Awaking in New York by Maya Angelou
Awaking in New York
by Maya Angelou
Curtains forcing their will
against the wind,
children sleep,
exchanging dreams with
seraphim. The city
drags itself awake on
subway straps; and
I, an alarm, awake as a
rumor of war,
lie stretching into dawn,
unasked and unheeded.
Mozart's Jupiter Symphony
In honor of my husband Gert who died right around this time nine years ago, here is his favorite piece of classical music, Mozart's Symphony No. 41 his last, completed in 1788, and performed here by The Sinfonicade Galicia, conducted by Lorin Maazel.
Jacques D'Amboise 1934-2021
Of all the people in my life that I have known personally, NYC ballet dancer, choreographer, actor and visionary educator Jacques d'Amboise is up there when it comes to impact on the lives of others, espcially children. I had the privilege of attending his memorial life celebration at City Center this week and it just reaffirmed what an extraordinary man he was. Highlights of the evening for me were the beautiful, exhilarating, full of life and spirited dancers of National Dance Institute, Jacques' brilliant vision for arts education in public schools. Quoting their website, "Jacques d’Amboise founded National Dance Institute in the belief that the arts have a unique power to engage and motivate individuals towards excellence. Recognized as one of the finest classical dancers of our time, Mr. D’Amboise performed with the New York City Ballet for decades. While still a principal dancer, he established National Dance Institute in 1976, bringing his unique artistry and generosity of spirit to impact the lives of children. He led the field of arts education with NDI’s acclaimed program that teaches the magic and discipline of dance to thousands of children each year."
Here are a few of my favorite NDI signature dances, a version of which were performed the other night:
The Appalachian Clog Dance
When the Saints Go Marching In
Charity of the Week:
National Dance Institute
Please donate to this wonderful non profit that brings such joy to so many public school children
Painting of the Week
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.