Last fall I found a discarded brochure for the program year for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center - one of the centerpieces of Newark's renaissance. And there it was - The Alvin Ailey Dance Company was performing on May 6, 2007, a Sunday and my birthday! I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate. So, a month or two ahead I put out an apb for any and all frambly members to go with us. We had a good group and a wonderful time. The performance was excellent. The last number was their famed Revelations. Nothing speaks to me - or most of the group with us - like gospel danced as that group does it. It gets right into the soul and rocks us with the wonderful music. It's deep and it's wide and so, so full.From the PAC we went into the Ironbound, a large, close multi-cultural working-class neighborhood in Newark that is enclosed by rail lines where Portugese immigrants settled early in the 20th century and still influence the culture of the community so that it is sometimes called "Little Portugal". Try googling the Ironbound. It's history is interesting. Casa Vasca (a Portugese influenced Spanish restaurant) serves good food at moderate prices in a small, efficiently busy somewhat noisey space. It was a wonderful place to sit at a long table together and visit. An interesting feature of the evening was meeting Marcus' new friend, Amanda. She's next to Mom in the picture. Marcus has his hand on her shoulder. We parted filled with pleasure and somewhat regretfully that such a good day was coming to an end. But what is the night for after a full day? We enter the restful darkness and nourish our bodies with sleep.
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May 6 - Anne
May 15 - Jonathan
May 16 - Nancy Santia
May 20 - Bob and Suzanne
May 28 - Norma
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