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O T
H E R N E W S |
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New Owner Rescues Oscar Wilde Bookstore |
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Country in the Big Gay Apple |
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White Winter in Paradise |
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3rd Share-a-thon at the Center |
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Identity Crisis, and You Are...? |
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John DeMarco's "It's All About Love" |
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Standing For My Rights and Yours |
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TRAVEL
Mansions, Ghosts and Warm Weather |
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MUSIC
James Durso, a Gay Revolutionary |
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THEATER
Take me Out: Power Out-Age |
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ART
Hellenistic and Renaissance periods influenced her, Cadmus was her
mentor |
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ART SHOW
Deliciously Depraved work of the legendary HUN & others |
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GOLDEN YEARS
ICNY Salutes Founder Empress I José on His 80th Birthday |
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Country in the Big
Gay Apple |
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by NYQnews
staff |
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IT
WAS A VERY SPECIAL weekend indeed, it was cold but - it was hot. To
the surprise of many, there was a gathering of Gay people in the downtown
financial district of Manhattan, in one of the coldest weekends we New
Yorker's have had in years, yes, it was a long holiday weekend - President's
Day Weekend (February 14-16), and one of one the biggest snow storms of
the season, yet it was very hot.
The ballroom of the Marriott Financial Center was filled with hot women
and men dancing to the sounds of country western music, a gathering of
hundreds of urban cowboys and cowgirls over the three day weekend. Mostly,
people were from the metropolitan tri-state area, although we learned of
many visitors from across the US and Canada and some from Europe attended
this event as well.
The event was the IAGLCWDC
Convention's New York City Hoedown, sponsored by the Big
Apple Ranch, and all proceeds benefited the New
York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project.
People were dancing happily to the sounds of the latest country music
as well as old romantic favorites - boys and boys, girls and girls, and
boys and girls; the group was and always has been an amazingly friendly
crowd.
At these gatherings, it isn't a surprise to be asked for a dance by someone
you have never met before. In general, the invitation would follow by an
acceptance; the couple would head for the dance floor, dance, and have
the best of fun. One exception to this very common rule was if you didn't
know how to dance... some would attempt to teach you the basics, the rest
of the fun is up to you.
The crowd seemed very happy and responsive to the events of the evening.
Everyone enjoyed the venue of the two step, waltz, cha-cha west & east
coast swings, night-club two-step, .. and always expected barn dance, at
which almost got everybody in the room onto the dance floor, the el paso,
and of course all those different line dances that these cowboys and cowgirls
all know very well how to perform. A surprise was when they announced Latin
salsa, and everyone danced with a country flavor. Dance exhibitions and
competitions were part of the schedule of events as well.
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We had the opportunity to see Jorge and Russell dance to beautifully
choreographed and stylized ballroom dance. We learned they had just come
back from England were they compited in International Dance competitions
representing the U.S.
For the newcomers, there was time scheduled to learn the basics, an
hour before the dance started, anyone had the opportunity to do so, and
enjoy the evening. For the experts it was simply great fun with friends
and family from around town, and around the world.
We saw our good friend, Empress Sybil Bruncheon - the Emcee of the evening,
she was witty, glamorous as always, and captured the crowd as she does
best.
This dance was organized and sponsored by "The Big Apple Ranch"
(http://www.bigappleranch.com)
a county western club here in New York City. This club meets every Saturday
from 8 p.m.-1 a.m., lessons for beginers, 8 p.m to 8:30 p.m., line dance
lessons from 8:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., dancing from 9 pm until 1 am. If you
are new to this, you can always come and hour earlier and take the opportunity
to learn the basic two step and line dances, from there on is up to you.
On a final note, the Hoedown was very interesting, for everyone was
comfortable to be with all those they've never met, and were made to feel
right at home... it was a great event, and great fun.
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photos by CJ Mingolelli and Marco Herrera
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