Pride Month First Friday performance will present the new works by multimedia performance artist, videomaker Tara Mateik and choreographer, dancer Brandon Coleman. Tara’s new project “Without a Cigarette and a Blindfold” returns to the set of Jackie Susann's Valley of the Dolls, as Judy Garland comes back again in her short-lived role as Helen Lawson in this live film adaptation. Brandon Coleman’s new dance solo “Smoke and Mirrors” is based on the work of Alan Downs, author of The Velvet Rage, that tackles the concept of masculinity and the gender expectations of men.

Kita P is a singer/songwriter bringing to you that #BlindVibe through her melodic blend in range and rhythm. Performing all over NYC with guitar in-hand!! Born and raised in Harrisburg, PA, she now resides in Brooklyn, NY where she is actively sharing her work with the world.She has a sound that is nothing to be boxed or predicted. With her unique vocal ability she brings her original music to life. Her melodic blend in range and rhythm create a classic blind vibe. So sit back, close your eyes, open your ears, and vibe with the sounds of Kita P.

Rising Stars of Classical World, QingYu Chen, Li Yu Chen, and Jenny Jiang comes together to present a contemporary diverse repertoire for today's audiences. 
 

PROGRAM

Li Yu Chen    Bach Sonata No. 2 in D minor Allemande and Corrente
Li Yu Chen    Elgar Salut d’amour
Li Yu Chen    Sarasate Zigeunerweisen
Qing Yu Chen and Li Yu Chen       Leclair Sonata No. 5 for two violins
Qing Yu Chen and Li Yu Chen       Shostakovich Preludes for two violins
Jenny Jiang        Franchomme Cello caprice no 9 
Jenny Jiang        Phillip Glass Song V 

Join JCAL to celebrate the International Women’s Month with three female spoken words artists Joanne T. Dolman, Selina Hernandez, and Cassandra Nwokah! Joanne is a Philippine-American stage performer, writer and spoken word who will perform her poems that investigate racism; Selina Hernandez will present her works that was inspired the daily struggles faced as a mom, a woman of color, an artist, as well as other female struggles; Cassandra Nwokah, an American Nigerian theatre artist and recent graduate of Columbia University’s MFA theatre program, will showcase her new poetry play i come from A People where she develops a way to express the nuances— joy, pain, confusion, otherness, love, hate, fear, etc.— that binds the black experience in America.

Indo-Caribbean artists group Gangadai was created to increase the visibility of the underserved Indo-Caribbean community and share the inherited classical and folk musical traditions of the underrepresented demographic of East Indians from the Caribbean and South America in New York City. Their new project "Silk Road" documents the dying art of the mantra or "Jaap" Bajan song tradition to conserve Indo-Caribbean culture for future generations and share this ancient art form to bridge divides and invite dialogue.

Born in Brooklyn, raised in Jamaica, Queens, jazz musician Keith Jordan writes, produces and perform music in the tri-state area. He also teaches music at Francis Lewis High School in Queens. “I used to go to Queens College and get hip to Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven along with learning sight singing, theory, and composition classes by day and go hang out at “The Village Door” where they were playing Jazz music at night." He was fortunate to hear some of the great musicians of Jamaica, Queens  that included, Bernard Wright, Omar Hakim, and Don Blackmon to name a few. More importantly he got to play with them when he worked up his nerve!  

Throughout the workshops, each group shares skills and experiences in an effort to arrive at their own unique approach to creating and performing music, while simultaneously proposing new ways of activating community space. The songs that emerge from these workshops seek to empower the youth with a sense of ownership by crediting them as co-writers.  

Take on a journey through the swing era following Lillian Carlyle, an inspiring dancer from Hollywood. Tap your feet to authentic vintage fashions and jazz music from the 1920-40s by Big Band greats such as Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman and enjoy the high energy Lindy Hop dance that began during this time. Audience are welcome to participate in the show and sing and dance along. To culminate the performance, together we will dance a historic line dance, the Shim Sham, to celebrate the joy of dance and music.