Flashes: Evidence Dance "Grace in Winter" The Red Ball 2008

Philanthropists, artists, socialites, celebs and movers & shakers of black society gathered on Monday at the Hudson Theater at the Millenium Broadway Hotel in New York City for Evidence, A Dance Company's "Grace in Winter" the Red Ball.

In 1985, at the age of 19, Artistic Director and Choreographer Ronald K. Brown founded the New York-based Evidence/A Dance Company. Brown creates intriguing dance stories by blending traditional African, Latin and Caribbean dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word in response to the current cultural climate and human condition. The dance company has performed in venues across North America and has toured in Cuba, Brazil, Greece, Korea, Hungary, and Senegal.
Brown is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including a a New York Dance and Performance Award (a “Bessie”), John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in Choreography, a National Endowment for the Arts Choreographers’ Fellowship.

Dressed to the nines, guests wore for black tie and red attire with a beautiful atmosphere enhanced by beautiful "Black Magic" roses. The guest list read like a who's who directory including, Film legend, Cicely Tyson, Director Debbie Allen, actress Tamara Tunie, Jerri DeVard, Terry McMillan, Susan L. Taylor, Khephra Burns, Sybil Chester, Dwight Johnson, b Michael, Jocelyn Taylor, Audrey Bernard, Lisa Arrindell and Reginald Van Lee.

Tickets for the Ball ranged from $1K-$50K and the event was generously sponsored by HSBC Premier and Gala Chair Nancy A. Armand. Gala committe members Cicely Tyson and Pauletta Washington looked amazing. The gala dinner was hosted by Leslie Mays of Pfizer and Mistress of Ceremonies was Renee Syler, who are also on the Gala Committee. Gala Co-chair/ Benefactor Monica F. Azare of Verizon Lola C. West was the Gala Dessert Host. Other notable sponsors who supported the Red Ball were: BET/MTVN, Reginald Van Lee of Booz Allen Hamilton, Lola C. West and Wayne Winborne of Prudential Financial, to name a few.


Click here for Evidence's tour schedule.

Flashes: Alek Wek,Terry McMillan, Jaime Hector & Lynn Whitfield @ Essence Literary Awards

Lifetime Achievement winner, author Terry McMillan

Actor, Jaime Hector


Author, L.A. Banks


Supermodel and author, Alek Wek

Actress, Lynn Whitfield


Editor-in-Chief Angela Burt-Murray, Emmy-nominated actress Victoria Rowell, Today show co-anchor Hoda Kotb, and Michelle Ebanks, President Essence Communications Inc.

Last Thursday, Essence held its 1st Annual Literary Awards in New York City at the Le Parker Meridien hosted by Hoda Kotb and Dr. Ian Smith. The event was invitation-only and the guest list was a who's who of Black literature. The awards also launched ESSENCE magazine's "Save Our Libraries Campaign."

Novelist, Terry McMillan received the Lifetime Achievement Award and L.A. Banks was voted by Essence readers as Storyteller of the Year. Below is the list of winners. Click here to see more photos and info.

ESSENCE LITERARY AWARD WINNERS

POETRY: Duende by Tracy K. Smith/Graywolf Press
CURRENT AFFAIRS: An Unbroken Agony by Randall Robinson/ Basic Civitas
PRESIDENT'S AWARD: Reposition Yourself by T.D. Jakes/Atria
PHOTOGRAPHY: Daufuskie Island by Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe/University of South Carolina Press
CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Marvelous World by Troy Cle/Simon & Schuster's Children's Publishing
SAVE OUR LIBRARIES: Countee Cullen Regional Library in Harlem
MEMOIR: Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat/Knopf
NON-FICTION: Supreme Discomfort by Michael Fletcher and Kevin Merida/Doubleday
INSPIRATION: Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy/Tyndale
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Terry McMillan
FICTION: The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson/Unbridled Books
STORYTELLER OF THE YEAR: L.A. Banks

Essence Hosting its 1st Annual Literary Awards

Author, Terry McMillan


ESSENCE magazine will host its first-ever ESSENCE Literary Awards on February 7,2008. The event will commemorate emerging and established African-American authors, it will also kick-off ESSENCE magazine's "Save Our Libraries Campaign." The ESSENCE Literary Awards will be hosted by Hoda Kotb (TODAY show co-anchor) and Dr. Ian Smith, creator of The 50 Million Pound Challenge.

ESSENCE Literary Awards will honor critically-acclaimed author Terry McMillan with the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Countee Cullen Branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem will also be the first recipient of ESSENCE's "Save Our Libraries Campaign." "Save Our Libraries" is designed to honor its contributions and to solicit support in order for it to maintain its services to the community.

"ESSENCE has had an extraordinary literary legacy since its first issue," said Patrik Henry Bass, ESSENCE Senior Editor, Books and Arts. "Terry McMillan, Bebe Moore Campbell, Gloria Naylor and so many other authors first came to the attention of readers through ESSENCE's pages. At the ESSENCE Literary Awards we want to honor writers in their tradition,
while acknowledging future generations of African-American authors. We also hope that through our Save Our Libraries campaign, entities such as the historic Countee Cullen Branch will have the crucial resources needed to provide the services our communities so desperately need."
For more information click here.