The last time I saw Alvin Ailey I was 11 years old. They toured to Mobile on Saint Patrick’s day, and the theatre served green popcorn to the audience at intermission.

Of the program I only remember “Revelations,” and how the girls in ballet class used to do it in unison jokingly before class with exaggerated lines.

Tonya, a.k.a. “Swan Lake Samba Girl,” invited me to an Ailey-related service at Abssyninian Baptist Church in Harlem. I’m not Baptist, but loved the idea of getting to visit a historic place and see Judith Jamison in one sitting. On the bus ride there, tourists filled the seats and were all headed to Abssyninian too.

Outside the church was packed, and they were turning away visitors at the door. I was the press list, so someone from Ailey led me to Tonya, who was seated a few rows from the front. I sat behind her, just a few rows from Judith Jamison–and enjoyed the service very much. A group of children from the church danced a small bit from “Revelations.” It was so cute to see them dancing such a mature piece.

Many big names were in the audience: the whole Ailey board, Governor Patterson’s wife, and even Andre Leon Tally (the biggest person in charge under Anna Wintour at Vogue–and one of my favorite fashion people, he seemed so nice at Fashion Week in February).

Judith Jamison seemed so cool. So confident. I love it when people in the dance world speak, they hardly are given a chance to do so because of the medium. And when they do it’s so surprising, it’s like their personality pops, and suddenly I realize how much their movements bear what they are truly like on the inside.

After the service Tonya and I received a free tour of the church by accident–we were sent on a wild goose chase looking for the press conference. We were too late, and obviously the only “press” there, so we went for brunch at Spoonbread.

I called my mother when I returned and yapped all about my experience. My parents are self-proclaimed religion historians (I was raised in a mixed faith household) and my mother wanted to know everything.

Now I’m itching to see Ailey again. When is their next performance?

This afternoon I hit the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts’s exhibit “New York Story: Jerome Robbins and His World” and attended a lecture by the exhibit curator, Lynn Garafola. The exhibit is amazing–lots of awesome handwritten correspondence between Robbins and many high-profile artists like Sondheim, and Tanquil LeClerq. Costumes, photographs from Robbins own collection (my favorite is one from an old issue of Vogue magazine), drawings and self-portraits by Robbins and video are also all part of the exhibit.

My favorite part is the projected images on the back wall of the gallery with pictures of both the current company and past NYCB members dancing in Robbins ballets. 6 videos show simultaneously that you can listen to with headphones, and at the beginning of the exhibit, a flat-screen runs a snippet from “N.Y. Export Opus Jazz” featuring Rachel Rutherford and Craig Hall.

The lecture was at 3 p.m. A mid-sized gray haired audience was in attendance. As I took my seat, an elderly woman sitting in front of me looked at me and turned to her friend.

“I don’t see why more young dancers don’t go to these things,” she said.

The lecture was great, and I liked that Mrs. Garafola read many of Robbins letters aloud. The question and answer portion was by far the most comical. One of the gutsy audience members dared to pose the question: Why was Peter Martin’s chosen and not Jerome Robbins?

The audience snickered.

Mrs. Garafola provided a smooth, diplomatic answer. For the exhibit she scoured 70 boxes of materials from Robbins that he left to the library, and she simply replied that she “hadn’t gone through all the boxes.” Her guess? Robbins didn’t have a day-to-day involvement with the company like Balanchine. And the rest? We’ll never know.

I definitely suggest that dance fans hit the exhibit. It’s free, and at the Library for the Performing Arts, located at Lincoln Center. It’s the perfect little place to pop in if you’re at Lincoln Center and need to pass time before curtain, or perhaps when you’re bored and want something new to do that’s free!

Ben Harper e-mailed me this week to let me know that he posted pictures from Joshua Bell’s rehearsal and performance with the MSO on the web!

The coolest set of photos are on their Myspace Page  of Joshua’s rehearsal with the MSO before the concert. The first picture in the album is the best–Bell exiting a car on Dauphin Street outside of Larkins Center. It’s so surreal seeing him somewhere I know so well, on a street I’ve driven down millions of times–and very paparazzi-esque!

So I’m probably late, but I just discovered Instant Encore.com,which features a calendar listing of almost every US orchestra, chamber, recital or opera concert! They even occasionally list ballet!

The calendar is huge–click on any date and you’ll find hundreds of events–and they even stream old concerts on their site. So you can listen to the Indianapolis Symphony’s concert from last week all the way from New York. I love it!

The MET Opera is streaming their live performance of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde,” with Deborah Voigt and Ben Heppner, tomorrow night at 7 p.m. from their website! If I’m home, I’m definitely tuning in…though I probably should scout around for the libretto on the net…

You can listen tomorrow by visiting Metopera.org (or by clicking here.)

“If you can walk, then you can dance. If you can talk, then you can sing.”

- Zimbabwean saying.

I experience rush hour daily now. I wake up early, board crowded trains and fill my head with questions. How do people have the focus to read on the train? I’m always trying to characterize the people near me. If you close your eyes, might you miss your stop? If you’re listening to an iPod, what if you don’t hear directions from the conductor? And what about all those riders who like to stand around not holding the rails? I think they try to impress people with their balance (or lack thereof).

Today the weather was nice, and my walk to my train home was pleasant. A gaggle of business men dressed in black coats and black shoes took to Park Avenue at precisely 6 o’clock. I realized all the money is in men’s wear–make a bunch of tailored black wool coats and you’ll always sell.

To pass time waiting on my building shuttle to ride me home, I phoned my parents back home in Mobile, Alabama.

They were both in the front yard, swatting away mosquito’s and journeying to get the mail (we have a long driveway).

“Oh, you have something from Heather Pace Arnott,” dad said. Heather is the very lovely marketing manager at the Mobile Symphony Orchestra. My most favorite violinist, Joshua Bell, recently performed with the MSO, and she e-mailed me the night of the concert, “We will miss you.”

I could hear my mothers voice in the background.

“Do you want us to open it?” dad asked.

“No–wait. What kind of envelope? Is it addressed to me?” I asked.

“A big envelope,” my dad said. I suddenly knew what it was. Heather had sent me an autograph from Joshua Bell.

I directed my parents to open it, but not to touch it. I held my breath. I could hear mom ripping open the flap.

“Well what is it?” I asked a million times.

“An autograph!” Mom and dad said at the same time. They read the signature. “To Ariel–Joshua Bell.”

I nearly fainted on 86th Street.

“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe she did that for me! Oh my gosh!” I had to explain to my parents who Heather was, and that Joshua Bell was my favorite violinist of all time. They laughed at my excitement, and promised to send me it shortly. I’m going to hang it on the wall somewhere near my other autographs (I have choreographer Frederick Ashton, Yo-Yo Ma, and David Hallberg already on my walls).

I called Heather’s office and tried not to sound too excited, but thanked her profusely on her answering machine. I owe her!

What is it? 35 or so agonizing days until the New York City Ballet (NYCB) spring season?

I really must find a new hobby.

O.K. I’ll admit that I’m totally addicted to New York Social Diary. I jumped on the site tonight and stumbled upon photographs from a recent American Ballet Theatre (ABT) party–some of the dancers from ABT’s Junior Council are pictured.

You can visit the site and see all the photos by clicking here.