The artistry leaps off the stage as black legs, brown arms and high-yellow bodies soar through the air in dances such as “Revelations.” At an Alvin Ailey performance it’s not quite clear what’s more beautiful: the black people on stage, or the ones in the audience swelling with pride and awe as they see people who look like them performing ballet and modern dance. African Americans so rarely see themselves dancing majestically. Pop dances such as the “Fox Trot” and the “Charleston” have now been replaced by the “Dougie” and the a’Wobblea’. At an Alvin Ailey performance however, black men and women are the manifestation of hopes and dreams as well as pain and suffering. Watch this snippet of “Rock My Soul” “Ailey will rock your soul!” from AlvinAileyAmericanDanceTheater on Vimeo . Ailey, born during the Depression in Texas, grew up in the church and juke joints. The conflicting forces fueled his sense of black pride and influenced what would later become a world-renowned dance company. Ailey started his troupe after moving to New York in the late ’50s and being dissatisfied with the style of dances performed at company’s there. “Revelations” is his most notable work, but its precursor was “Blues Suite.” The piece was derived from blues songs and it conveyed the African Americans’ suffering. While “Blues Suite” focused on the pain of black folks, “Revelations” showcased the perseverance and tenacity. It is a work of celebration influenced by Ailey’s rural upbringing in Texas.
And why? Because they’re based on hype. But that’s OK, Ben Zauzmer — Harvard freshman, analytical whiz kid and proprietor of the new “matrix algebra”-based awards prognostication site Ben’s Oscar Forecast! Movieline’s Institute for the Advanced Study of Kudos Forensics has the science down and is soliciting interns for next year’s awards-season death march. Inquire within. According to his site, Zauzmer’s predictions derive quantities for each film’s Oscar nomination (or non-nomination) showing, representation at other awards shows, and Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes data for the “major categories.” Next: With all of these numbers in the chart for each nominee in the category over the past decade, using a formula from linear algebra, Ben derived the best approximation of the relative factors of each award and critic score. These factors were applied to this year’s nominees – one formula for each category – and the percentage was calculated as a movie’s score out of the total scores. Pretty cool, except… uh: Best Picture Winner: The Artist (18%) Best Director Winner: Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist (28%) Best Actor Winner: Jean Dujardin – The Artist (28%) Best Actress Winner: Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady (24%) Viola Davis – The Help (24%) [ED: Davis and Streep are separated by 0.7%, surprise] Best Supporting Actor Winner: Christopher Plummer – Beginners (29%) Best Supporting Actress Winner: Octavia Spencer – The Help (27%) Best Writing – Original Screenplay Winner: Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris (27%) Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay Winner: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash – The Descendants (24%) Best Animated Feature Winner: Rango (32%) Best Foreign Language Film Winner: A Separation – Iran (27%) …so on and so forth. Where have we seen these before? There’s no doubt something here, though — perhaps what’s missing is to factor in the average Academy voter’s age ? Oh, and the average weekly advertising outlay by The Weinstein Company. OH , and Uggie’s own age multiplied by the crucial tail wags-per-minute (TwPM) metric. Anyway, yeah. Needs work! But math is hard, etc. [ Ben’s Oscar Forecast ]
The RedOne-produced party anthem is the lead single off FEM’s Dirty Bass. By Jocelyn Vena Far East Movement and Justin Bieber Photo: Getty Images Justin Bieber ‘s track with Far East Movement dropped Friday (February 24), a few days earlier than expected. “Live My Life,” which officially hits iTunes on Tuesday, is the lead single off FEM’s new album, Dirty Bass. It feels like Bieber is taking a page from the Usher playbook by hooking up with the dance party-minded production team. The club thumper pays homage to tracks that Usher has made with David Guetta and will.i.am, for instance. The feel-good song is grinding and a little dirty. For Bieber’s part, he sings the hook, proclaiming, “I’m gonna live my life/ No matter what/ We party tonight/ I’m gonna live, live, live my life/ I know that we gonna be all right.” He then throws in the good-old dance floor chant “woo woo woo” for good measure. “We’re thrilled to have Justin be a part of Dirty Bass, ” rapper Kev Nish told RollingStone.com about the club-busting collaboration. “Far East Movement has always focused on unexpected collaborations and mashing up musical genres, which keeps making music exciting. ‘Live My Life’ is a song we think both Far East Movement and Bieber fans will enjoy together.” The team also worked with LMFAO’s RedFoo on a remix of the swirling party track. And, in case you’re wondering how the guys in FEM know Bieber, well, apparently Snoop Dogg introduced them at an awards show last year. The track’s producer, RedOne, described the song as “a smash,” before he spoke a bit more about the song and hitting the studio with the boys. He added, “And Justin sang the chorus. It’s a really good song, and I think people are gonna dance like crazy to it.” What do you think of “Live My Life”? Leave your comment below! Related Videos MTV First: Justin Bieber Related Artists Justin Bieber
Only time will tell just how many statuettes will ‘The Artist’ take home and whether talking puppets will grace the Oscar stage. By Kevin P. Sullivan Jean Dujardin and B
As Academy Awards night approaches, the Talk Nerdy team reviews the biggest surprises, disappointments and favorites from 2011’s nerd films. By Josh Wigler Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures The 2012 Oscars are upon us. The biggest night in Hollywood is set to go down Sunday, and when all is said and done, only one film will be crowned Best Picture. Of course, with only nine films in the Best Picture race, the Academy Awards have neglected to acknowledge some of the past year’s biggest and brightest gems — but geeks and genre fans know better: The nerd community enjoyed a truly spectacular 2011, as comic-book movies swarmed theaters with an astonishing level of quality in tow. Some of the year’s greatest performances came not from the likes of George Clooney in “The Descendants” or Jean Dujardin in “The Artist,” but from Michael Fassbender and Tom Hiddleston as tortured souls armed with superhuman gifts — yet neither of these men were nominated, snubbed alongside the countless other deserving individuals who dabbled in 2011’s incredible blockbuster scene. Chief among the snubs, as we’ve said time and time again: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” the stunning conclusion to the epic “Potter” saga. Warner Bros. campaigned hard to get Oscar love for its long-awaited grand finale, and while fans kept their fingers crossed for a Best Picture nod and Best Supporting Actor recognition for Alan Rickman, it never happened. The Academy can explain their decisions however they like, but there’s no skirting the issue: “Potter” got snubbed, plain and simple. In short, though 2011 was a phenomenal year for movie nerds all over the world, the Academy did not share our interests. They chose to not recognize the brilliant work of Andy Serkis in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” or honor the conclusion of one of the greatest fantasy franchises of all time in “Harry Potter.” Instead, it’s a dead heat between “The Artist” and “The Descendants,” much to the excitement of … who again, exactly? But the Talk Nerdy team knows better: We selected our biggest surprises, biggest disappointments and overall favorites from 2011’s nerdy movie offerings in this week’s latest episode. See if you agree with our picks in the video above — and if you don’t, you can always disagree with our choices in the comments section below. The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 26, tune into MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET for our two-and-a-half-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners. To join the live conversation, tweet @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos Talk Nerdy 2012 Oscar Nominees Related Photos 2012 Oscar Nominees
Stop actin’ like that Allison! According to TMZ reports : Chris Bosh says his baby mama is doing everything she can to destroy his relationship with his daughter — and the latest evidence is that she only wanted to let Chris see the child a grand total of 22 hours in February. Bosh — who is slated to play in the All-Star Game Sunday in Orlando — will be in an Orlando family court first thing Monday morning, asking a judge to either force Allison Mathis to give him “meaningful time” with his 3-year-old daughter or hold Mathis in contempt for denying him that. According to the docs, Mathis is supposed to hand the child over to Chris 12 days a month, but it hasn’t happened … not even close. From one court to another … Chris has no history of domestic abuse, doesn’t owe any child support, and appears to genuinely love his baby girl. LET THAT MAN BE GREAT!!! Image via SplashNews More On Bossip! Smackdown! The Chris Brown/CM Punk Feud Is Getting Pretty Intense! “I Will Choke You” And Breezy Responds! Can’t Get It Up: 10 Foods That Might Be Choking The Life Out Of Your…Libido Tell ‘Em Why You Mad: Janet “Aunt Viv” Hubert Writes An Open Letter To Wendy Williams Blaming Her For Whitney Houston’s Downfall Cake Cake Cake Cake! The Stars With The Wildest Birthday Parties
See what happens when Big Brother is not watching! According to RadarOnline reports : With Chris Brown and Rihanna collaborating on duets together and secretly hooking up, the Barbadian beauty’s mentor, and very close friend, Jay-Z, is extremely upset that she is spending time with the man who left her badly beaten three years ago, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting. As we previously reported, despite Chris dating wanna-be model, Karrueche Tran, the Grammy Award winner has been having secret rendezvous with RiRi. Tran knows that her boyfriend is straying because she doesn’t question him about it and knows that if she did, the relationship would probably end. In the days after the horrific beating Rihanna endured by her then boyfriend, she sought refuge and advice with her long-time mentor, Jay-Z. “Jay was absolutely disgusted by what Chris did to Rihanna. Jay doesn’t understand how a man could ever lay hands on a woman; it just goes against who he is and about. Chris is absolutely dead to Jay, he wants nothing to do with him ever. Now that Rihanna is hooking up with Chris and recording songs with him, Jay is deeply disappointed in her actions. He can’t fathom why Rihanna is doing the things she is doing. He understands the need for forgiveness, but he is adamant that Rihanna shouldn’t forget what Chris did to her. Jay wonders what kind of message this is sending to Rihanna’s young female fans. Rihanna knows how Jay feels about Chris, but she doesn’t care, she is going to do what she wants,” a source close to the situation tells us. Brown and RiRi have released two songs, which features both of them — her song Birthday Cake and his Turn Up the Music. Brown’s first line in Birthday Cake? “Girl I wanna f*** you right now. Been a long time, I’ve been missing your body,” the R&B hit-maker sings. Now that Jay-Z is a proud daddy to daughter, Blue Ivy, with wife Beyoncé, “he is even more protective of the women in his life. Jay has told Rihanna he will never give his blessing for what she is doing with Chris. He has told her, this isn’t going to end well, it never does. In Jay’s opinion, Chris has rage issues that he doesn’t think have been dealt with,” the insider says. Hov, too busy babysitting and not keeping your artist in check! More On Bossip! Smackdown! The Chris Brown/CM Punk Feud Is Getting Pretty Intense! “I Will Choke You” And Breezy Responds! Can’t Get It Up: 10 Foods That Might Be Choking The Life Out Of Your…Libido Tell ‘Em Why You Mad: Janet “Aunt Viv” Hubert Writes An Open Letter To Wendy Williams Blaming Her For Whitney Houston’s Downfall Cake Cake Cake Cake! The Stars With The Wildest Birthday Parties
See what happens when Big Brother is not watching! According to RadarOnline reports : With Chris Brown and Rihanna collaborating on duets together and secretly hooking up, the Barbadian beauty’s mentor, and very close friend, Jay-Z, is extremely upset that she is spending time with the man who left her badly beaten three years ago, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting. As we previously reported, despite Chris dating wanna-be model, Karrueche Tran, the Grammy Award winner has been having secret rendezvous with RiRi. Tran knows that her boyfriend is straying because she doesn’t question him about it and knows that if she did, the relationship would probably end. In the days after the horrific beating Rihanna endured by her then boyfriend, she sought refuge and advice with her long-time mentor, Jay-Z. “Jay was absolutely disgusted by what Chris did to Rihanna. Jay doesn’t understand how a man could ever lay hands on a woman; it just goes against who he is and about. Chris is absolutely dead to Jay, he wants nothing to do with him ever. Now that Rihanna is hooking up with Chris and recording songs with him, Jay is deeply disappointed in her actions. He can’t fathom why Rihanna is doing the things she is doing. He understands the need for forgiveness, but he is adamant that Rihanna shouldn’t forget what Chris did to her. Jay wonders what kind of message this is sending to Rihanna’s young female fans. Rihanna knows how Jay feels about Chris, but she doesn’t care, she is going to do what she wants,” a source close to the situation tells us. Brown and RiRi have released two songs, which features both of them — her song Birthday Cake and his Turn Up the Music. Brown’s first line in Birthday Cake? “Girl I wanna f*** you right now. Been a long time, I’ve been missing your body,” the R&B hit-maker sings. Now that Jay-Z is a proud daddy to daughter, Blue Ivy, with wife Beyoncé, “he is even more protective of the women in his life. Jay has told Rihanna he will never give his blessing for what she is doing with Chris. He has told her, this isn’t going to end well, it never does. In Jay’s opinion, Chris has rage issues that he doesn’t think have been dealt with,” the insider says. Hov, too busy babysitting and not keeping your artist in check! More On Bossip! Smackdown! The Chris Brown/CM Punk Feud Is Getting Pretty Intense! “I Will Choke You” And Breezy Responds! Can’t Get It Up: 10 Foods That Might Be Choking The Life Out Of Your…Libido Tell ‘Em Why You Mad: Janet “Aunt Viv” Hubert Writes An Open Letter To Wendy Williams Blaming Her For Whitney Houston’s Downfall Cake Cake Cake Cake! The Stars With The Wildest Birthday Parties
