Desmond Richardson News

Celebrate Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) Dance students as they take the stage in their final performance of the year at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College tonight, June 13, 2013 at 7pm. Evening highlights include a duet from Complexions Contemporary Ballet, riveting choreography from the highly praised and well-established Artist-in-Residence Christopher L. Huggins and new works by HSA's talented dance faculty. Works will range from traditional ballet to urban hip-hop, showcasing the diversity of art forms within the dance program that HSA rigorously dedicates itself to training its serious students in.

To coincide with the 20-year anniversary of the Ford Partnership Program, which nurtures locally based artists and arts organizations, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission presents the inaugural Zev Yaroslavsky Signatures Series. This two-concert program benefiting the Ford Theatre Foundation pairs world-renowned performers with a local artistic treasure, celebrating Los Angeles as a destination for world-class artists, who find here both collaboration with, and inspiration from, celebrated local artists.

Celebrate Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) Dance students as they take the stage in their final performance of the year at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College on Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 7pm. Evening highlights include a duet from Complexions Contemporary Ballet, riveting choreography from the highly praised and well-established Artist-in-Residence Christopher L. Huggins and new works by HSA's talented dance faculty. Works will range from traditional ballet to urban hip-hop, showcasing the diversity of art forms within the dance program that HSA rigorously dedicates itself to training its serious students in.

As the exclusive nominating agency for the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, the National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) congratulates the 49th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, announced earlier this month by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The 20 Scholars in the Arts, all 2013 YoungArts Winners, were nominated to The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars by YoungArts, and selected based on academic, civic and artistic achievement. The award, presented on behalf of the President of the United States, is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an artistically talented graduating high school senior. Each year, up to 141 high school seniors are recognized as U.S. Presidential Scholars for their accomplishments in academics and the arts.

The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts), a non-profit that recognizes and supports the nation's most talented young artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts, has announced that its 2014 application will be available online at http://www.youngarts.org/apply from May 31, 2013 through October 18, 2013. This year, students with an interest in architecture and design are also encouraged to apply for the inaugural YoungArts Design Arts program.

To coincide with the 20-year anniversary of the Ford Partnership Program, which nurtures locally based artists and arts organizations, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission presents the inaugural Zev Yaroslavsky Signatures Series. This two-concert program benefiting the Ford Theatre Foundation pairs world-renowned performers with a local artistic treasure, celebrating Los Angeles as a destination for world-class artists, who find here both collaboration with, and inspiration from, celebrated local artists.

What happens when the squares of Seville meet the streets of New York? Find out tonight, April 26 when Carmen's Place (A Fantasy) opens at the Castillo Theatre on 42nd Street, running until June 16. Featuring some of opera's best-loved music as well as six original musical numbers, Carmen's Place (A Fantasy) is helmed by the 2012 AUDELCO Award winner for directing, Gabrielle L. Kurlander, whose production of Sally and Tom (The American Way) was a popular and critical success at Castillo last season.

Choreographer/dancer/vocalist Francesca Harperpresents a series of intimate portraits and fragmented choreography in the premiere of a live installation entitled "The Freedom Series."

Gala occasions for dance companies are usually about packing in as many stars as possible who then oblige the audience by showing off with excessive pyrotechnics. The Joyce Foundation Spring Gala, honoring Paige Royer and Kerry Clayton as well as Michele and Steven Pesner, bucked the trend by having four different repertory pieces performed by a highly diverse group of dancers assembled from across the dance world.

What happens when the squares of Seville meet the streets of New York? Find out on April 26 when Carmen's Place (A Fantasy) opens at the Castillo Theatre on 42nd Street, running until June 16. Featuring some of opera's best-loved music as well as six original musical numbers, Carmen's Place (A Fantasy) is helmed by the 2012 AUDELCO Award winner for directing, Gabrielle L. Kurlander, whose production of Sally and Tom (The American Way) was a popular and critical success at Castillo last season.

Ready the confetti. The Joyce is celebrating its second gala performance at the David H. Koch Theater, April 10 at 7:00pm, with a program that mixes and matches the best in the dance world-from all over the world. Let the balloons fly!

Each year, thousands of high school students apply to the National YoungArts Foundation to be mentored by the world's leading artists. In this all-new YoungArts MasterClass special, JOHN GUARE: A YOUNGARTS MASTERCLASS, award-winning playwright John Guare prepares three talented mentees, Caroline Durlacher, Sharon Jan and Drew Dickerson for a career in writing. The special will air today, March 4 at 7:30pm EST/6:30pm CT on HBO and HBOGO. It will be available on HBO ON-DEMAND starting Tuesday, March 5.

Each year, thousands of high school students apply to the National YoungArts Foundation to be mentored by the world's leading artists. In this all-new YoungArts MasterClass special, JOHN GUARE: A YOUNGARTS MASTERCLASS, award-winning playwright John Guare prepares three talented mentees, Caroline Durlacher, Sharon Jan and Drew Dickerson for a career in writing. The special will air Monday, March 4 at 7:30pm EST/6:30pm CT on HBO and HBOGO. It will be available on HBO ON-DEMAND starting Tuesday, March 5.

The Martha Graham Dance Company (Janet Eilber, Artistic Director; LaRue Allen, Executive Director) will present 15 performances at The Joyce Theater, tonight, February 20-March 3, 2013.

On Saturday, January 12, 2013, the National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) raised in excess of $1 million in support of YoungArts programs in Miami, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles at An Affair of the Arts Performance and Gala. Held in Downtown Miami, the evening honored director and choreographer Debbie Allen (Leadership Award), violinist Joshua Bell (Arison Award), and actor and alumnus Adrian Grenier (Alumni Award) and brought together prominent artists, community leaders, philanthropists and celebrities. In addition to the honorees, notable attendees included Lin Arison, Sarah S. Arison, Elizabeth and Facundo Bacardi, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Charles Bronfman, Chick Corea, Jacques d'Amboise, Bill T. Jones, Jeannine and Paul T. Lehr, Marile and Jorge Luis Lopez, Esq., Debi Mazar, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jorge M. Pérez, Desmond Richardson, City of Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado, Andrew Rannells, Max Schneider, Zuzanna Szadkowski, and Marisa Tomei. Select images of the gala are available upon request.

The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) will honor director and choreographer Debbie Allen, violinist Joshua Bell and actor and alumnus Adrian Grenier at An Affair of the Arts Performance and Gala tonight, January 12, 2013, held in Downtown Miami at the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts and the Historic Alfred I. DuPont Building. The evening will bring together prominent artists, community leaders, philanthropists and celebrities to applaud the participants in the 2013 edition of YoungArts' signature program, YoungArts Week, which provides 150 of the nation's most outstanding young talents in the visual, literary and performing arts with life-changing experiences, including master classes, workshops, inter-disciplinary activities, performances and exhibitions.

The Martha Graham Dance Company (Janet Eilber, Artistic Director; LaRue Allen, Executive Director) will present 15 performances at The Joyce Theater, February 20-March 3, 2013. The season continues the company's innovative thematic presentations with Myth and Transformation-three compelling programs that explore how artists reinvent iconic stories to make bold contemporary statements. The two-week season features Graham masterworks including Phaedra, Cave of the Heart, Night Journey, Errand into the Maze, and Diversion of Angels alongside new commissions and premieres from Richard Move, Luca Veggetti, and Doug Varone. A reconstruction of a Graham solo, Imperial Gesture (1935), will also be presented. Performances will take place Wednesday, February 20 to Sunday, February 24; and Tuesday, February 26 to Sunday, March 3.

The National YoungArts Foundation today announced its 2013 YoungArts Winners. Out of approximately 10,000 applications, 685 emerging young artists have been recognized for their outstanding work and accomplishments in one of nine disciplines across the visual, literary and performing arts fields. A complete list of the Winners is available online at this link.

Complexions Contemporary Ballet returns to The Joyce Theater for its annual two-week engagement, today, November 13-25, 2012, featuring two world premieres and two New York premieres.