A Salsa Song for Halle Berry

Every now and then the gods and goddesses will step down from their thrones and grace us with their presence.  They will walk amongst the poor and middle classes perhaps remembering a time when they were mere mortals.  Such was the case yesterday when academy award winning actress and model Halle Berry appeared magically in the crowd at the Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art (LACMA) free Latin/Jazz concert.

I was headed toward the ladies room when a male security guard came over to me and asked, "Is that Halle Berry?" I stared hard at the back of a petite woman who walked a few feet ahead of me.
  "It looks like her back, but I can't tell for sure," I said.  "Run up and see!" 

The guard trotted ahead of me.  As the woman veered toward the ladies room, I quickened my pace.  When I reached the entrance, the guard stood there gawking and grinning.  I turned my head and there she was, standing in line with about a half dozen Latina and African American women.  Except for that unforgettable face, she was incognito.  A below the knee black skirt draped her slender hips. A loose gray cashmere sweater grazed the skirt just below the waistline.  Large round sunglasses hid her eyes, but not the beauty of that heart shaped face.

What stood out most about her was not her glamour, but the way she stood in line to a public toilet like everyone else, not demanding to go ahead of others though I am sure they would have let her if she had asked. My fingers itching to take a photograph of her, I asked if I could take a picture, but she shook her head.  "You don't want to do that," she said.  "I'm not wearing make up.  I'm tired.  We just came from Disneyland."

"Okay, I will respect your privacy," I said.  Noticing the small baby bump that protruded from her waist, I changed the subject. "When is your baby due?" I asked.

"October," she replied and flashed that million dollar smile.

"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?" I asked.  She shook her head. "Sometimes it's better to be a surprise," I added. We chatted two women standing in line at the entrance to the restroom -- strangers, yet familiar in the way women are who have shared similar life experiences, regardless of their status in life. A few seconds later a woman emerged from a stall.  Halle waltzed in and closed the door. 

From the outdoor arena, the rhythmic sound of salsa music drifted through the park.  I stood in line reflecting on how in L.A. occasionally you can run into a celebrity, a star and suddenly realize that like you they are vulnerable and human.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Los Angeles

Last Wednesday's performance of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre was a tour de force of elegance, beauty and grace.  A huge fan of the dance theater, I've attended many of their shows over the years, but this week's performance at downtown Los Angeles' Music Center was extraordinary.  Maybe it was because this was their first appearance at the Music Center since the torch was passed from Judith Jamison to the new Artistic Director, Robert Battle.  Maybe it was because my friend and I had great seats in the orchestra section, a few feet away from celebrities such as actress Dihanne Carroll and her beau.  Nonetheless, Robert Battle made his mark on the theater's legacy.  The dance troupe thoroughly entertained and wowed the packed house with new choreography, Grace and Minus 16, and the traditional Revelations.

The dancers rocked the house with Grace, a rhythmic, pulsating, soul stirring choreography by award winning choreographer, Ronald K. Brown.  Choreographed by one of the world's preeminent contemporary choreographers, Ohad Naharin, Minus 16 featured dancers trapped in gray business suits twisting and turning to free themselves from corporate bonds.  Towards the end, they free themselves by kicking their shoes off, disrobing and gyrating across the stage in their underwear. 

The show ended with my favorite Alvin Ailey choreography, Revelations. As the dancers performed ballet and modern dance through three movements; Pilgrim of Sorrow, Take me to the Water, and Move Members Move, they evoked memories of the African American struggle from slavery to religious and spiritual awakening.

This week's performance certainly proved that Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is an American treasure and one of the premier dance companies of the world.

Starting the New Year Right

Most Americans ring in the new year in with some special food, tradition, or celebration.  There's usually plenty of champagne, or some other sparkling beverage.  I've heard folks from New Orleans say they fix gumbo for New Years.  Some of my Southern friends still fix chitlins and hog maws.  Having been born and raised in Georgia, my mother always cooked black-eyed peas, fresh collards, mustard and turnip greens, and corn bread of course.  "Back eyed peas for luck and greens for the money," she would say.  Mama also believed that if a man was the first person to visit on New Years, you would have good luck all year.  So, if a woman was the first person to knock on our door on New Years, Mama wouldn't let her in. Although I pride myself on being a modern, liberated woman, I still follow those traditions.

This year, I had the pleasure of going to the Rose Parade with my ex-husband (we're still friends).  Although I've lived in the Pasadena for over twenty years, I always shied away from the annual event. I never liked crowds and the idea of getting up at an ungodly hour to stand in a crowd just didn't sit well with me.  But this year, a local real estate developer sent me two free tickets to watch the parade from the lobby of their building which faces Colorado Boulevard. 

I had to get up at 6:30 on New Years Day morning to get downtown by 7:30 for the parade, but it was well worth it.  The parade was more spectacular than ever. The beautiful floats, colorful flowers, prancing horses, marching bands, beautiful Rose Queens.  Some of my favorite floats were Delta Sigma Theta's "Transforming Communities Through Sisterhood and Service" and Kaiser's "Oh, the Healthy Things You Can Do".  Why, you couldn't have asked for a more exciting event.  No wonder people come from all over the world to see it. 

The parade ended before noon, so afterward I headed home to fix my black eyed peas and greens. I knew my New Year was off to a great start when a man (my friend and neighbor) Sonny dropped by to wish me a Happy New Year.  I could just hear Mama laughing.