
Kùlú Mèlé’s enduring artistic journey
by Lewis J Whittington for The Dance Journal Kùlú Mèlé African Dance & Drum Ensemble’s single performance of “From Mali To America” on October 15
Lewis Whittington is an arts journalist based in Philadelphia. He started writing professionally in the early 90s as a media consultant for an AIDS organizations and then as a theater and dance reviewer for the Philadelphia Gay News. Mr. Whittington has covered dance, theater, opera and classical music for the Philadelphia Inquirer and City Paper.
Mr. Whittington’s arts profiles, features, and stories have appeared in The Advocate, Dance International, Playbill, American Theatre, American Record Guide, The Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, EdgeMedia, and Philadelphia Dance Journal. Mr. Whittington has received two NEA awards for journalistic excellence.
In addition to interviews with choreographers, dancers, and artistic directors from every discipline, he has interviewed such music luminaries from Ned Rorem to Eartha Kitt. He has written extensively on gay culture and politics and is most proud of his interviews with such gay rights pioneers as Frank Kameny and Barbara Gittings.
Mr. Whittington has participated on the poetry series Voice in Philadelphia and has written two (unpublished) books of poetry. He is currently finishing Beloved Infidels, a play about the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh. His editorials on GLBTQ activism, marriage equality, gay culture and social issues have appeared in Philadelphia Inquirer, City Paper, and The Advocate.
by Lewis J Whittington for The Dance Journal Kùlú Mèlé African Dance & Drum Ensemble’s single performance of “From Mali To America” on October 15
by Lewis J Whittington for The Dance Journal | photo credit Alexander Iziliaev Pennsylvania Ballet’s season opener “The Sleeping Beauty” has been restaged by artistic director Angel
by Lewis J Whittington for The Dance Journal Choreographer Brian Sanders’ often constructs special apparatus for his troupe JUNK to perform their special brand of
by Lewis J. Whittington for The Dance Journal It wasn’t a surprise to see performer in leather spinning in a cube trapeze in the bar
by Lewis J Whittington for The Dance Journal | photo credit Julianne Harris The Come Together Dance Festival, hosted by the Koresh Dance Company, attracted enthusiastic
by Lewis J Whittington for The Dance Journal | Photo credit: Julianne Harris Koresh Dance Company’s artistic director, Roni Koresh launched The Come Together Dance Festival
by Lewis J Whittington for The Dance Journal | photo courtesy ADA Established in 2009, American Dance Abroad was established to assist and support US dance
by Lewis J Whittington for The Dance Journal GLBTQ Philadelphians turned out in force for the annual gay pride parade on June 18, making it
by Lewis Whittington for The Dance Journal | Photo: JH Kertis Photography The Naked Stark is a troupe that regularly presents dance works in progress