| Summer Solstice in Times Square |
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Solstice in Times SquareJune 21 and June 24, 2007Admission: Free On the island at the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets June 21, 7:30 am-8:30 pm (Mind Over Madness Yoga) June 24, 4:30 pm-dusk (Dancing At The Crossroads) timessquarenyc.org   Anyone can find tranquility on the top of a mountain. But how about in the midst of the hustle and bustle in Times Square?  Times Square Alliance in association with Dancers Responding to AIDS presents a free performance featuring a host of local, international and student dance companies performing some of the best dance that NYC has to offer. On June 21st, anyone with an interest in yoga can sign up for a unique experience: finding peace and tranquility in the midst of world's most commotion-packed urban city. "Mind Over Madness Yoga" will hold classes all day long, from 7:30 am to 8:30 pm, with separate sessions for beginner, intermediate and advanced. The schedule can be found on timessquarenyc.org--and be sure to register early for free gifts! See the website for details. And then on June 24th, some of the best dancers and dance companies that New York has to offer will perform as part of "Dancing At The Crossroads." Featuring over 30 local, international and student dance companies, the event begins at 4:30 pm and continues until dusk. A big hit last year, this year's lineup of performers promises for an even more impressive show, with eclectic styles ranging from hip hop to tap to jazz, and a just-as-diverse soundtrack to accompany the performances. "Dancing At The Crossroads" is presented by Dancers Responding to AIDS, and will be hosted by Laurie Ann Gibson from MTV's "Making the Band" and Broadway's "Chicago" and Kate Shindel, star of Broadway's "Legally Blonde" and a former Miss America. For tens of thousands of years and across the world's diverse cultures, the Solstice has always been a key time in our calendar. The Winter Solstice--the shortest day of the year and the point at which the days begin to be longer rather than shorter--has been the natural phenomenon underlying some of society's most important rituals like Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's Eve. The Summer Solstice--the longest day of the year--has not held such a prominent a place in western consciousness. Some historians have argued that public recognition of the Summer Solstice has faded because some of the ideas with which the date was associated in early cultures--femininity, fertility and creativity--were deemed subversive by the then powers-that-be. Whatever the explanation, the Times Square Alliance decided to do their part to revive Summer Solstice in NYC. So, on the longest day of the year, draw on the full force and energy of the sun to ignite your own creative powers. |
