Remember the first half of Footloose? Where dance isn't allowed and no one does it? That's where I live. I don't want to dance with somebody and my hips do, in fact, lie. That being said, this month someone hit fast forward on my movie and I found myself at the warehouse dance party aka Ailey Dance Extension. With more than 90 weekly classes, I was quite overwhelmed with my choices. I started with salsa.
Afro Flow Yoga is a body-and-soul awakening. Created by dancer-yogini Leslie Salmon-Jones and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Jones, the dance form melds yoga with West African diasporic dance.
This season, Rennie Harris is Ailey's first-ever artist in residence and has created the company's first-ever two-act work.
The Hub Today's Jacque Reid hits the dance floor at Ailey Extension Dance Studio.
Ruschell Boone looks at the history of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with current and former artistic directors Robert Battle and Judith Jamison. They also discuss the 60th season, which is having performances at New York City Center through December 30th.
A dancer discovers the satisfactions of learning the famously demanding technique. Ana Marie Forsythe's eyes twinkle, and a smile plays at the corners of her mouth as she welcomes the 40-plus teachers who are enrolled for her two-week-long Horton teacher-training workshop at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater studios in New York City - plus me, a dancer and writer, taking part for the day.
Good Day NY's Christal Young tries a variety of dance classes offered at the Ailey Extension, including Horton, Hip-Hop, African and Vogue.
The moment she walks into the studio, Robin Dunn transforms her beginner hip-hop class into a party. Her adult students at the Ailey Extension in New York City are a mix of first time drops-ins and longtime regulars. "My agenda is big," says Dunn, a native New Yorkers. "Its more than just 'Come sweat and have fun' - I want everyone to feel better about themselves, to feel fit and cool."
Now, I’m totally hooked on the flow. I consider myself a person that’s pretty invested in exercising—I pay for a gym membership and actually use it, and I’ve started to enjoy running outdoors now that I’ve found a few favorite sneakers and sports bras that make me feel secure. But like many people, I have a hard time getting active when it’s cold out. Between the months of December and March, I tend to go into workout hibernation. I’d just rather stay in my apartment and Netflix and chill (literally) than swing a kettlebell.
Afro flow yoga infuses traditional yoga and African dance to get you up and moving, allowing you to stretch and dance off calories.