♪♪ >>> COMING UP ON "NYC ARTS," A PROFILE OF JAMES WHITESIDE, PRINCIPAL DANCER WITH THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATER.

>> SO I WAS 9 YEARS OLD WHEN I STARTED DANCING.

I DID JAZZ, BALLET, ACROBATICS AT A LOCAL SCHOOL IN FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

AND I GOT INTO DANCING BECAUSE I HAD TRIED EVERYTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, SOCCER AND MY MOM ONE DAY THREW ME A PHONE BOOK AND SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO PICK SOMETHING.

YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY YOU HYPERACTIVE MONSTER.

♪♪ AND SO I FOUND AN AD FOR A DANCE STUDIO IN THE PHONE BOOK.

AND IT WAS OF A MAN HOLDING A WOMAN OVER HIS HEAD WITH ONE HAND.

AND IT JUST LOOKED AWESOME.

I SAID I WANT TO TRY THAT.

>>> A LOOK AT THE EXHIBITION, THE MANY CHEAP PORTRAITS IN POLITICS NOW ON VIEW AT THE METROPOLITAN.

IT FEATURES PORTRAITS BY SOME OF THE MOST CELEBRATED ARTISTS OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE.

>> Announcer: FUNDING FOR NYC ARTS IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- THIS PROGRAM SUPPORTED IN PART BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY MEMBERS OF 13, NYC ARTS IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY FIRST REPUBLIC BANK.

>> FIRST REPUBLIC BANK PRESENTS FIRST THINGS FIRST.

AT FIRST REPUBLIC BANK FIRST REFERS TO OUR FIRST PRIORITY.

THE CLIENTS WHO WALK THROUGH OUR DOORS.

THE FIRST STEP, RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY CLIENT IS AN INDIVIDUAL WITH UNIQUE NEEDS.

FIRST DECREE, BE A BANK WHOSE CURRENCY IS SERVICE IN THE FORM OF PERSONAL BANKING.

THIS WAS FIRST REPUBLIC'S MISSION FROM OUR VERY FIRST DAY.

IT'S STILL THE FIRST THING ON OUR MINDS.

>> AND BY SWAN AUCTION GALLERIES.

>> SWAN AUCTION GALLERIES, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT AUCTIONS OFFERING VINTAGE BOOKS AND FINE ARTS SINCE 1941 WORKING TO COMBINE KNOWLEDGE WITH ACCESSIBILITY.

WHETHER YOU'RE A LIFELONG COLLECTOR, FIRST-TIME BUYER OR LOOKING TO SELL, INFORMATION AT SWANGALLERIES.COM.

♪♪ ♪♪ >>> GOOD EVENING.

I'M ON LOCATION AT GALLERY IN NEW YORK WHICH REOPENED ITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC LAST MONTH.

HOUSED IN A MANSION AT THE CORNER OF FIFTH AVENUE AND 86th STREET, THE MUSEUM IS DEVOTED TO EARLY 20th CENTURY GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN ART AND DESIGN.

CONCEIVED BY RONALD S. LAUDER, ITS MISSION IS TO BRING A SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE BACK TO THIS PERIOD AND REGION OF ART MAKING.

THE NAME OF THE MUSEUM MEANS NEW GALLERY AND IT HAS ITS HISTORICAL ROOTS IN VARIOUS EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS, ARTIST ASSOCIATIONS AND COMMERCIAL GALLERIES.

FOREMOST, THIS GALLERY IN VIENNA FOUNDED IN 1923 BY OTTO CALIA, TO CAPTURE THE INNOVATED MODERN SPIRIT THAT IS COVERED AND PURSUED AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.

HERE ON THE SECOND FLOOR GALLERY, DEDICATED ART FROM VIENNA ABOUT 1900 IS THE WORK OF GUSTAV, FROM THE EARLY 20th CENTURY.

THE GALLERY CONTAINS SEVEN PORTRAITS OF WOMEN BY THE ARTIST, INCLUDING ONE OF THE MOST RENOWNED, THE PORTRAIT OF ADELE BAUER.

ANOTHER NOTABLE PORTRAIT IS BLACK FEATHERED HAT OF 1910.

THIS ELEGANT WOMAN'S POSE AND CLOTHING IDENTIFY HER AS MODERN AND INDEPENDENT.

HER IDENTITY IS UNKNOWN, BUT SHE MAY HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER AT THE FASHION SALON OWNED BY EMILY AND HER SISTERS.

SHE WAS A MUSE AND CLOSE COMPANION TO CLINT.

THE STRIKING FEATURES OF THE WOMAN DEPICTED HERE REPRESENTS CLINT'S AESTHETIC IDEAS.

THEY ARE EMPHASIZED BY HER DARK EYES, CHEEKS AND LIPS.

RECALLS FASHION PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PERIOD BUT FILTERED BY HIS SENSIBILITIES.

THE OVERSIZED BLACK HAT WAS CHIC AT THE TIME AND LENDS AN AURA OF BOTH ALOOFNESS AND FRAGILITY.

HER LONG FUR STOW COMPLIMENTS THE HAT AND CONNECTS THE ELEMENTS OF PAINTING.

STYLISTICALLY THE WORK SUGGESTS THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE GRAPHIC ARTS OF HIS FRENCH COLLEAGUE WHOSE WORK HAD BEEN SHOWN IN VIENNA IN 1895 AND AGAIN IN 1908.

♪♪ >>> THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING ONE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.

AT AMERICAN BALLET THEATER, CANCELLED SEASONS AND THE INABILITY TO REHEARSE IN PERSON PUT MANY DANCER'S PLANS ON HOLD.

BUT THE COMPANY ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE BY MOVING THEIR COMPANY CLASSES ONLINE, CREATING DIGITAL PROGRAMMING AND FEATURING DANCERS IN LIVE PERFORMANCES WHEN CONDITIONS ALLOWED.

THIS MONTH, THE COMPANY EMBARKED UPON AN AMBITIOUS VENTURE CALLED ABT ACROSS AMERICA.

TAKING TO THE ROAD BY BUS TO EIGHT U.S. CITIES, THE PROJECT BUILDS ON ABT'S HISTORY OF CROSS-COUNTRY TOURING IN THE 1940s AND 1950s.

THE CARAVAN OF 20 DANCERS AND 20 AIDE SUPPORT CREW WILL CROSS 14 STATES PERFORMING ON CUSTOM-BUILT STAGES FOR SOCIALLY DISTANCED AUDIENCES.

THE TOUR CONCLUDES WITH A PERFORMANCE ON JULY 21 BACK HOME IN NEW YORK CITY.

THIS TIME OUTDOORS ON THE PLAZA AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER.

TONIGHT, WE'LL MEET ONE OF THE COMPANY'S PRINCIPAL DANCERS, JAMES WHITESIDE.

ORIGINALLY FROM FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT, WHITESIDE BEGAN STUDYING BALLET AT THE AGE OF 9.

HE STARTED HIS PROFESSIONAL CAREER AT BOSTON BALLET IN 2003 BEFORE MOVING TO NEW YORK IN 2012 TO DANCE FOR ABT.

HE WAS PROMOTED TO PRINCIPAL DANCER IN OCTOBER OF 2013 AND HAS BEEN WIDELY PRAISED FOR HIS POWERFUL, ENERGETIC DANCING.

WHITESIDE IS ALSO NOTABLE FOR HIS PURSUITS AS A DEEJAY, VIDEO PRODUCER, DRAG QUEEN, MODEL AND INSTAGRAM STAR.

DURING THE SHUTDOWN, HE HOSTED A POPULAR SERIES OF INSTAGRAM LIVE BALLET CLASSES ALONGSIDE HIS FRIEND AND DANCER, ISABEL.

♪♪ MOST RECENTLY THE PAIR CAME TOGETHER AGAIN IN THEIR FIRST POST-QUARANTINE WORK WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE OF KNEEL.

CHOREOGRAPHED FOR THE DUO BY ABT ARTIST AND RESIDENCE ALEXIA, THE WORK WAS RECORDED ON STAGE AT THE JOYCE THEATER.

THE PROGRAM WAS OFFERED TO VIEWERS FOR FREE, STREAMING FOR FOUR WEEKS.

NYC ARTS SPOKE WITH WHITESIDE IN EARLY 2020 ABOUT HIS CAREER AND CREATIVE PROCESS.

♪♪ >>> SO I WAS 9 YEARS OLD WHEN I STARTED DANCING.

I DID JAZZ, BALLET, TAP, ACROBATICS AT A LOCAL SCHOOL IN FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

AND I GOT INTO DANCING BECAUSE I HAD TRIED EVERYTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, SOCCER.

AND MY MOM ONE DAY THREW ME A PHONE BOOK AND SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO PICK SOMETHING, YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY YOU HYPERACTIVE MONSTER.

♪♪ AND SO I FOUND AN AD FOR A DANCE STUDIO IN THE PHONE BOOK.

AND IT WAS OF A MAN HOLDING A WOMAN OVER HIS HEAD WITH ONE HAND.

AND IT JUST LOOKED AWESOME.

I SAID I WANT TO TRY THAT.

WHEN I LOOK BACK AT THE VIDEOS OF WHEN I WAS A KID, YOU CAN SEE PURE JOY IN THE VIDEOS.

AND I WOULDN'T REPLACE THAT WITH ANYTHING.

MY TECHNIQUE HAS EVOLVED SO MUCH BUT THE ENERGY IS THE EXACT SAME ENERGY.

IT'S LIKE THIS SORT OF, I DON'T KNOW, JUST SPASTIC, WILDNESS, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A BAD THING, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING.

MY FIRST DANCE TEACHERS BROUGHT ME TO SEE ABT, AMERICAN BALLET THEATER, AT THE MET OPERA WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT BALLET COULD BE AT THAT POINT BUT I REALLY SAW IT THAT NIGHT AND I DECIDED THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WANTED TO DO.

ABT WAS MY FIRST DREAM, SO I HAVEN'T STOPPED UNTIL I GOT HERE.

AND NOW THAT I'M HERE, I'M STILL NOT STOPPING.

♪♪ AS A PRINCIPAL DANCER, I DANCE A LOT OF PRINCE-LY ROLLS.

SO SWAN LAKE, PRINCE ALBERT FROM GISELE.

I ACTUALLY HAD NEVER DONE THE PRINCE IN SWAN LAKE UNTIL I JOINED AMERICAN BALLET THEATER.

SO I WORKED REALLY HARD ON MY FIRST SHOW HERE WITH ABT OF SWAN LAKE WAS WITH PRINCIPAL BALLERINA JULIANNE MURPHY.

SHE SHOWED ME THE ROPES AND MADE ME COMFORTABLE WITH THE BALLET.

I'VE KNOWN ABOUT HER PROWESS FOR ONE MILLION YEARS.

I'M SO HAPPY TO BE DANCING WITH HER.

I JUST ADORE HER.

SHE'S HILARIOUS ALSO.

I FEEL LIKE IN A STORY BALLET IT'S A LOT ABOUT DIALOGUE, ABOUT LISTENING TO WHAT THE OTHER PERSON IS SAYING THROUGH THEIR MOVEMENT AND THROUGH THEIR PHYSICAL STORY TELLING.

AND I FEEL LIKE THE OLDER I GET AND THE MORE I DANCE WITH THESE BALLERINAS, THE MORE SOLID AND READABLE OUR DIALOGUE IS.

I HAVE A SORT OF LITTLE BACK STORY THAT I TELL MYSELF.

I FEEL LIKE THE PRINCE IN SWAN LAKE HAS A LITTLE NELY AND IN MY MIND IT'S HOW I FELT AS A TEENAGER TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET AS A GAY MAN.

WHEN I'M DOING THE FIRST STACK AND EVERYONE IS CELEBRATING ME AND I'M THE BIRTHDAY AND I'M THE PRINCE AND HOW COULD I NOT BE OVERJOYED, I THINK BACK TO THAT FEELING I HAD OF ISOLATION EVEN THOUGH I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO PUT MYSELF THROUGH THAT OTHER THAN FEAR OF PERCEPTION.

I TRIED TO GIVE THAT FEELING THROUGH BODY LANGUAGE.

INSTEAD OF ALWAYS BEING THE PROUD PRINCE, TO SHOW VULNERABILITY AND INSECURITY.

♪♪ I THINK FANCY FREE IS THE STORY TELLING WORTH OF GENIUS.

YOU GET SUCH A SENSE OF ATMOSPHERE FROM THIS BALLET, WHICH IS REALLY HARD TO DO.

SO I'VE BEEN DOING FANCY FREE FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.

I THINK SINCE I WAS MAYBE 21.

I'VE BEEN THE SAME PART, THIRD SAILER, MY CHARACTER SPECIFICALLY HAS THIS HAUGHTY SASS, WHICH I REALLY LOVE.

I SORT OF TREAT IT LIKE THE FAWN.

I'M CURIOUS TO SEE HOW IT HOLDS UP IN SOCIETAL CHANGE.

RIGHT NOW I FEEL LIKE WE'RE RIGHT ON THE BRINK OF IT BEING ALMOST INAPPROPRIATE.

HOWEVER, THAT BEING SAID, I LOVE DANCING THIS BALLET.

IT IS SO MUCH FUN.

THE MUSIC IS UNBELIEVABLE.

CHOREOGRAPHY IS SO CHARMING AND STRANGE AND WONDERFUL AND JAZZY.

♪♪ CHOREOGRAPHY FOR ME HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING THAT I'VE ENJOYED JUST FROM A VERY NATURAL PLACE.

LIKE I WOULD TAKE MY DAD'S RECORDS AND PUT THEM ON MY FISHER PRICE TURNTABLE AND MAKE UP DANCES IN MY BEDROOM.

AT MY JAZZ STUDIO IN CONNECTICUT, THEY SAW THAT I LIKED TO MAKE THINGS.

AND THEY WOULD LET ME MAKE UP DANCES FOR COMPETITION.

THEY REALLY NOURISHED MY CREATIVE NEEDS.

WHEN I JOINED BOSTON BALLET, I KEPT MAKING THINGS.

I KEPT CREATING.

AND NOW HERE I AM AT ABT AND I'M STILL SHOWING INTEREST AND BEING GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES THAT I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR.

I MADE A PIECE LAST FALL THAT WAS MY FIRST COMMISSION WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATER, WHICH PREMIERED IN VEIL.

I MADE NEW AMERICAN ROMANCE AS A NOD TO THE CLASS SCHISM OF ROMANTIC BALLET BUT I WANTED TO INJECT A LITTLE BIT OF MY PERSONALITY AND MY PERCEPTION ON ROMANCE INTO IT, WHICH IS LIMITLESS, REALLY.

IT WAS SORT OF MY APPRECIATION FOR WHAT ROMANCE COULD BE FOR ALL THE POSSIBILITIES.

♪♪ SO MY NEW BALLET, CALLED CITY OF WOMEN, IS ABOUT THE GENERATIONAL SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE FROM BALLERINA TO BALLERINA.

♪♪ I KNOW THEM ALL SO WELL, IMMATERIALED TO MAKE A DANCE FOR THE BALLERINAS THAT WOULD SHOWCASE THEIR INDIVIDUAL GIFTS AND ALSO REPRESENT, YOU KNOW, THE WISDOM OF GILLIAN, THE BRAZENNESS OF KATHERINE AND THE COURAGEOUS DANCING OF ISABELLA.

I KNOW THEIR STRENGTHS.

AND I KNOW THEIR PERSONALITIES.

NOT JUST THEIR STRENGTHS.

SO I WANTED TO SHOWCASE THAT.

♪♪ I CREATED JB DUBS IN 2005.

HE IS A POP MUSICIAN, SORT OF RAPPER THING I PRODUCED, PERFORMED, WRITE ALL THE MUSIC AS WELL AS CHOREOGRAPH THE MUSIC VIDEOS.

♪♪ I HAVE BEEN WITNESS TO A LOT OF DISCRIMINATION AND HOMOPHOBIA IN BALLET AND ALSO I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS SORT OF SHAKE UP THE BALLET WORLD.

SO, ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPENED AT ONCE, AND MY BRAIN EXPLODED.

AND MY INSTINCT WAS TO WRITE.

SO I WROTE A SONG CALLED WTF AND IT'S EXACTLY LIKE IT SOUNDS.

AND IT WASN'T SO MUCH POINTING FINGERS AT PEOPLE AS SORT OF JUST EXPRESSING MY EXASPERATION AND THE INCREDULITY OF THE SITUATION.

>> WHAT THE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE -- ♪ WHAT HAPPENED TO CREATIVITY ♪ >> THE REASON I WANTED TO DANCE ON POINT IN THE MUSIC VIDEO IS TO FURTHER HAMMER HOME THE POINT THAT WE AS DANCERS SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO BE GENDERED OR PUT IN A BOX.

I WANT TO ENCOURAGE AS MANY PEOPLE TO DANCE ON POINT AS THEY WANT TO.

♪♪ AND I WANT TO BE FREE TO DANCE WHATEVER I WANT.

I AM REALLY HOPING THE FUTURE OF BALLET REMAINS VERY CLASSICAL.

I WANT THE DEFINITION OF CLASSICAL TO EVOLVE.

I THINK SOCIALLY BALLET HAS TO ADAPT.

AND I ABSOLUTELY WANT TO BE ONE OF THE PEOPLE LEADING THE CHARGE ON THE CREATION OFMORE REPRESENTATION IN CLASSICAL BALLET.

I HAVE HUGE RESPECT FOR THE CLASSICS, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN NEW STORIES CAN'T BE TOLD.

♪♪ ♪♪ >>> FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CULTURAL EVENTS IN OUR AREA, PLEASE SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE WEEKLY EMAIL AT NYC-ARTS.ORG/EMAIL.

TOP FIVE PICKS WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ALL YEAR ROUND AND BE SURE TO CONNECT WITH NYC ARTS ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER.

♪♪ FROM THE PORTRAITS OF CLIMT, CREATED IN 19th CENTURY VIENNA, WE WILL STEP BACK IN TIME AND PLACE TO PORTRAITS OF 16th CENTURY FLORENCE.

NOW ON VIEW JUST A FEW BLOCKS AWAY AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM IS THE BREATH-TAKING EXHIBITION.

PORTRAITS IN POLITICS 1512, 1570.

IT FEATURES MORE THAN 90 WORKS OF ART IN A WIDE RANGE OF MEDIUMS, PAINTINGS, BRONZE AND MARBLE BUSTS, CARVED GEM STONES, DRAWINGS, MANUSCRIPTS AND ARMOR.

ON VIEW ARE PORTRAITS BY SOME OF THE MOST CELEBRATED ARTISTS OF ITALIAN RENAISSANCE, WORKS THAT ONE WOULD NEVER THOUGHT WE COULD SEE TOGETHER IN NEW YORK.

THEY INCLUDE PAINTINGS BY -- LOANS FROM COLLECTIONS THROUGHOUT EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA AND AS FAR AWAY AS AUSTRIA.

SOME OF THE GREATEST PORTRAITS OF WESTERN ART WERE PAINTED IN FLORENCE DURING THE TUMULTUOUS YEARS WHEN THE CITY WAS TRANSFORMED FROM A REPUBLIC WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS INTO A TERRITORY RULED BY THE MEDICI FAMILY.

THE KEY FIGURE IN THIS TRANSFORMATION WAS -- FOLLOWING THE AS IS NATION OF HIS PREDECESSOR.

HE SHREWDLY EMPLOYED CULTURE AS A POLITICAL TOOL IN ORDER TO PERVERT THE AMERICAEN TILE CITY INTO THE CAPITAL OF A DYNASTIC STATE.

IN DOING SO, HE ENLISTED THE LEADING INTELLECTUALS AND ARTISTS OF HIS TIME AND PROMOTED GRAND ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING AND ARTISTIC PROJECTS.

IN THE YEARS PRIOR TO HIS REIGN, MOST PORTRAITS BY FLORENTINE ARTISTS WERE PAINTED IN AN AUSTERE STYLE THAT REFLECTED THE TRADITIONAL MORAL VALUES OF THE REPUBLIC.

PORTRAITS FEATURED SOMBER COLOR PALETTE, ABSENCE OF DECORATIVE EMBELLISHMENTS AND DETAILS OF OBJECTS SERVING TO INDICATE A SITTER'S PROFESSION.

THE PORTRAITS BECAME RICHER, DRAWING UPON METAPHOR AND ALGORRY AS WELL AS MYTHOLOGICAL AND BIBLICAL SOURCES.

ALSO NOTABLE AS EXAMPLES OF THE NEWEST TILE ARE RAFAEL'S PORTRAIT OF LORENZO.

AND JACOB'S PORTRAIT OF ALEXANDRO.

DEPICTIONS CULTIVATED HIS IMAGE AS INHATER AND PRESERVER OF THE GLORY OF THE ENTIRE LINE.

THESE INCLUDE THE PORTRAITS OF HIS SON AS ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST.

HIS COMPELLING PORTRAITS OF HIS CHILDREN AS WELL AS HIS WIFE ASSERTED THE CONTINUITY.

TWO WORKS IN PARTICULAR SHAPED IN WHICH SITTER'S ARE SHOWN HOLDING SMALL VOLUMES OF POETRY.

THEY WERE LIKELY MEANT TO SECURE THE STATUS OF FLORENCE AS HAVING ITS OWN IMPORTANT LITERARY CULTURE.

HIS PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG MAN AND FRANCESCO'S PORTRAIT OF CARLO TAKE US FURTHER.

THE PRESENCE OF THESE SMALL VOLUMES SIGNIFIED PATRIOTISM, SOCIAL AFFILIATION AS WELL AS PARTISAN ALLEGIANCE.

THE PORTRAITS ON VIEW AT THE METTE CONVEY THE NEW AND COMPLEX WAYS THAT ARTISTS PORTRAY THE ELITE OF FLORENCE.

THEY REPRESENT THE SITTER'S POLITICAL AND CULTURAL AMBITIONS AND A CHANGING SENSE OF WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A FLORENTINE AT THIS DEFINING MOMENT IN THE CITY'S HISTORY.

THE EXHIBITION IS ON VIEW THROUGH OCTOBER 11th.

NEXT WEEK ON "NYC ARTS" PROFILE OF RENOWN PHOTOGRAPHER, VIBRANT PRESENCE IN THE ART WORLD.

>> I REMEMBER WALKING THROUGH PARIS AND SUDDENLY SMELL BAKING CROISSANT ON THE AIR.

BUTTER AND SUGAR AND YOU IMMEDIATELY YOU WANT A CROISSANT OR A COOKIE OR SOMETHING.

THEN YOU TAKE TWO STEPS AND IT'S GONE.

TO ME THAT'S WHAT PHOTOGRAPHY IS.

YOU WALK ALONG THE STREET AND SOMETHING HAPPENS.

AND YOU GET IT.

IT'S A VISUAL THAT IS AS PRECISE AS THAT FRAGRANCE THAT IS ONLY IN THE AIR OF THE DOORWAY.

>>> AND A VISIT TO BUSH HOLLY HOUSE IN GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT, THE MEETING PLACE FOR THE ART COLONY WHICH FLOURISHED HERE AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.

>> THE BUSH HOLLY HOUSE TODAY PORTRAYS TWO STORIES IN ITS HISTORY.

♪♪ THE HOUSE BEGAN LIFE AS A HOME FOR PROSPEROUS MERCHANTS IN THE 18th CENTURY AND THEN GAINED RECOGNITION LATER AS A BOARDING HOUSE FOR AMERICAN ARTISTS AND WRITERS.

♪♪ >>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME THIS EVENING.

GOOD NIGHT AND SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

♪♪ TO ENJOY MORE OF YOUR FAVORITE SEGMENTS ON "NYC ARTS" VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT NYC-ARTS.ORG.

♪♪ >>> GOOD EVENING.

AND WELCOME TO "NYC ARTS."

♪♪ >> LEONARD, WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH YOU.

>> I LOVE BEING WITH YOU HERE, TOO, PAULA.

>> WHERE ARE WE?

>> WE'RE AT A MOMENT TO TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED.

>> IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH THE CURATOR OF THE EXHIBITION FULL OF HOPE.

>> WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF SOME OF THE GREATEST SCULPTURES BY THE ICONIC NAMES.

>> CLASSICAL AND MODERN DANCE ARE EXTREMELY DIFFERENT, AND I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO LEARN BEFORE I CAN REALLY ARTICULATE THE DIFFERENCES.

>> AND WHEN I LISTEN TO THE LYRICS IN THAT, I SUDDENLY THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE.

>> MY PICTURES RESIDES IN VERY INTIMATE, VERY PRIVATE MOMENTS.

>> MY PRIMARY WAY OF PLAYING PIANO IS BY IMPROVISING.

>> YOU ARE IN SOME RESPECTS ON SACRED GROUND.

>> A WOMAN CAME TO SEE ME PERFORM AND SAID HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY BILLY HOLIDAY?

>> I THINK ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL THINGS WE LEARNED IS THAT MA TEES USED PENS TO COMPOSE HIS WORK.

>> VIEWERS ARE SURPRISED WHEN YOU'RE DOING A PIECE 100 YEARS AGO AND THINK OH MY GOSH THIS COULD BE NOW.

>> THE CARD BOARD GUITAR IS THE VERY FIRST OF THAT MOMENT OF REALIZATION.

>> SUDDENLY YOU COME AND PRESENT SOMETHING AND GET APPLAUSE.

GREAT.

YOU KNOW?

♪♪ ♪♪ >> Announcer: FUNDING FOR NYC