Group of Bed-Stuy men, We Make Us Better, escorts pedestrians in wake of robberies

(by Jake Pearson of the Daily News)

After a spate of recent muggings and robberies, a group of 20 Bedford-Stuyvesant men started escorting people home as they got off the train and are walking through the neighborhood reaching out to young men. "We're not the Guardian Angels, we're not armed," said Kareem Varlack, 35, a field technician for Verizon and a founding member of the group We Make Us Better. "We're about encouraging males to be involved, because you don't see men in their 20s, 30s and 40s involved in the community anymore, so we're trying to bridge that gap." Once a week - on random evenings - the men walk subway riders home from the Utica Ave. train station. They also sponsored a neighborhood outreach walk earlier this month, stopping to talk to young men hanging out on the corners.
Read the full story here

Being Bushified! Series

NOVEMBER 10: The Act of Dancing w/ The Civilians

As the holiday season approaches each year, we are especially thankful for the many people who make it possible for us at Urban Bush Women to create dance and create community. We are particularly grateful for our fans, such as the three young dance students who hopped on a bus in Boston to make their way to New York City to attend our Being Bushified! cultural series and then headed back to Boston on the bus the same night. These young women represent who we are working for and have been working to represent for 26 years now - creative, curious and committed contributors to society.

New York City Council Member Letitia James dances for at-risk children at The Stars of New York Dance charitable fundraiser October 12

UBW applauds our City Council Member Letitia James, one of five New York City business and community leaders who are stepping out of their normal roles and volunteering their time to dance and compete at The Stars of New York Dance, a competition similar to Dancing with the Stars. She is dancing with our friend Jamel Gaines of Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn and competing to win a $5,000 Access Award for Creative Outlet that will be earmarked to provide at-risk children in New York City with free, innovative and high-quality dance and arts education. Click here for more info. 
Click here to read the New York Times article.

10th Annual Fort Greene, Brooklyn Juneteenth Arts Festival

The Annual Fort Greene, Brooklyn Juneteenth Arts Festival began in 2000 as a day long, in store event at 4W Circle of Art and Enterprise under the leadership of 4W collective member and fashion designer Brenda Brunson-Bey (Tribal Truth Collection). The Cooperative Culture Collective (TCCC) has developed the festival and produced other programs commemorating the arts and culture of the African Diaspora. This year marked the 10^th anniversary of the festival in Fort Greene and featured UBW performing excerpts from Batty Moves, local craftsmen and artisans and tours of the historical Underground Railroad houses in Downtown Brooklyn.

Soul of Brooklyn Launches New Online and Printed Guide Featuring Brooklyn's African Diaspora in June 2010

SoulofBrooklyn.com is your quintessential online and printed guide to discovering the unique cultural and business renaissance currently taking place within Brooklyn’s African Diaspora. In a city increasingly besieged by corporate chains and rampant development, SoulofBrooklyn.com’s goal is to promote neighborhood businesses, cultural institutions and special events that reflect the borough’s vibrant roots and contribute to the growth of stronger communities through advertising and cross-promotions, which will increase their bottom-line. SoulofBrooklyn.com is a reliable information hub for tourist and locals alike who want to locate and experience the amazing fusion of African, African-American and Caribbean cultural and business exchanges that can only happen in the great borough of Brooklyn.

UBW Company Member Samanatha Speis Performas at Inauguration of Councilmember Brad Lander in January 2010

Thank you so much for... Urban Bush Women's performance in my inauguration ceremony... I hope that it sets the tone for a very productive four years and that we will continue to have opportunities to collaborate in the future... the "give your hands to struggle" theme really enhanced both the [Martin Luther King] day and inaugural themes.

- Brad Lander
NYC Councilmember, 39th District


2009 Entries | Jump to next year
 

UBW Residency at Long Island University
Fall 2009

Working with the dance students of Long Island University provided me with a rare foray into the intricacies of one of Jawole's works (Shelter) beyond the role I danced. In assigning readings and research based on the dance work, I embarked on a whole study of displacement which profoundly impacted my thinking and actions on the subject. The students at LIU were dedicated and passionate; working with them in the studio was yet another beautiful reminder of why I dance - to emphasize our limitless potential.

- Maria Bauman
UBW Teaching Artist

UBW Residency at Dancewave
Fall 2009

Working with the first company of Dancewave to set Flashback/ Flash Forward was inspirational to say the least. The students dove into the movement without reservation and embodied the concepts of the piece to the fullest. As their teacher/ mentor, I felt honored to be setting this work on them because, as the process went on, I could witness their growth as artists. I watched as all of the students found their place in the choreography and was so happy to see them having fun. It was definetly a rewarding experience that I cannot wait to be a part of again.

- Mia Breaux
UBW2, Apprentice Dancer

 

 
Photo credits (top to bottom): image courtesy of J Jewels Sandy; image courtesy of DBAA; image courtesy of City Lore; image courtesy of StoryCorps; images courtesy of richardcmorias.com, video courtesy of Brooklyn Independent Television, a community media program of BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn. images courtesy of Fort Greene Association; image courtesy of Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center; image courtesy of Ingersol Community Center; image courtesy of ActNow; image courtesy of Fort Greene Association; image courtesy of The University of Wisconsin Press; photo by Keh/News; courtesy of The Stars of New York Dance; artist unknown; courtesy of SoulofBrooklyn.com; photo by Erin Gleeson; courtesy of Mason Gross School of the Arts; photo by Judith Stuart; photo by Tom Rawe