It’s Christmas in New York, and as fall turned to winter it looked like things were going to be festive in a way they hadn't been since 2019. One sign of new life was the return of The Nutcracker, in George Ballanchine’s classic production, performed by the dancers and orchestra of the New York City Ballet as it has been (almost) every year since 1954. Despite new safety protocols and re-workings, the show was as magnificent as always and brought a little holiday magic back to midtown (at least for a few weeks).

Featured in this Episode

• Lincoln Center / New York City Ballet
• • https://www.lincolncenter.org
  • https://www.nycballet.com/
  • @lincolncenter @nycballet, @sab_nyc
  
  
• Jonathan Stafford, Artistic Director
• • https://www.nycballet.com/about-us/board-and-staff/artistic-staff/jonathan-stafford/
  • @jonathanstafford_nycb
  
  
• Unity Phelan, Principal, New York City Ballet
• • https://www.nycballet.com/discover/meet-our-dancers/principal-dancers/unity-phelan/
  • @unityphelan
  
  

Resources/More Information:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/16/arts/dance/nutcracker-costumes-new-york-city-ballet.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/07/arts/dance/new-york-city-ballet-promotions.html
• https://www.bloombergquint.com/pursuits/nyc-ranks-first-on-holiday-travel-this-christmas-promising-recovery

Lincoln Center is the great city on the hill of performing arts in the United States, home to arguably the most distinguished opera company, ballet company, and symphony orchestra in the country, as well as our most famous music school, the world’s largest performing arts library, and much, much more… But for all of the highbrow excellence of these institutions, none of them had much to offer a city taking its first tentative steps out of quarantine, which craved ways to come together, inclusively and outdoors.

So Lincoln Center threw open its massive and under-utilized outdoor campus to some amazing performers that normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to perform there. Among them was Debra Ann Byrd, a theater veteran who’s one-woman show “Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey” tells a tale of perseverance, perfect for this city right now.

Featured in this Episode

• Lincoln Center
• • https://www.lincolncenter.org
  • https://www.lincolncenter.org/lincoln-center-at-home/series/restart-stages
  • @lincolncenter
  
  
• Jordana Leigh - Senior Director, Artist Programming
• • @jae.bklyn
  
  
• Harlem Arts Alliance
• • @haacommunity
  
  
• Harlem Week
• • https://www.harlemweek.com/
  • @harlemweek
  
  
• Donna Walker Kuhne
• • https://walkercommunicationsgroup.com/donna-walker-kuhne
  
  
• Debra Ann Byrd
• • https://stateofshakespeare.com/?page_id=4803
  • @becomingothello
  • @becomingothello

The craziness of the last few years has made for some unexpected partnerships around the city. None of these were stranger and more successful than the shotgun wedding of a tiny neighborhood history museum and a risk-taking collective of burlesque artistes known to some as a “Voltron of gay strippers”. This unlikely collaboration not only saved them both financially, but pushed them both into bold new creative directions they never would have otherwise discovered.

Featured in this Episode

• Last Chance Dancers - (Insta @lastchancedancers , venmo: @lastchancedancer)
• • Maggie McMuffine - ( @maggie_mcmuffin) - Founder
  • Venuhhhtrix - (@venuhhhtrix) - Founder
  • Esme (@esmedavril)
  • Kita St. Cyr (@kitastcyr)
  • Queensinera (@queensinera_vdlp)
  • Special Guest Dancer - Jack Barrow (@mr.jackbarrow)
  
  
• City Reliquary (Insta @cityreliquary, website: https://www.cityreliquary.org/)
• • Jacob Ford (Insta @unitof, https://jacobford.com/)
  
  
• Natalia - Photographer - (Insta @natsinbrooklyn)

Special Thanks: Nightlife Documentrian Andres (Insta