Salsa after one year

Propose the word co-choreographer to the word follower.

“Follow”means in the cha cha when one partner turns to dance backwards. The following partner puts her hands on the partner’s back shoulders. They dance the same step one behind the other. Two people doing 12 123 12. Forward 2 123 back 2 123. In New York salsa on two the partners dance a mirror image of each others basic steps:123 versus 567. Sometimes even one partner’s move is not like the other partner’s move at all. So she is not “following”what her partner is doing; she is executing the dance step that her partner has suggested by his lead. For example if he suggests a right turn; she will perform a right turn. She is not “following” his right turn. He didn’t turn right. She is choreographing a graceful heads-up right turn of her own creation.

If the word follow simply means follow the lead given by your partner, who is the leader; then any beginner salsa student would be as good a dancer as any advanced salsa student. Because all she has to do is follow the lead. I have noticed that there is a giant difference between beginner dancers and advanced dancers. Beginners don’t follow until they study and learn the choreography. This includes the expense of time and money to practice.

Then there is the question of what to do when the cue for a right turn is given to the follower after the ideal count. Does the follower make a snappy awkward right turn arriving just in time for the ideal count? Does she follow his cue and make her turn at a normal gracefull speed arriving in front of her partner off his beat?

Similarly when a lead is unclear,a cue is missed or hand contact is broken a follower would be lost. She missed her cue and doesn’t know what to do! The co-choreographer steps into a makeshift shine or a fanciful basic. Each new lead from a new partner requires a different dance. She changes partners all night long. The men do the same step over and over with only a change of dance partner. Each new partner for the follower has a different way to lead. And that is the fun of dancing Salsa. That’s the fun of rotating in class. That’s the fun of going to clubs.The follower is a choreographer because she never knows what the dance will be. Does anybody listen to the music?

 

So if you think of your partner as a co-choreographer you will understand that she accepts your lead as a suggestion. By agreeing to dance with you she accepts you as a leader. She will try to perform the suggested step to the best of her physical capabilities but if she fails please spare me the guillotine.

  Next surviving the Copacabana.

Salsa Dancing

SALSA DANCING
Not really wanting to address”leading” in Salsa dancing from a feminist perspective but . . . The reason (one of the reasons) for the Women’s Liberation movement back in the 1960’s was to liberate both men and women. How could you not include both sexes in a movement that was destined to impact social engineering for generations to come. To anticipate a relationship on the dance floor where the man”leads” and the woman “follows” is ludicrous. Let us discuss.
The word follower will be substituted for woman to include the myriad of gender identifications.
You may understand the description of a “leader” if you acknowledge the following observations. The responsibility of leading in Salsa dancing is analogous to one half of a couple defined as the bread winner. What women said in the 1960’s Liberation Movement was that housework is significant for the total life of a couple/family. Educated women wanted to have a career in their lifetime. Sometimes the exigencies of a couple’s life together dictated rearrangements of gender identifications.
On the dance floor, of Salsa on two, a mis-step or a misinterpreted lead is a social exigency. The “shine” may be a deliberate reinterpretation of a lead. A follower may be inspired by the poly-rhythms of contemporary salsa music. A trumpet quartet blaring amid symphonic jazz can be trance inducing.
There is a consent implicit in accepting a dance leader. This is a limited opportunity for two people to dance together. It is not a behavior guide for the evening. A salsa dance relationship is not a relinquishing of decision making. There is a nanosecond of meanness in enabling grandiosity. A follower has to be cautious to not “lead on” the leader. The follower may not be too keen on housework.
When two people are dancing together the follower is a part of the together. Without a follower you dance alone. (Mondays Underground Hudson Hotel) If a follower missteps or doesn’t turn fast enough whose fault is it? What if the follower reinterprets a lead; who feels threatened? Who can laugh it off? If the follower does not like the style of the leader, for example grabbing, pulling/pushing or jerking a follower may a) say “gentle.” b) end the dance in the middle of the 1…2…3…
If a man is a leader why do women take Salsa Dance classes? The lead is a suggestion of choreography. Followers notice a variety of leads in the dance classes. All are leading somewhere. The success of the lead may be about dancing skills because men take Salsa dance classes too. The success of the leader may be about something else!

The Strivers Art Circuit

Discovering Arts in Harlem

Harlem has always been a source of specialized shopping such as for African textiles at Yara Fabrics at Fifth Avenue and 125th Street. This weekend The Strivers Art Circuit gave me a new discovery---Arts in Harlem. SAC is a self guided walking tour through artists studios and galleries surrounding the famed Strivers Row Historic district of Harlem, New York, New York. A contributing sponsor was the Harlem Arts Alliance’s Arts Advocacy Week. Postcards and posters mapped the location of thirteen spots to visit the week-end of October 9 and 10, 2010 to discover arts in Harlem.
Although geographically challenged finding the first gallery, Hamilton Landmark Gallery 647 West 144th Street was easily on the #101 bus line. The curator of this group exhibit “Trash to Treasure" was Aleathia Brown, a collage painter. The artists are from local neighborhoods and upstate New York organizations--- Harlem Arts Alliance and Black Dimension in Art. Taking recycling to a robust level these artists constructed fine art from ‘trash.’ A 12”X24” 3D piece by Catherine Reaves included plastic bags and embroidery thread that depicted flowers mounted on burlap. The piece by Patricia Murray was entitled "Over my Head I hear Music in the Air": fabric, yarn and earrings. A vintage wall hanging by Laura Gadson 42”X35” included square silk patches pieced and tied in a myriad of browns. For the wall hanging “Dazzling Star” Tina W. Raggio used cotton fabric. A 3D sculpture by Aleathia Brown was acrylic paint covering a shoe collage. The Albany photographer VR Grant exhibited black and white compositions that were not taken with his childhood Kodak box camera. The locations of these photographs included Topsail, North Carolina, “Fishing Pier;" Albany, NY ”Empire Place;" and “Boy” taken thirty years ago in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A nature construction by Slanwyck Cromwell included ½ inch tree branches amid starkly painted colors:12”X36”.
Searching for the second gallery on Hamilton Terrace found me lost in Harlem on Hamilton Place. Sunday was a warm and sunny afternoon for a walking tour. Pedestrians faithfully directed me to 62 Hamilton Place; this was not The Children’s Art Carnival, this was not 62 Hamilton Terrace. Retracing my steps to find Hamilton Terrace there were colorful balloons at the entrance to The Chirldren's Art Carnival. One of the fiber artists was Shaunda Halloway. She was exhibiting a variety of accessories decorated with hand dyed fabrics inspired by the Ibo of Nigeria. Bold, colorful graphics adorned handbags, belts and revamped T-shirts. Other works on the walls were pastels, ink drawings and vibrantly washed watercolors. The pottery in the rear was created by the young people educated at The Children's Art Carnival.
Strolling down unfamiliar tree lined streets acorns crushed underfoot. The towering old trees had roots pushing the sidewalk upward. The brownstones and occasional apartment buildings were quiet until the Terrace dead ended. The turn of a corner found me on Rev.Dr. John W. Saunders Place where the Bx #19 bus stops at 145th Street. Look at that a Bronx bus in the heart of Manhattan!
Shimoda, the jeweler provided the most hospitable home studio. http://www.shimoda-accessories.com/ Her upstairs studio space on Frederick Douglas Boulevard showcased her extravagant line of beads, bangles and bling. With mirrors all around we were enticed to imagine ourselves courageous enough to be so adorned. All the walls including the snack-filled kitchen demonstrated her expanse of creativity where jewelry becomes a three dimensional sculpture. Shimoda hosted two visual artists from Dallas, Texas: Frank Sowells, Jr. and Randy Leger.
The photographic essay at Strivers Gardens Gallery by Kwame Brathwaite is entitled “Gone: But Not Forgotten.” This is a segment of the photographer's massive collection of photographs of musical legends. The performance shots of Michael Jackson, Miles Davis and Betty Carter to name a few presented a walk down memory lane. If you never saw James Brown at the Apollo Theater how can you call yourself a music lover?
At the law office of Jayne M. Dennis;230 West 135th Street Beatrice Lebreton exhibited paintings that will be shown later this month at the Harlem Arts Alliance Office Gallery. The paintings of women are realistic yet framed by symbols and designs of color:"Femmes/Fragments." On the craft side Beatrice Lebreton has assembled prints of her original watercolors into a desk calendar. A large sheet contains two inch crops of prints of butterfly wings on a black background. Ibou Ndoye, paints on glass, sometimes broken glass. Then takes a digital image of this original for smaller prints matted in white. Next Ibou Ndoye He is is currently exhibiting at the Distrillery Gallery, Jersey City, New Jersey. “Mapping Race” http://www.destinationjerseycity.com/events/428
At the Harlem Arts Alliance Office Gallery the painter Eric Engles is showing neon paintings from the past few years in a showcase entitled “Phoenix” Most of the paintings are two feet by two feet in contemporary frames suitable for exhibiting under a black light. The colors are florescent hues from poster paints that swerve to dance and splatter as in “Pig Pen.” The layering of flowing streaks and brush strokes of fuchsia and chartreuse presents a dizzying moment.
The Gadson Gallery/Laura R. Gadson is a quilt lovers delight. Her work is large and small, traditional and contemporary, home decorous and museum quality. The traditional quilts with squares and rectangles use soft colored cotton fabrics blended by neat circular quilting stitches. The finishing edge, the binding is not limited to repeating the quilt’s motif but has an expression of independence. The masterful blue and white quilt shows giant snowflakes that seem to float aloft. It is hard for a mere photograph or a Banner hanging on 125th Street to capture the texture of quilting. Laura R. Gadson has a unique mobile hanging system for her wall hangings. These small story quilts are complemented with noir. And ah the fabric portraits! Billie Holiday and Noel Pointer has solo characters or small groups like Grandma with child come alive on a landscaped background. Her work exemplifies ”that fine art look that we are trying to impose on viewers.”

Harlem Arts Alliance Advocacy Week

This note is intended to express my gratitude to Michael Unthank and the Staff at Harlem Arts Alliance for the series of events during Harlem Arts Advocacy Week: October 4-9, 2010. The schedule for the programs was available at the September and October monthly meetings, as well as stuffing my e-mailbox. There were participants representing numerous arts, cultural and political organizations. The thoughts presented these last few days were challenging.

Theme: Collaboration.
The face of collaboration was demonstrated by the fact that varied arts organizations were seated on panels together. This is giving the organizations peer to peer contact. They described their recent and future events. 2) Artists can collaborate with these organizations. 3) Artists collaborating with media as Flo Wiley, publicist, has taught in a recent Workshop given by the Harlem Arts Alliance, “Artists need a Press List.” 4) Artist to artist collaborations could teach, share and support each other.
Beginning at the Monday Harlem Alliance monthly meeting on October 4th listening to the speakers on the panels there were two questions for me about collaboration. What is everyone really sharing and how does it apply to me? Were the representatives merely tooting their own horns; expressing a willingness to be a collaborative organization or telling me how to immediately sell the artwork back in my studio.
Kathy Hughes, Assistant Commissioner, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs shared a concern that the younger generation will be needed to staff the current arts and cultural organizations. Wondering who will have the interest to pursue careers in these organizations that serve to support the arts? This question was echoed by the panel, the keynote speaker and the audience on Wednesday evening at the Schomburg Center. Howard Dodson, Chief expressed support for these current cultural organizations imploring them to continue. But how to involve the younger generation was a questioning refrain? How, when today’s parents are not as involved themselves in the plethora of music, dance, and visual arts as parents were years ago. Years ago when there was more art in the schools and more venues where families were social. Fortunately the Community Boards 9 & 10 have Arts committees that have activities and solutions.
Will Maitland Weiss, Executive Director, Arts & Business Council of New York and Naomi Grapel, Director Marketing and Creative Services, Carnegie Hall had individual and organizational marketing solutions. The e-mails that are collaborations between Harlem Arts Alliance and Arts and Business Council describe a package of related events for a specific time period. Artists and businesses can submit their events for this online info commercial. Naomi Grapel outlined a marketing strategy for artists: a) Branding What is unique about your product b) Express your authentic voice in your press information. Skip the hype. c) Provide access to the artist; add a personal/biographical component to the event. d) Create a relationship with your customer/audience rather than a one time transaction of a ticket purchase.
Here is gratitude for the organizations who collaborated with Harlem Arts Alliance by participating and/or sponsoring Harlem Arts Advocacy Week. Here is gratitude for the sharing by the speakers who by tooting their own horns gave me an invitation to explore and support. An artist needs information. Information is needed about other artists, other arts, and other arts’ organizations. We got it!

Aborted Aversion

There is a formal family photograph on my wall. It was taken in 1954. It shows two adults and three children perched around an overstuffed chair. There is a television to the left and a piano to the right.
As an adolescent and teenager Davy Crocket and Rawhide would be on the television before dinner. The theme’s melodies still hum in my head. Through my high school years extracurricular activities and science projects found me studying in a room away from the TV. During my college years there began to be less stereotypical images of African Americans on the television. One summer in Memphis Tennessee with Mom, we watched the Young and Restless afternoon soap opera. I have never owned a television.
During the 80’s of nighttime soap operas it was easy to hide an aversion. When talk would start at work about last nights episode of Dallas my comments would simply chime agreement. There was no need to explain my preference for the radio. My colleagues assumed that there was a television in my apartment. Eventually all lies, even lies of omission come to an end.
In August several years ago there were posters on buses and telephone booths advertising a new TV show. The two short haired gents in the poster were intriguing. What a surprise when Aunt Polly told me that one of the co-stars on the poster was her grandson. This photo was also on the cover of the current TV guide magazine. Zealously these magazines were purchased; this news told to all my friends and colleagues. Then I panicked! How was I going to watch my cousin on this new TV show? For the first time I thought to buy a TV.
Instead three of my neighbors found copies of this TV guide magazine on their doorstep. Maybe someone will invite me. This panic and my dilemma had my friends in a chuckle. Fortunately one of my neighbors did invite me for that first show and every Monday night for the next four years. We shared dinners and chats during commercials. We pondered the plot. We became closer friends.
Wondering why of this historic aversion that family photograph stared back at me. Two adults and three children perched around an overstuffed chair. The television was on the left and the piano on the right. But there was another photograph in the background. Above the television there hung a 16” X 16” framed color photograph of me.

The Cult of Domesticity

American Folk Art Museum
Women Only: Folk Art by Female Hands
Through September 12, 2010

There is a welcoming statue of a full figured woman standing atop a ballot box on the third floor exhibit of Folk Art by Female Hands. The theme of this exhibit was inspired by the novel An Old Fashioned Girl by L. M. Alcott. In Chapter 13 of there is a scene where Fanny and Polly visit the studio of Becky and Bess. Becky with clay soaked hands is sculpting a statue of "the coming woman." Fanny describes the statue "it is only a beautiful woman, bigger, lovelier and more imposing than any woman I ever saw." The women discuss "what women should be?" "Give her a ballot box," suggested Kate King, the authoress. Becky agrees, " a needle, pen, palette, broom and a ballot box."
The exhibit introduces us to a portrait of Grandma Moses, who is credited with starting the canon of folk art according to the Senior curator Stacy C. Hollander. Grandma Moses did needlework before painting in oil and tempera.
Finishing the Quilt by Nan Phelps of Hamilton, Ohio, oil on canvas shows three generations of women seated and hand quilting.
Next to this piece hangs a silk quilt from the Museum of Folk Art collection entitled Stars and Pentagons. The patterns in this tautly stretched quilt are similar to Finishing the Quilt.

In the past centuries the homes of women displayed the practical skills of producing domestic textiles. These works combined practicality with ornamental creations. We now appreciate this beauty;' the cult of domesticity.'

Women were educated in the ornamental arts of needlework by stitching a "sampler." A sampler included the stitching of the letters of the alphabet, numbers and figures. These schools such as the Sanders and Beech School; Sarah Pierce's Female Academy in Litchfield, Connecticut or the Ladies Academy in Dorchester, Massachusetts also taught the classics. Some to the pieces exhibited show needlework plus watercolor paintings on linen. Watercolor Studies by Mary Nettleson from the Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham, Massachusetts.

There is a section about how the women used there needlework skills to teach morals and religious mythology to their families. The large hand stitched quilt by Maria Cadman Hubbard in 1848 depicts pious quotes, aphorisms and proverbs. "If you can not be a golden pippin. Do not turn crab apple." The letters are inches tall.

The quilt artist signed her tribute to the Grover Cleveland presidential campaign J.F.R. During the 1880-90's her "stash" included ribbons associated with political
events in the Democratic Party. There are irregular patches of silks and other fabrics outlined with embroidery threads.

A demure crazy quilted robe hangs on a mannequin. It was worn by Emma Rebecca Cummins Blacklock Snively Crosier Pauling. She was not a 'waiting' woman of the Gold Rush Days. She won her third husband in a bar room brawl. She was the first female telegraph operator for the railroad.


Theorem Painting during the period of 1825-1840 used hollow cut stencils to produce still life watercolor paintings on velvet fabric. The math formulas provided the sharp delineation of each object.

Diamond in the Square Quilt by an unknown quilter of Lancaster, Pennsylvania is dated between 1910-1930. The large geometric patterns in single-color fabrics of saturated earth and jewel tones are typical of contemporary Amish quilts. This pattern is related to the tooled leather designs found on covers of the Ausbund, the early Anabaptist hymnal.

The closing of the exhibit features portrait paintings in watercolor, pencil and ink.

American Folk Art Museum is located at 45 West 53rd Street/Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 212.265.1040. The exhibit runs until September 12, 2010.

Homegrown Poetry

It has always been my suspicion that mom and dad had only one thing in common. Poetry. Mom owned one special book from her youth. She showed it to me all torn and tattered, loosing its binding. She had a mirth in her voice as she explained to me that this was her twelveth grade English text book. In 1928-1929 LeMoyne-Owen College was also a high school. When she graduated she immediately was hired teaching in the primary grades. She was eighteen years old. Mom returned to college when I was in my primary grades.
The title of this book is One hundred and one Famous Poems published by R. S. Cook, the Cable Company 1926. The pages are yellow and patched with scotch tape. There are notes scribbled from her studies. And in addition there were names of her classmates written next to the poet's pictures. A joke, she said as she laughed her memories.
Occasionally on Saturday nights I would hear dad reading aloud from his bedroom. He was reading from this book. Stumbling then repeating to practice a line. He read poems as performance at his church.
The best thing I liked about this collection of classic poems is that there was a first line index in the back. Mom had the book rebound as a gift to me in 1991.
The total memory of a poem comes in two parts------
A clear recitation of the first few words:

O Captain. My Captain, our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won.

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree . . .

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler . . .

More first few words:

One road leads to London,
One road leads to Wales,
My road leads me seawards
To the white dipping sails.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary . . .

The smell of the sea in my nostrils,
The sound of the sea in mine ears;
The touch of the spray on my burning face,
Like the mist of reluctant tears.


The owl and Pussy-cat went to sea in a beautiful Pea green boat
They took some honey, and plenty of money
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

The second part of the memory of a poem is a recollection of a feeling. The words are right on the tip of your tongue. You know what the poem was about, but all you have is the feeling that your mind traveled. You long to go there again.

Through the years I have traveled to and fro with these poems. Others I have added when first I heard the expression "spinning a yarn," from a yachtsman. This sailboat captain had so, so many tales to tell of his pleasure boat sailing career. In order to compete I searched for nautical poems to recite onboard. It was a solution that has continued to our recent cruise out of Rockland, Maine. We anchored in cozy coves and windless ports on up the coast to Belfast, Maine last summer. After dinner we read to each other and laughed.