Nov 18th, 2008 · Iraqis of African descent in the southern port city of Basra say they're still discriminated against because of the color of their skin. Long relegated to menial jobs or work as musicians and dancers, some have recently formed a group to advance their civil rights.
Nov 11th, 2008 · Jeffrey Zhang is known for mixing the traditional Chinese opera form with pop music and kabuki dancers. But now he's begun to incorporate free-form jazz piano in a culture clash that's turning heads and winning over new fans.
Oct 7th, 2008 · In New York this week, two unlikely groups came together: war veterans and modern dancers. Dancers kicked, twisted and jumped on and around retired airplanes from the 1930s and 1940s in a hangar at Floyd Bennett Field.
Aug 4th, 2008 · Ballet dancer Carlos Acosta is known for powerful leaps that make him seem to fly. Those leaps have earned him comparisons with Nureyev and Baryshnikov. He grew up in a poor neighborhood outside Havana. How that boy became a man who dances with grace and power is the subject of Acosta's memoir, No Way Home.
Jul 3rd, 2008 · In 1967 a flat tire led dancer and artist Marta Becket to Death Valley, an opera house — and her life's work. Today, she no longer dances, but she continues to attract an audience.
Jul 2nd, 2008 · The world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Legendary dancer and choreographer Judith Jamison, the artistic director of the theater, is leading the celebration. Jamison talks about her love for dance, retirement and keeping the vision of her late mentor alive.
Jun 17th, 2008 · She dazzled audiences opposite Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Her career spanned seven decades, and she worked in many a nonmusical drama. But as Astaire said: "When you've danced with her, you stay danced with."
Apr 22nd, 2008 · Ella Fitzgerald is one of the most recognized voices in jazz history. As a teen, her dream was to be a dancer, but fate had different plans for her. "Lady Ella" sang a three-octave range, was noted for her pure tone, and is widely considered one of the finest Great American Songbook interpreters.