Now through January 13 
STUFF LEGENDS ARE MADE OF
[ALL AGES]
The Big Apple Circus is back and better than ever with a new Legendarium show at Lincoln Center! Inside the Big Top circus tent, which holds more than 1,700 people, circus artists will perform feats of daring from aerial stunts to contortionism to juggling. Fans of this iconic not-for-profit troupe know that no matter where you sit, you’ll be no more than 50 feet away from all of the action.
From $25; times vary. 63rd Street and Amsterdam Avenue, 800-922-3772, bigapplecircus.org

To read the full article, please visit newyorkfamily.com.

The Harlem Honeys & Bears synchronized swimming team perform inside the Thomas Jefferson Park Pool to celebrate the expansion of the senior swim program to 14 outdoor public pools. Senior Swim offers adults over the age of 62 a stress-free, quieter time to socialize, swim, stretch and exercise in NYC Parks’ outdoor pools. The program runs from July 9 through August 24.

Photos by Andrew Schwartz

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City Council Hearing Over NYU Expansion Gets Heated President John Sexton defends plan to the community, and city council members.

Photos by Jonathan Springer

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The Hippo Playground in Riverside Park celebrated its 29th Annual Spring Fair on April 6. The fair, which included a jumping castle, pony rides, a maze, face painting, games and prizes, raised funds for maintenance and programs.

Photos by Andrew Schwartz.

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Using flowers, fabric and other materials, thirty New York floral, fashion and interior designers created one-of-a-kind tablescapes for the annual New York Flower Show presented by the Horticultural Society of New York. This years theme “Couture en Fleur” influenced many of the designers to create their tablescape designs after concepts such as Alexander McQueen’s book “Savage Beast,” the costumes and performances of Cirque de Soleil and the 1920’s fashion era in Paris.

Photos by Andrew Schwartz.

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Spring has sprung at the West Side Community Garden where thousands of tulips are on display.

Photos by Kathryn Fortuno.

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Participants at the annual Pillow Fight Day held at Washington Square Park on April 7.

Photos by Kathryn Fortuno.

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By Anam Baig

The U.N. International Holocaust Commemoration Sabbath took place Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Park East Synagogue, where the year’s first snowfall marked the memory of the six million who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

U.N Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon

Nearly 200 people attended the event, including 63 diplomats from organizations such as the U.N., UNESCO and the E.U., representing 33 countries. Addressing the congregation were U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and U.N. General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser. The commemoration was led by Rabbi Arthur Schneier, spiritual leader of Park East Synagogue for over 40 years, who is a Holocaust survivor.

The U.N.’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day is Jan. 27, and this year the General Assembly will remember children who perished during the Holocaust.

But at the Sabbath, Jan. 21, multitudes of ethnicities and religions gathered in a house of worship to exalt the countless victims of Nazi rule and to remind themselves that there is continuing injustice in the world. The event also marked the anniversary of the closing of Auschwitz, the biggest Nazi concentration camp that claimed the lives of over 1 million people.

The Sabbath prayers were made early in the morning and the diplomats streamed in around 10 a.m. Despite the snow, many people showed up to offer their prayers and support for the victims of hate and discrimination.

Countries as different as Australia, Korea, Sweden and Morocco were present at this commemoration. Every man donned a kippah before entering the synagogue, symbolizing their respect for the Jewish faith and for the house of worship that they entered.

The commemoration ceremony began with Schneier addressing the congregation. He asked all of the Holocaust survivors in the room to rise. Although there were only a few scattered amongst the many in attendance, it was a powerful moment to see these aged survivors shakily stand up and reveal their brutal pasts.

“Hear the cry of the oppressed,” he urged the congregation. “Silence and indifference by the free world undermines the survival of the victims.”

Ban also expressed his feeling about the event. In his address, he thanked Schneier for continuing to teach the world about the important lessons of the Holocaust and for being a voice for interfaith peace and understanding.

“The Holocaust affected so many different groups and so many professions that it is vital to reach new audiences with this history,” he said in his speech. “Our work for human dignity will underpin all we do. And our memory of the years when that dignity was torn from so many millions—so fast, so brutally—is likewise part of the bedrock from which we operate.

Let us all work together today to realize human dignity for all and to realize the U.N.’s full potential in building the future we want.”

Free at Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center is staging free concerts this month for Black History Month. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis at the David Rubenstein Atrium, Broadway between 62nd and 63rd streets. For more information, visit www.lincolncenter.org/Atrium.

Feb. 4 at 11 a.m., the Harlem Gospel Choir will lead a program for families.
Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m., Loren Schoenberg and the National Jazz Museum All Stars will present “Drop Me Off in Harlem: An Evening of Ellingtonia,” highlighting the work of Duke Ellington.

New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society is hosting several events and exhibits in recognition of Black History Month.

Feb. 5 and 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., re-enactors will bring the 1st Rhode Island Regiment back to life. The unit was one of the earliest regiments in America to actively enlist African Americans. The 1st Rhode Island Regiment fought in the Battle of Newport in 1778 and spent the infamous winter at Valley Forge without receiving any post-war compensation for their efforts.
Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m., “The Battle for Civil Rights,” a conversation between David Levering Lewis and Khalil Gibran Muhammad, will be held.

The discussion is presented in conjunction with one of the society’s exhibits, Freedom Now: Photographs by Platon. The installation of large-scale images by the celebrated photographer shows the historic struggle of the 1950s and 1960s.
Among the subjects are the Little Rock Nine, whose attempt to enter Little Rock Central High School in 1957 became a national cause célèbre; Joseph A. McNeil and Franklin E. McCain, participants in the 1960 Greensboro lunch-counter sit-in; and Chris and Maxine McNair, the parents of Denise McNair, who was murdered in the bombing of the Birmingham, Ala., 16th Street Baptist Church.

The Historical Society is located at 170 Central Park West and is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays–Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $5–$15 and children under 7 are free. For more information, call 212-873-3400 or visit www.nyhistory.org.

Films for Youth
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Blvd., will be screening free films for youth and teens Feb. 14–16.  Online registration is required at www.NYPL.org. For more information, call 212- 491-2200.
Feb. 14, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., On The Shoulders of Giants: The Story of the Greatest Basketball Team You Never Heard Of will be shown. The 2011 film by basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores the Harlem Renaissance through the eyes of Abdul-Jabbar as he presents the life and times of the Harlem Rens basketball team. Recommended for ages 5–18.

Feb. 15, 10 a.m.–noon, Freedom Riders, by Stanley Nelson, will be shown. The true story of an integrated band of young college students who risked everything by boarding a Greyhound Bus headed to the Deep South. Recommended for ages 13–18.

Feb. 16, 10–11 a.m., The Prep School Negro, by André Robert Lee, will be shown. This documentary explores the experiences of Lee and present-day prep school students of color. Recommended for ages 13–18.

American Craft Show NYC & Contemporary Art Fair NYC—These simultaneous events bring 200 juried American Craft Artists to show and sell ceramic, fiber, glass, furniture, wearable art and jewelry works, as well as presentations by 100 independent contemporary artists specializing in painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media. Runs through Nov. 21, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 W. 34th St., 212-216-2000, www.javitscenter.com; Nov. 21, 3 p.m.–7 p.m., Nov. 22, 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Nov. 23, 10 a.m.–4 p.m, $8–$16.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20

Philadanco—The group blends African-American dance traditions with ballet, jazz and modern styles. Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College, 2900 Campus Rd., Brooklyn, 718-951-4500; 8 p.m., $30.

92nd Street Y—Pianist Charles Rosen and cellist Fred Sherry give an all-Chopin recital. 92nd and Lexington Avenue, 212-415-5500; 8 p.m., $25+.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Complexions Contemporary Ballet—The company’s intense physical movements take center stage in three different programs. The Joyce Theater, 175 8th Ave., 212-242-0800, www.complexionsdance.org; times vary, $10+. Runs throughout the week.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22

Driving Miss Daisy—James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave star in Alfred Uhry’s play. The Golden Theater, 252 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200, www.daisyonbroadway.com.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23

Next to Normal—A woman an her family struggle to cope with her bipolar disorder in this emotional, Tony-winning musical. Through Jan. 16, Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St., 212-239-6200.

BAM 2010 Next Wave Festival—The Brooklyn Academy of Music hosts its annual festival. Now in its 28th year, Next Wave comprises 16 music, dance, theater and opera performances, in addition to artist talks, art exhibitions and more. BAM, 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn, 718-636-4129, www.bam.org; Mon.–Sat., noon–11 p.m., Sun., 1 p.m.–11 p.m., Free.