My Life's True Purpose

I am so grateful that I was able to attend this conference this weekend. Artists from our sister churches from Australia to Los Angeles, California got together to learn more about how to use our gifts to bring glory to the LORD. I am forever changed, my perspective renewed, and completely inspired. Thank you Speech from Arrested Development and to ALL the people who dreamed big enough to put this together. To God be the Glory...

INSPIRIT at the Philly Fringe

If you're in Philly this weekend check out this very hot performance with INSPIRIT. A small excerpt from Ed-u-ma-cated is in the show!


319 market street
philadelphia, pa 19106
215.574.8880
"...there could be no better platform or venue for INSPIRIT to make our Philadelphia debut. The series speaks to the commonality of visions between INSPIRIT and Choreographic Sketches, thus expressing ancestral truths... building a rapport with audiences through concert dance and being authentic to the process as while as the product." Christal Brown, Founder & Artistic Director of INSPIRIT
Choreographic Sketches Series IV
Champagne
After Glow

Come to the after glow...

FRI. SEPT. 18TH @ 9:30 PM $18
lela aisha jones
david p. france
william oaks IV
duane Lee
katherine richardson
TICKETS CLICK HERE

SAT. SEPT. 19TH @ 9:30 PM $18
zane booker
christal brown
shani nwando ikerioha collins
vincent thomas
TICKETS CLICK HERE

Gratitude and Service

Choreographic Sketches
www.csketches.org

Fashion Week Favorites

Here's my favorites from fashion week thus far from the unblocked view of my laptop!

Halston

Zac Posen

Christian Siriano

Tracy Reese

Sophie Theallet

Dennis Basso

Shopping is my hobby...

After reading article after article in the NY Times this weekend about the nation's economic crisis my heart was stricken. It's not because of the empathy I feel for the couple from my hometown Prince George's County, MD almost loosing their home because of a $500 dining room set at Levitz or the mother who ended up in a homeless shelter after putting her daughters through college, it's because I realized that in a few missteps I could end up like them.

All people don't end up in hardship because they're not intelligent, its because our whole AMERICAN mindset is messed up. We buy stuff that we can't afford all the time, stuff that we need to get "ahead" but we do it. We eat cheap food and our bodies bear the brunt of it. If I don't take care of my health at some point YOU are going to have to pay for it.
So in order to start taking some personal responsibility my first step is to put my shopping habit on hold once again. I have to admit shopping is my HOBBY. If I've got time to kill between rehearsals or meetings I usually go browsing through my favorite stores. I live in NYC, the fashion capitol of the world. We have EVERYTHING here. It's so hard.

No, most times I don't buy but I have to admit I am really influenced by trends. I LOVE fashion! But as I learned in 2007-2008 I could go an entire year without buying anything new and no one would notice. I could probably come up with new combinations of outfits for three years straight without repeating the same combination. So, I will resist the urge to buy any new clothing items (yes that includes shoes and accessories, MAN!) until January and then reassess a new plan. Sure, sure I'm sure the economists will not be happy with my plan but I rather save my money for other things and buy more fresh fruits and vegetables. When you see me ask me how this venture is going...I'm going to need help!

Big Black Women Are Scary

Oh Serena....I am sure you've already gotten enough flack about this one but I'm so disappointed. Unfortunately as black women, we don't have the luxury of ever loosing our cool. You can't BE human. You can't get upset in public and especially not at the US Open. If you don't know this by now let me remind you that people are TERRIFIED of you. I've had three separate conversations with close friends and strangers who all happened to be white who describe you as some kind of mythical animal like creature. Meanwhile, I am wishing they would just appreciate your beauty and your talent. Sure every one deserves to be able to express the full range of human emotion at times but not you Serena. You are a big, black woman. And people shudder in your presence. So please, put on your mask and just be a pretty lady who plays tennis...do it for all black women. Please?

Fashion's Night Out and INSPIRIT

INSPIRIT will be performing and and wearing the Spring collection of Callalilai Boutique at 827 Broadway - New York, NY 10003 from 6-9. Here's a little about the designer:

"AOYAMA ITCHOME may be a name for a bustling train station in Japan, but it is also a name synonymous for a collection of whimsical, cheery dresses with bold prints and understated detail. After spending many years freelancing at Japanese fashion magazines, the designer, Hogo Natsuwa began designing for an embroidery house, which led him to rediscover creation and design; his greatest passion. Upon relocating from Japan to France, Natsuwa launched his first AOYAMA ITCHOME collection in 2001 and continues to expand the label with the opening of two stores in New York: Callalilai Brooklyn, in Boerum Hill and Callalilai Nolita on Spring street."

I will be studying all my glossy mags today for inspiration. Our show will be a mixture of snipets of INSPIRIT repertory and improvisational posing. Whoohooo! See you there.

Cornerstone, YEEAAAHH!!!!

Great news folks...This fall I will be representing Cornerstone Promotions as a new member of the F.A.R.M team. I am looking forward to this experience. Never heard of Cornerstone? They are responsible for the likes of The Fader Magazine, Faderlabel, Cornerstone mixtapes, and sooo much more. This should be fun!

Matt & Kim

Ummm, I kind of love this song....actually I listened to their whole album on MySpace and it's really entertaining....

Tiny & Toya

As all of you already know I don't have cable so I just caught the first season of Tiny & Toya via the web. No, this type of show doesn't usually interest me but after reading Michael Arceneaux's article about it on TheRoot.com I became curious. After watching the first episode I was hooked! Even though, judging by the outside (tatoos galore, teen pregnancies, not properly speaking the King's English) they are definitely the kind of girls some of my family members would think to be a bad influence. I love the fact that they are portrayed as fully dimensional human beings, such a rarity in Black television. These girls are down to earth, intelligent, and sincere. Unlike the Housewives of Wherever, they actually have a true friendship and the show is about them realizing their short comings and overcoming fears, insecurities and trying to be a great example for their children. It's actually really positive and by the end I was sad because I wanted to see more of what these girls were up to. How is Toya's book coming along? What's going on with the OMG girls? What did everyone think of the showcase? We need more shows like this. BET, ya done good...

Grey Gardens

Okay, y'all I don't have cable so I'm probably extra late but I just got Grey Gardens through the magic of Netflix.
TRAUMATIZING!!!!! I mean it was a wonderfully sad film and with amazing performances by Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange but oh the dirt. The glamour and the dirt! After watching it I frantically got up and started sweeping and organizing. Oh the dirt. If you want to make the transition from tolerator of clutter to absolute paranoid neat freak watch this movie. I'm sure there were deeper lessons here but oh...the dirt!