By Gregory Burrus | Posted Sunday, February 2, 2020
Downtown After Sundown invited all to come out dance and dine the night away during the 2019 South Orange live music concerts. It was a great season as attendees reported it was an absolutely entertaining experience. Take a step back and enjoy what happened.
Flamenco Dancing with Toni Messina on Sunday in June
Whether you're a local, new in town, visiting from another town or just passing through all were invited to come on out because we knew our attendees would be sure to love the annual Flamenco dancers in our Downtown After Sundown Music Series.
Folks were invited to come on out and experience the spirit of Andalucia, Spain, the passion, sensuality and the power of flamenco dance, the plaintive cry from the heart of the cante (flamenco song) and the fire of virtuoso flamenco guitar – live on the Downtown After Sundown Spiotta Park stage.
Well our very own Viva Flamenco Leader, Director Antonia (Toni) Messina cooked up a spicy stew of Flamenco song and dance, jazz melodies and improv, along with some 'Flamenco puro' for the purists out there. OLE'!
Folks absolutely came out and join in our favorite Flamenco dancer Toni Messina who is a powerful force of life all by herself. As this Mother, Lawyer and yes Flamenco Dancer does in all walks of life, Toni motivates the folks in the audience, all ages, to get up, dance and start twirling on the dance floor. Great event and good time had by all.
80’s DJ Dance Night with New Jersey DJ Services in July
If back in the day, you liked 80's dance music then the 80's was your time? We invited all to come on out to an 80’s Dance Night in Spiotta Park, where New Jersey DJ Services was spinning the popular tunes of the 80's and more. Downtown After Sundown encouraged folks of all ages to bring their dancing shoes.
https://www.facebook.com/gregory.burrus/videos/10162154995620514/
And New Jersey DJ Services DJ James Buttros did not disappoint as we all got to watch him develop a beautiful soundscape of music, light, smoke and more while we danced the night away.
Folks danced the night away .
https://www.facebook.com/gregory.burrus/videos/10162156638565514/UzpfSTE5MTg2MjY1MDk3NTA2NToxMjY0NTQ4NDczNzA2NDcy/
What a wonderful night of dancing.
NJPAC Inspirational Dance Night in July
If you wanted to be inspired, we invited the community to come on out and join us at the first ever New Jersey Performing Arts Center - NJPAC to show us how inspirational dance was done. NJPAC Director of Community Engagement energized her team and oh what a wonderful night it was. The NJPAC team bought in volunteers to help out, a DJ Booth and reached out to ten community dance groups to come on out and perform in our Downtown After Sundown music event. And come out they did as the folks descended upon South Orange and the park loaded up with folks from everywhere. There was definitely a buzz in the air as the audience settled in to watch something special and we all enjoyed some beautiful dancing.
Director Eyesha Marable in a timely manner MC’d the night and moved the various groups on and off the stage all night in a timely manner. Each group performed a beautiful dance and Eyesha a professional dancer herself in some cases joined in the festivities with fellow participants and danced the night away. They showed us dance then showed you how to do it as her team definitely got folks up and involved.
Participants and audience alike expressed their sentiments and it was clear the event was a huge hit with all. We thank all involved an Eyesha Marable for her never ending energy in making it happen.
Our host Eyesah is a former professional dancer with Footprints Dance Company, Forces of Nature Dance Theatre and Showtime at the Apollo, NJPAC Community Engagement Director Eyesha K. Marable - has shared the stage with LL Cool J, R. Kelly and gospel artists like Donnie McClurkin, Byron Cage, Donald Lawrence, Donald Malloy, and Helen Baylor. She founded the National Liturgical Dance Network, which trains and supports dance ministers and has spent 29 years of spreading the ministry of dance here and abroad.
Rev. Eyesha toured locally and nationally, has performed in Central Park’s Midsummer Night Festival, Avery Fisher Hall, Symphony Space, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Symphony Hall, and Lincoln center. She was a featured McDonald’s Gospel Fest and Apollo Showtime dancer for two seasons and is still seen in La Var Burton’s Mufaro Daughters Reading Rainbow PBS Series. She attended LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and worked with notable choreographers like Abdel Salaam, Kevin Jeff, Chuck Davis, Fred Benjamin and George Faison.
We also thank the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J. which is America's most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey.
We had a great 2019 dancing in the park and am looking forward to what’s coming in 2020.
Gregory Burrus, Live Music Ambassador
Gregory Burrus with Eyesha Marable NJPAC
Gregory Burrus curates and manages the South Orange Village Center Alliance's Downtown After Sundown Live Music Concerts. This SOMA resident arrived in South Orange, 23-year ago and just loves South Orange, NJ. Gregory enjoys all music genres but his first love jazz began as a boy when his mother and father played jazz on the good old record player at home and took him to clubs all over Manhattan. Greg was an executive in the telecommunications industry and has consulted on telecom, technology and operational business processes systems all over the world. Now he is putting his expertise, gained from his former business environment to work producing music, art and community events across South Orange, Maplewood, Newark and other towns around Northern New Jersey and New York.
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