My Blog

African-American Ballet, The Soloist & The American Dream . . .

05/25/2011 19:47:00

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"P r i n c e" l i v e "T h e B e a u t i f u l O n e s" ...

... for the very first time on Television on "L o p e z T o n ig h t" with dancer Misty Copeland (The American Ballet Theater's first African-American principle dancer)

MISTY COPELAND . . .the BLACK SOLOIST

Ok . . .this young lady is "AMAZING" . . . .not only is she talented, but she represents a "CURVY WOMAN"

. . . I have a love for "BALLET" & I am fasinated by the grace and precise movemetns of this beautiful ART FORM. . . .I think it is one of the most beautiful expressions of ART & DANCE . . .I have been following her for about six years. (haven't seen her perform as of yet, but I'm working on it!)

Read about her amazing journey and hear her interveiw about her "DANCE" with

the ONE & ONLY "PRINCE" with Madame Noire

Madame Noire talks with Misty Copeland about being a "CURVY BALLERINA" & being the first African American Soloist, for the prestigious American Ballet Theatre

Born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in San Pedro, California, Misty Copeland began her ballet studies at the age of 13 at the San Pedro Dance Center. At the age of fifteen she won first place in the Music Center Spotlight Awards. She then began her studies at the Lauridsen Ballet Center. Copeland has studied at the San Francisco Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive on full scholarship and was declared ABT’s National Coca-Cola Scholar in 2000. She has danced Kitri in Don Quixote and the Sugar Plum Fairy and Clara in The Nutcracker.

Copeland joined ABT’s Studio Company in September 2000 and then joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2001 and was appointed a Soloist in August 2007. Her roles with the Company include a Shade and the Lead D’Jampe in La Bayadère, Milkmaid in The Bright Stream, the Mazurka Lady in Coppélia, Gulnare and and Odalisque in Le Corsaire, the lead gypsy and a flower girl in Don Quixote, Duo Concertant, the Masks in Christopher Wheeldon's VIII, the peasant pas de deux in Giselle, one of The Nutcracker's Sisters in Alexei Ratmanksy's The Nutcracker, a Gypsy in Petrouchka, the Lead Polovtsian Girl in Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, the Saracen Dancer in Raymonda, a Harlot in Romeo and Juliet, the Fairy of Valor in The Sleeping Beauty, the pas de trois, a cygnet and the Hungarian Princess in Swan Lake, the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and roles in Airs, Amazed in Burning Dreams, Baker’s Dozen, Ballo della Regina, Birthday Offering, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Brief Fling, Company B, Désir, Gong, Hereafter, In the Upper Room, Overgrown Path, Pretty Good Year, Sechs Tänze, Sinatra Suite, Sinfonietta, Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison and workwithinwork.

Copeland created the Spanish Dance in Alexei RAtmansky's The Nutcracker and leading roles in C. to C. (Close to Chuck), Glow-Stop and One of Three.

Copeland was a receipient of a 2008 Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts.

Ms. Copeland's performance's with American Ballet Theatre are sponsored by Susan Fales-Hill.

(RESOURCE)

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Misty Copeland: an unlikely ballerina

Misty Copeland, the first African-American soloist with American Ballet Theatre in two decades, never dreamed of becoming a ballerina. Watch the amazing story, told in her own words, only on Dance Cha...

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MISTY COPELAND - INTERVIEW - (AMERICAN BALLET THEATER SOLOIST) - 2-23-11 - VOB

Interview with Tavis Smiley

Her legs are AMAZING . . . .

The History of Ballet

Ballet is a formalized kind of performance dance, which originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France, Russia, and Britain as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with most of the audience seated on tiers or galleries on three sides of the dancing floor. It has since become

a highly techinical form of dance with its own vocabulary. It is primarily performed with the

accompaniment of classical music and has been influential as a form of dance globally.

Ballet has been taught in ballet schools around the world, which use their own cultures and societies to inform the art. Ballet dance works (ballets) are choreographed and performed by trained artists, include mime and acting, and are set to music (usually orchestral but occasionally vocal). It is a poised

style of dance that incorporates the foundational techniques for many other dance forms.

This genre of dance is very hard to master and requires much practice. It is best known in the form

of Late Romantic Ballet or Ballet Blanc, which preoccupies itself with the female dancer to the exclusion

of almost all else, focusing on pointe work, flowing, precise acrobatic movements, and often presenting

the dancers in the conventional short WHITE FRENCH TUTU. Later developments include expressionist ballet, Neoclassical ballet, and elements of Modern dance.

America's First Negro Classic Ballet

Joseph Rickard (1918-1994) founded America's First Negro Classic Ballet

in 1947, gathering students from the African-American community.

To finance the school, he worked two jobs, in the mail room at Paramount Studios and driving an ice cream truck..
During its ten-year life, the First Negro Classic Ballet played a crucial part in advancing the place of African-Americans in American ballet. Although Joseph Rickard's troupe was not the first black ballet corps, it built on the accomplishments of its predecessor, the American Negro Ballet, founded in New York in 1937.

Joseph Rickard

The First American Negro Classic Ballet

The First American Negro Ballet, directed by von Grona, opened in 1937 at the Lafayette Theater in

Harlem with a live orchestra. The repertory included his Firebird. The opening season of Ballet Theatre

in 1940 included a Negro Unit, which presented one work, Black Ritual, choreographed by

Agnes de Mille. The First Negro Classic Ballet, directed by Rickard, premiered in Los Angeles in 1947,

and was the first to present a complete repertoire on pointe. Hitchins formed the Negro Dance Theatre,

an all-male company that performed in 1954. The New York Negro Ballet was at its peak in 1957,

when it toured Great Britain with Ward Flemyng as director. The group had begun performing in 1954

with six dancers from Maria Nevelska's studio and was variously called Ballet Negre or later

Ballet Americana, continuing until 1959 under the direction of Antony Bassae. In Washington, D.C.,

Capitol Ballet, created in 1961 as the performing unit of the Jones-Haywood School, invited many distinguished African-American dancers and choreographers to be guest artists.

A few African American performers managed to find employment with large ballet companies.

Betty Nichols was featured in Zodiac, choreographed by Todd Bolender, and she and Talley Beatty

danced in Blackface, choreographed by Lew Christensen, during Ballet Society's 1947 season in

New York City. Beatty also danced with Ruth Page Ballets, based in Chicago, in the early fifties.

At New York City Ballet, Arthur Bell danced in Frederick Ashton's Illuminations in 1950, and

Louis Johnson danced in Jerome Robbins's Ballade in 1952. Raven Wilkinson joined

Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1956, perhaps the only black dancer to enter its ranks,

and later performed with Netherlands National Ballet. In 1956, Arthur Mitchell

became the first black dancer invited to become a full member of New York City Ballet,

where he rose to principal dancer before leaving to form Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Other dancers who worked under full-time contracts with ballet companies include Janet Collins

in the Metropolitan Opera's ballet; Sylvester Campbell in Netherlands National Ballet and

Royal Winnipeg Ballet; John Jones in Jerome Robbins's Ballets: U.S.A., the Joffrey Ballet,

and the Harkness Ballet; Christian Holder and Gary Chryst in the Joffrey; and Keith Lee in the

Harkness Youth Ensemble and American Ballet Theatre. Betsy Dickerson and

Elizabeth Thompson joined the Radio City Music Hall corps de ballet.

After World War II, Roland Petit's Ballets de Paris and the companies of several German opera houses,

notably Munich, Stuttgart, and Cologne, employed African American dancers. Gene Hill Sagan

danced with the Israel Opera and the Israel Classical Ballet. Ballet-trained black dancers also

found roles in Broadway shows, memorably in House of Flowers and Carmen Jones.

Janet Collins Janet Collins

As you can see African-American Ballet Dancers and the performance of Ballet has come a long way . . . .the struggle, the passion and the perseverance to become recognized as a Professional Ballet Dancer . . . has paid off . . . .just as America has our First African-American President . . .America has the First African-American Bellaet Soloist . . .as we honor and pay respect to the Legends of the First American Negro Classic Ballet Dancers that paved the way and endured the plight for young African-American dancers of today . . . .

For Nothing Is Impossible . . .With GOD . . . (Luke 1:37)

Georgia Bridal BASH! w/David Tutera

03/08/2011 17:58:00

Here are the PHOTOS

from the

Georgia Bridal BASH!

Hosted by

Macon, GA

Sunday, March 6, 2011

with

Celebrity Event & Wedding Planner

David Tutera

from

"My Fair Wedding"

WEtv

Everyone had a FABULOUS! TIME!

David Tutera

was

AWESOME & GENUINE

very approachable & personable

He gave the women really good sound advice on their Wedding WHOAs

It was a fantastic TURNOUT!

& the

Vendors were very friendly . . .

Macon reminds me of Savannah

just a warm hometown feeling . . like GRANDMA's

APPLE PIE!

Here is a LIST of some of the VENDORS!

Slice . .Cakes & Fine Confections

Milledgeville, GA

Shannon Stubbs

678-491-7124

www.slice-of-cake.com

Memory Booth

488 First St. Macon, GA 31201

478-719-8185

www.memory-booth.com

Mo'Niques's Publications

151 Aspen Drive

Macon, Georgia 31216

866-987-8773

www.moniquespublications.com

They create elegant and stunning photo albums that will . . .

"Perserve Your Memories for a Lifetime."

Each custom album is hardbound, original & designed to fit you.

Brilliant Linens

Fine Linen Rentals

488 First Street

Macon, GA 31201

478-746-4589

www.brilliantlinens.com

The Liberty Ballroom

Macon's First Library

652 Mulberry Street

Macon, Georgia 31201

Chandra S. Brown

478-957-7728

www.libraryballroom.com

Alexa Hunt

Celebrations . . . by Alexa

Full Service Catering for All Occasions

Specializing in Weddings

9183 Zebulon Road

Macon, GA 31220

478-361-6678

FB Celebrations by Alexa

uuuummmm . . . her Seafood & Pasta Salad was so

"DOWN HOME LIP SMACKING GOOD!"

I had to go back for seconds!

DELISH!

the Tablescape was

DELIGHTFUL!

SWOOZIE'S 10th Birthday Celebration!

03/08/2011 00:40:00

Hey! guys you still have time to come out & celebrate

Swoozie's 10th Birthday!

3 more days! to CELEBRATE!

go online & check out some of the GREAT! $10 deals

http://www.swoozies.com/

Okay, Ladies & Gents if you haven't been to Swoozie's . . . as of yet you'r e missing the "BEST CELEBRATION" store in the Atlanta area . . . OMG! Talk about PARTY THEMES & Entertaining! They have it all from serving dishes, to tiaras, greeting cards, napkins & so so much more!

I had the pleasure of joining them for part of their 10th Birthday Celebration! Cupcake Celebration . . . on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at their New store at the Chastain Square location featuring

Stephen Brown the creator of "Glitterville . . .Where Everyday Is a Holiday!"

Stephen served yummy cupcakes to all the customers that came out for the celebration.

CHECK OUT the PICS!

from the

Chastain Square location

David Tutera

03/06/2011 01:24:00

GUESS Who's in GEORGIA?

for TWO DAYS!

the

FABULOUS & EXTRAORDINARY!

DAVID TUTERA

Event Planner

to celebrities & the host of the reality

HIT! TV series,

"My Fair Wedding on WEtv"

Oh-Brides.com and Georgia Bridal Bash presents a
VIP Cocktail & Book Signing

Saturday evening, March 5, 2011

at 7pm – 9pm

7:30-9pm Cocktails and Book Signing

Located at the Macon Marriott Hotel
240 Coliseum Dr. Macon, Ga. 31217

This evening will include a meet and greet with the artistic visionary David Tutera. David will be available sign his lastest book My Fair Wedding and will share some of his amazing ceremony and wedding reception ideas. Also be one of the first to purchase David’s newest book! My Fair Wedding • Finding Your Vision…Through His Revisions, get your very own signed copy from the man himself!

Guests $50.00 per person. RSVP required, limited seating available.

Oh-Brides.com is pleased to announce the

2nd Annual Georgia Bridal Bash Bridal Show

Featuring DAVID TUTERA

Sunday, March 6, 2011

12pm -5pm

at the

Macon Marriott Centreplex Convention Center

TICKETS $15

The Georgia Bash Bridal Show is an extravaganza of wedding professionals, floral designs, music, entertainment, caterers, and a must see fashion show to assist future brides and grooms in planning their wedding. Last year show was a tremendous success with 50 vendors and over 500 guests, which included 200 brides-to-be.

Oh-Brides.com will be featuring celebrity wedding planner and WE TV host of My Fair Wedding, David Tutera to make this year’s event beyond fabulous. Awarded the “Best Celebrity Wedding Planner” by Life & Style Magazine and featured on The Oprah Show, David Tutera name has become synonymous with style, elegance, creativity and vision.

GUESS WHO'S HAVING A CASTING CALL

for

BRIDES?

Would you like to be on WEtv's hit series My Fair Wedding?

WEtv’s hit series My Fair Wedding is casting for Los Angeles AND New York brides! They need brides who are getting married in LA between April 2011 and August 2011 and in NYC, October 2011 and November 2011.

Sorry no exceptions.

Please send us your information to MFW4casting@pilgrimfilms.tv

Include in your email the following:

-YOUR NAME

-ADDRESS

-PHONE NUMBER

-WEDDING DATE AND LOCATION

-GUEST COUNT

-BRIEF BIO

-CURRENT PHOTO OF BRIDE AND GROOM

Please also include a brief description and/or photos of any existing wedding plans

(i.e., Dress, Venue, Decor, Etc.)

FAB FAV FINDS!

03/05/2011 21:54:00

Hello everyone! . . .so it's been a long week . .and I had some challenges & some bumps in the ROAD . . . .but guess WHAT!

I am having a

FABULOUS WEEKEND!

So here is a QUOTE . . .by me that inspired some of my

FB Friends & it got me and them through the week . . .

"Each STEP that I take . . .is a STEP OUT ON FAITH . . keep walking . .keep TRYING & most importantly keep PRAYING with every STEP. . ."

With that being said . . . .I have some FAB! FAV! FINDS!

SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!

LETS GET READY!

One of my fab fav finds comes from a Jewelry Designer & Blogger

out of Scottsdale, Arizona

Michelle S. Wire Queen Jewelry, ART & More

Michelle S. Hawkins

check out her FABULOUS HANDCRAFTED ARTISTRY

Midwife Healer Earrings $25

Quartz Crystal Dagger Points Faceted into four sides. They are capped by sterling silver square wire. The leverbacks are surgical steel.

Another FAB FAV to check out! this BEAUTIFUL

Pearl Cabchon Ring $21

Pearl Cabochon adjustable ring. Pearlized and very shiny.

Please check out all the

BEAUTIFUL & FABULOUS HANDCRAFTED ARTISTRY

Michelle S. Wire Queen

http://MichelleS.artfire.com & http://wirequeen.com

MICHELLE!

I AM LOVIN! THIS FABULOUS SEXY RING!

JUST RIGHT FOR SPRING!

WOW!

Nights Splendar-Hematite Ring

*************************************************************************

Ladies get ready for the SPRING!

with

PERFECT HEALTHY SEXY LIPS . . .

Looking for that PERFECT PUCKER!

Well here's another

FAB! FAV! FIND!

Ladies if you want HEALTHY & SEXY LIPS!

CHECK OUT THESE FABULOUS LIP SMACKING PRODUCTS!

FEATURED in the GIFT BAGS at the 2010 Trumpet Awards Gifting Suite

Why should you choose The Perfect Pucker over other products?

With very few lip exfoliants on the market, The Perfect Pucker is made with all natural ingredients. Plus, with different scents to choose from, you can have an aromatherapy experience that is either energizing or calming to your senses.

First we have

The Perfect Pucker LIP EXFOLIATE!

The Perfect Pucker aromatherapy exfoliants are amazing products that heal dry, chapped lips. Made with natural and organic ingredients, beet sugar gently exfoliates, while Vitamin E oil and Jojoba oil condition and soften your lips, making them instantly silky, soft, and smooth.

They come in 5 FABULOUS FLAVORS!

Graprfruit Splash

Lavender Hill

Lemon Twist

Mint Julep

Valencia!

ONLY! $7.00

DIVAS !

FAB FAV is the VALENCIA!

Valencia Lip Exfoliant

The orange oil in this scrub gives a calming effect while removing dead skins cells and leaving your lips with a refreshing taste of citrus.

for one I LOVE ORANGES & its named after

the Owner & CREATOR of the Perfect Pucker!

Ms. Valencia Scott!

OK AY . . . . .LADIES . . . .so you have your LIPS EXFOLIATED . . .now the next step is to make THOSE BEAUTIES

SEXY . . .

with

The Perfect Pucker

Perfectly Sexy Lip Tint!

ONLY $7.00

These natural lip tints give you the conditioning of our regular lip remedy, but with a subtle hint of color, giving you a perfectly sexy pucker Made with flavored

peppermint oil. These Tints come in two shades:

Samantha

Charlotte

Ladies SPRING is coming! Get EXFOLIATED! GET SEXY LIPS!

I got mine!

check out her website & order your HEALTHY SEXY LIP PRODUCTS TODAY!

http://www.theperfectpucker.com/

FAB FAV FINDS

02/23/2011 22:26:00

FABULOUS!

FAVORITE!

FINDS!

Hello

FABULOUS DIVA's

So . . .as I was out & about this past weekend in Atlanta . . .enjoying the 75 degree weather . . .I went to go pick up one of my FABULOUS, FAVORITE! FINDS! at Sephora (of course). . . . . .I starting using this last year and I can not live without it . . . . My TARTE Bronzer!

Tarte Park Ave Princess Bronzer $29

BUT GUESS WHAT!?

I found the LIMIITED EDITION DELUXE KIT! for $15

ONLINE @ TARTE COSMETICS

Bronze To Go ($27 ) NOW $15
A deluxe kit of tarte's best-selling Mineral Powder Bronzer in Park Ave Princess & Glam on the Go Kabuki Brush.

GUESS WHAT?! ITS GOOD 4 YOUR SKIN! & the ENVIRONMENT! GREEN PACKAGING

fabulous healthy skin ingredients

mineral pigments: colors and dyes derived from natural minerals have been know to soothe and soften the skin

vitamin A: beneficial antioxidant that helps remove free radicals, promotes collagen production and retain moisture, which plumps fine lines and wrinkles to give the appearance of younger skin

vitamin C: antioxidant that fights free radical damage and prevents oxidative stress and premature signs of aging, while brightening skin

vitamin E: natural preservative that also acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient and protects against free radical damage

formulated without mineral oil & petrolatum

formulated without paraben

formulated without phthalatescruelty free

formulated without sodium lauryl sulfate

formulated without synthetic fragrance

dermatologist tested

celebrity fans

*Lindsay Lohan
* Carrie Underwood

WHAT'S YOUR FABULOUS! FAVORITE! FIND!

TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT

SEND ME A PHOTO, LINK & INFORMATION ON PERSON OR PRUDUCT!

GiftingSuite@soiree365 or Soiree365@gmail.com

MOVIE NIGHT/OSCAR PARTY!

02/19/2011 13:43:00

Having a Movie Night or Oscar Night Theme Party!

Money Saving Tips and Recipes to IMPRESS your guests at your SOIREE'

COCKTAILS ANYONE?

THE RED CARPET COCKTAIL

11/2 oz Patron Silver Tequila
OR 1 1/2 oz Berry CIROC
1/2 ounce Patrón Citrónge Orange Liqueur
fresh raspberry juice
dash organic Cranberry Juice
fresh lime juice
gold sugar rim
orange wedge dipped in gold sugar for garnish
Or garnish with a FRESH STRAWBERRY!

Wet the rim of a cocktail glass using an orange or lime wedge.

Wet the RIM wet with gold sugar, shake off excess sugar and set aside

Pour the liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

SHAKE well.

Strain into the prepared cocktail glass.

Garnish with an orange wedge dipped in gold sugar.

Be the life of any party and impress your friends
with WORLD CLASS cocktails made with ease…

For other refreshing drinks checkout! "COCKTAILS WITH A PUCNH!"

The Ultimate Book of Cocktail Recipes . . .

How to Make Incredible Tasting Cocktails at Home Right NOW"

The Chozen Awards

02/15/2011 20:44:00

We've Been Nominated! for the

"3rd Annual Chozen Awards"

"Party Starter of the Year"

VOTE HERE!

What is the Chozen Awards?

In 2008, CHOZEN MEDIA, a trend-setting, Atlanta-based, multimedia company, created the CHOZEN AWARDS to inspire, impact and empower the Greater Atlanta community in honor of the unsung heroes who make this city so great. Nominees are selected in 15 categories in the areas of business, entertainment, health, hospitality and the arts and are voted on by the public.

Another key factor which casts The CHOZEN AWARDS in a league of its own is our commitment to social responsibility and bringing public awareness to a worthy cause. For the first benefactor, funds were raised to assist a single mother and her son born with Gastroschisis, and last year, donations were given to the United Way of Metro Atlanta. This year’s beneficiary is

40 Girls & Some Shoes.

Nomination Categories

Nominations begin December 6, 2010 to January 14, 2011, in the following categories:

Entrepreneur of the Year: In business for a minimum of two years
Executive of the Year: Currently holds a management or director position
Educator of the Year: Works in the education field
Artist of the Year: Works in the visual or performing arts
Author/Writer of the Year: Author of books, films, or plays
Entertainer of the Year: A comedian or actor
Nonprofit of the Year: A community based organization
Newsmaker of the Year: Journalism professional
Blogger of the Year: Writes online articles part or full-time
Party Starter of the Year: Works in the events or promotions field
Motivator of the Year: A public/inspirational speaker
Musician of the Year: A vocal/instrumental individual or group
Tastemaker of the Year: A restaurant/eatery/hospitality venue
Trendsetter of the Year: Individual/Business in beauty/grooming industry
Stylista of the Year: Individual/Business in the fashion arena
Health Practitioner of the Year: Individual in the health/medical/wellness industry

Join us on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 to find out who will be CHOZEN!