Archive for April 23rd, 2007

Blue and white colored Fifth Avenue yesterday for the 76th Annual Greek Independence Day Parade, dedicated to religious freedom. Greek Americans from throughout the TriState area lined 61st to 76th streets to celebrate their heritage — and the fact that for the first time ever the largest Greek parade outside of Greece was televised.

Anna Vissi was the Honorary Marshal. The Cyprus-born pop star (sometimes referred
to as “The Greek Madonna”) has sold 9.5 million albums across the world.

American Idol’s Constantine Maroulis was also there. Maroulis’ grandparents immigrated from Greece to the States in the 1920s, and he himself grew up in Brooklyn and Wyckoff, New Jersey.

Guiding Light star Frank Dicopoulos was another celebrity present.

Honored guests included the Hellenic Navy Band and Evzones (Greece’s elite Presidential Guard).

Government officials from Greece and the US were also there.

Greek-Americans Ernie Anastos and Nick Gregory hosted the event, along with fellow newsanchor Rosanna Scotto. Although they are Fox 5 correspondents, the parade actually aired on WWOR-TV My9.

What I want to know is, is it “uncool” to be Greek in America? Why did it take so long for the Greek parade to be televised when both the St. Patrick’s Day parade and the Puerto Rican Day parade are televised? After all, as one float pointed out, Greece is the foundation of civiliazation.

The first Greek came to the United States in 1528, and there are now around 3,000,000 Americans of Greek descent, most of whom live in New York, according to world’s best source for user-contributed knowledge, Wikipedia.

Some of the most famous Greek Americans include:

Were you at the parade? Did you see it on TV? Let us know what you think about the reflection of Greek Americans in the media.

Every so often the Zipper Theatre, arguably one of the coolest theatre spaces in the city, hosts an event called “Above the Belt” which is a showcase of NYC based aerial performers– an oppurtunity for trapeze artists and the like to show off their skills. Somehow the folks at the Zipper have transformed their comfortable, unique space into a underground circuis scene. There is a hint of the European, and for two magnificent hours you completely forget you are in Manhattan. “Above the Belt” truly brings the audience to a different time, a different location, a different world.

This is the single greatest physical performance I have ever seen. Forget Stomp or Blue Man Group, or event the great shows PS 122 has to offer. “Above the Belt” is stunning, terrifying, magical and sensual experience. The performers use aparatuses I have never even seen– silk ropes hanging from the ceiling, twsited around the body expertly so that the performers hang and twist and twirl in the sky with unbelievable grace and fearlessness. There is a huge silver hoop used as a kind of trapeze, and a set of two looped ropes that a male-female duet hang and dangle with.

“Above the Belt” is difficult to talk about. It is so unusual, so beautiful that I say for two hours with my mouth, quite literally, wide open, hand over mouth, eyes wide. There is no safety net in the Zipper Theatre, and the sense of urgency and danger is pervasive. The performers do not stumble for a moment, however, and they execute seemingly impossible movements with strength and agility. They are dancers in the sky… some of the best dancers I have ever seen.

This event is trying to become a monthly performance, and we should only be so lucky to have this kind of experience available every month. “Above the Belt” is modern and old fashioned, in the same moment, unfamiliarity in the middle of Times Square. It is a gift to the city.

Stand out performers include Jordann Baker, Michelle Dortignac, Joshua Dean and Kristin Olness.

Information available at the Zipper Theatre’s website.