with my homegirl Kim, saw my fellow INSPIRIT dancer Krystal B., Fatima Robinson (!!!!), my cuz Jazzy (thejazzeha.blogspot.com), Sahr (That OBIE winning Fela!)and my Kalakuti sisters Jill and Adepero.
So radically delicious...