New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the appointment of the full slate of 13 members of the Charter Revision Commission (CRC) announced yesterday. The CRC will be chaired by Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of the New York Building Congress, and will be tasked with reviewing the charter and determining how to make New…
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Cloudy skies could not dim the sunny outlook as over 250 students, 50-plus future student-athlete cyclists, and cycling race enthusiasts came together for USA Cycling’s first annual Annual Bike Fest Field Day, which was held and coordinated by PS 18 in the South Bronx.
“A whole host of organizations have come together as a result of Principal Anjelica Jordan’s vision at PS 18 to provide access to cycling to her students and to provide the safe spaces to ride,” said Maurelhena Walles, founder and CEO of Equity Design, which is a subcontractor to the New York State Department of Health Creating Healthy Schools Initiative. “We work with schools in and around the Bronx, Brownsville, and East Harlem, communities that have the lowest physical activity engagement. We work with principals around increasing their capacity. It’s a five-year initiative on how to sustain it.”
For the May 15 Bike Fest Field Day, partnerships with USA Cycling as well as organizations like Free Bikes for Kids, Bronx Health REACH, and Up2Us, PS 18 shut down the streets surrounding the school to give students access to cycling. Part of it involved teaching kids how to ride safely, including wearing a helmet.
“For us, representation matters, so being able to interact with BIPOC cyclists who are also racers is great for kids,” said Walles. “It’s also an opportunity for them to interact with Bike NYC that provides bike education. Some of the stations are more so around inclusive play and activities for the students.”
Equity Design is a non-profit founded in 2019 to impact health and wellness in underserved communities. After positions with PowerPlay NYC, Fit 4 Life NYC, and Kids in the Game, Walles examined where she saw communities not fully engaging in physical activities that would lead to increased thriving. Frustrated to see public schools scaling back physical education, she was determined to help schools make physical activity part of school culture.
Health and fitness are important to Walles, who competes as a master athlete in track. “I am thankful to be competitive,” she said. “I love the challenge of being able to compete at a high level and manage Equity Design. I feel I thrive being able to do both simultaneously.”
Making bicycle riding part of every child’s childhood is important to Walles. Overcoming the fear of riding a bicycle and building community through cycling is also important.
Last week, tennis greats, celebrities, tennis fans and players came together to celebrate the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program (HJTEP) at its 52nd annual gala. Young players from the program, including graduating seniors, were also on hand, even showing off their skills on the small court placed at the center of the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan.
“This program has done so much for me. It’s helped me grow, not only as an athlete but also as a person. It’s taught me how to discipline myself by figuring out how to manage my time while playing competitive tennis and attending school. This is a second family for me,” said senior Eliasar Gonzalez, who has participated in HJTEP since the fifth grade. In the fall, Gonzalez will begin at the University of Dayton, and plans to try out to be a walk-on with the tennis team.
Long-time HJTEP coach Brian Spigner echoed the sentiment about the family atmosphere. “It’s a beautiful network,” he said. “I can give back to the community.” Coach Love Moore praised the individualized attention that participants receive, on and off the court. “I’m so honored to be a part of it,” Moore said.
While showing their on-court moves, HJTEP participants wore t-shirts that bore the organization’s acronym and the words honesty, journey, tenacity, excellence, perseverance. Lana Waterman, 16, has been with HJTEP for almost 10 years. “It really is a community,” she said. Lana and twin sister Lena both hope to attend Howard University and play on the tennis team. “I love going to practice four days a week,” said Lena. “When I think about winning tournaments in tennis, it makes me want to do better in school and get an A on a test.”
In addition to raising money, HJTEP also gave out awards that recognized impact on the organization. Hall of Fame tennis player Stan Smith received the Shining Star Award. Upon accepting, Smith shared information from the late Arthur Ashe Jr. about the importance of education. The James R. Kelly III Chairman’s Award honored vocal HJTEP supporter Michelle Blake-Wilson. The HJTEP Corporate Award was presented to Johnson & Johnson MedTech, which has supported the organization for more than a decade.
DanceAfrica, one of New York City’s most beloved Memorial Day traditions, returns for its 47th year on May 24 with three days of dance performances, dance classes, film screenings, art installations, the popular DanceAfrica Bazaar, and much more.
The nation’s biggest annual celebration of African dance, DanceAfrica 2024 will feature performances by the Billie’s Youth Arts Academy Dance Ensemble, DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers, and Women of the Calabash in the Peter Jay Sharp Building of the Brooklyn Academy Of Music (BAM) Howard Gilman Opera House.
Sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies, DanceAfrica 2024 is presented in partnership with other cornerstone Brooklyn cultural institutions, such as the Weeksville Heritage Center, Mark Morris Dance Center, Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservatory, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), and African Film Festival.
The theme of this year’s festival is “The Origin of Communities/A Calabash of Cultures.” Per the promotional materials, the theme signifies a “dynamic celebration of the rich tapestry of African arts and culture, with a focus on the traditions and contemporary innovations of Cameroon, affectionately known as Little Africa.”
Cameroon is in Central West Africa and is a culturally, linguistically, and topographically diverse former German, French, and British colony. It got its name from the Portuguese at the dawn of global capitalism. The calabash, a member of the gourd family, has a variety of uses in many African countries, including as musical instruments. The hard outer shell, in particular, also holds symbolic meaning as a vessel of magic and the “cosmic womb.”
The festival kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on May 24 with a memorial tribute to the ancestors and elders through a traditional libation ceremony on the steps of the Peter Jay Sharp Building. DanceAfrica continues its homage to ancestors throughout the festival as a curated exhibition in the Memorial Room of the Peter Jay Sharp Building.
On opening night, the Brooklyn-based dance ensemble Siren: Protectors of the Rain Forest, led by Cameroonian Mafor Mambo Tse, will join the Billie’s Youth Arts Academy Dance Ensemble, DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers, and Women of the Calabash for a performance grounding the festival in essential Cameroonian culture.
Of course, DanceAfrica wouldn’t be DanceAfrica without its much-loved, open to all ages, dance classes and party. The DanceAfrica Community Class, co-presented by BAM and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, takes place at Brooklyn Bridge Park (Pier 6 Liberty Lawn) on May 25.
The outdoor DanceBazaar at Ashland Place and Lafayette Avenue starts on May 25. African, Caribbean, and African American food, fashion, artifacts, jewelry, and crafts will again be on offer.
DanceAfrica echoes many West African societies with its Council of Elders, an event staple that returns this year on May 26. Members of the DanceAfrica Council of Elders discuss the connections and relationships between Africa, its cultures, those in the diaspora, and those who are part of the DanceAfrica community as participants and/or attendees.
On May 27, the DanceAfrica Family Class, DanceAfrica Physically Integrated Movement Class, and DanceAfrica Masterclass will take place at Mark Morris Studios. The family class will explore the fundamentals of Cameroonian dance and the latter, which will also be streamed for virtual participants, does a deeper dive, highlighting how dance forms from Cameroon “celebrate community and aspects of daily life, providing a unique window into the culture, history, and traditions of its people.” The masterclass, as the name implies, promises a more immersive experience of Cameroonian dance for intermediate to advanced dancers.
The festival’s second day will be capped by an opportunity for festival-goers to attend the Late Night Dance Party with a DJ at the Adam Space/BAM Cafe. Starting at 10 p.m., it will feature a mix of Afrobeats, funk, soul, rock, jazz, and hip-hop.
DanceAfrica also offers a visual component, including a mixed-media work, “Le course 2,” by Salifou Lindou, curated by Museum of Contemporary African Arts (MoCADA). Composed of acrylic, pastel, and collage on canvas, it “explores the perceived conflict between notions of challenge and play.” Festival-goers may also want to listen to MoCADA’s companion podcast, “MoCADA Digital Presents: The Independents | Cameroon,” which showcases the culture that grew out of Cameroon’s fight for independence.
Finally, America’s largest African film festival, the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF), again joins forces with DanceAfrica this year. Through May 31, BAM Rose Cinemas will screen NYAFF films that amplify Cameroonian life and culture. See the full list of films at BAM.org/filmafrica.For more details about DanceAfrica, visit BAM.org/danceafrica.
