Artistically Social with Amy Rosenberg
Amy Rosenberg is an attorney and arts advocate who founded the Overtown Music Project and the Arsht Center’s young patrons group. She is the co-founder of the environmental non-profit Dream in Green. Amy is a member of Art Basel’s Junior Host Committee and sits on the Board of the Funding Arts Network. She also serves on the New World Symphony’s Friends Committee as well as The Wolfsonian-FIU’s Visionaries Committee.
Several years ago, I was caught by surprise by a television show’s enumeration of Miami’s virtues. According to what I heard, Miami is the city of shapely derrieres and, get this, culture. Never has a juxtaposition made me so proud of my hometown.
Pas de deux and Shout Outs
Liberty City, Fisher Island and all the neighborhoods in between were in the house for the homecoming of Robert Battle and the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater at the Arsht Center. I was lucky enough to be sitting beside Nathalie Cadet-James, Director of the New World Symphony Friends group, on opening night. We sat one row away from the proud family of Mr. Battle, the current Artistic Director and former resident of Liberty City.
The joyful tangle of bodies onstage left the audience breathless, clapping and giddy. Nathalie and I were particularly blown away by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s “Minus 16,” indisputably one of the best and most propulsive works ever performed on a stage. “Minus 16” shattered the theater’s fourth wall and brought the rapt audience to its feet.
Food, Glorious Food
I had the pleasure of attending Michael Schwartz’s Farm to Table Brunch during the South Beach Wine and Food Festival with lovely ladies Anne Owen, Anne’s lovely mama in from Chicago, Cynthia, and Carolyn Travis, Bal Harbour’s tourism director. Though we were schvitzing in the heat of the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, we were enthusiastic in our pursuit of Chef Schwartz’s delectable poached egg and hash. Special mention must go out to Tim Cushman of o ya restaurant in Boston for the most succulent tomato I’ve had to date. Chef Tim taught us that propane and fresh Norwegian smoked salt are all we need to make a tomato sing.
My Favorite Huxtable
The South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center (SMDCAC) and Delancy Hill law firm welcomed more than 500 patrons to celebrate Black History Month with a presentation of the Langston Hughes Project, Ask Your Mama, Twelve Moods for Jazz. The evening featured a VIP reception honoring Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dennis C. Moss and the Dr. Ron McCurdy Quartet with celebrity spoken word artist Malcolm Jamal-Warner. Proceeds of the Celebration benefitted the SMDCAC’s education and outreach programs.
Play List
Esther Park’s “Playlist Party” kicked off with a theme of love at everyone’s favorite local hang, The Standard Hotel, with Michelle Leshem + Sasha Lauzon of Ess and Em, Jipsy of Nefarious Girl and Aramis Lorie of Grand Central. Each shared their top ten love songs. Aramis’ top picks included: The Cure, Serge Gainsbourg and Luciano Pavaratti’s version of Nessun Dorma. Swoon.
Until next time…
