Photography by Richard Israel

Ayisha McMillan Cravotta spent most of her life traveling the globe soaring across stages. She was an elite ballerina and hoped to don her slippers forever. However, in 2005, McMillan Cravotta fell and severely injured her hip. Surgery fixed her body, but not her spirit. Suddenly, dancing lost its appeal. “I felt like there was more for me to do. I didn’t know what it was. But knew I had to find out.” In 2011, at age 33, the Illinois native became the first African-American principal of the North Carolina Dance Theatre School of Dance where she manages teachers, plans curricula, works with staff , and counsels students. She also teaches in the studio occasionally. “My career has been very special. It’s a unique gift.”

Happy Feet

Her love for ballet began as a toddler when her parents enrolled her in creative movement classes. By the time McMillan Cravotta was 9, she knew she wanted to dance professionally. At 13 she was enduring a rigorous schedule training seven days a week and spent weeks at a time away from her family, missing birthday parties and vacations. “It was tons of hard work,” she remembers. “But I knew I was dedicated to it even at that age.”

Globe Prance

Her talent has taken her to stages in international hot spots, including London, Hong Kong, and Germany. It was a sexy but lonely life. More often than not McMillan Cravotta was the only African- American ballerina onstage. “It was hard for me to look at myself and think that I’m beautiful, I fit here, I belong here,” she says.

Black Swans

To stay inspired, McMillan kept pictures of well known black ballerinas Stephanie Dabney and Virginia Johnson on the mirror of her caboodle carrying case. “They looked so ethereal and beautiful,” she says. “I kept saying, ‘I think I can.’ That was what my little voice said. Those pictures provided me with dreams.” Whole New World At N.C. Dance Theatre, many of her directors were supportive. Before her injury, she was the first African-American ballerina to perform the lead role of Clara in The Nutcracker. “I hope that by being here and doing the best job that I can that I’ll attract more black families to bring their children here to study,” she says. “I hope to build a love for this art that has been so important in my life.”

By Chezon Jackson

Continuing the trend of staging classic Broadway works with all-black casts, acclaimed director Emily Mann helms Tennessee Williams’ masterfully iconic play A Streetcar Named Desire at the Broadhurst Theatre in April, starring Blair Underwood, Nicole Ari Parker, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Wood Harris.

Parker (Soul Food, Boogie Nights) portrays the conflicted upper-crust Southern belle Blanche DuBois, who clashes with Underwood’s working-class Stanley Kowalski.

RELATED: Save 35% on your ticket purchase using the UPTOWN discount.

In real life, the dedicated mother of two accepts the difficulties of juggling a family; advocating for her charitable spinabifida organization, Sophie’s Voice; creating and distributing her Save Your Do workout hair wrap; and rehearsing. Of course, she is excited about her newest venture. “You dream of it, but the idea of them casting an African-American in the role of Blanche on Broadway is overwhelmingly amazing. I waited 20 years for that phone call.”

Harris (Remember the Titans, The Wire) is eager to breathe new life into a familiar work. “It is a Pulitzer prize–winning piece of literature by arguably the greatest American playwright,” says Harris. “This play is Tony-worthy already. It just depends on how we step into these characters.” (streetcaronbroadway.com)

Keep clicking for a closer look into the UPTOWN “Travel Issue.”

By Shydel James

Most musicians measure their success by record sales, awards, and radio airplay. Not Robert Glasper. The jazz pianist’s triumphs hinge on one thing: whether or not you’ve heard his music. “Modern jazz isn’t on TV or being played on mainstream radio,” says the 33-year-old Houston native. “You’ve got to dig for it. So, if someone stumbles upon my music by accident and says, ‘I don’t like Robert Glasper,’ then I’ve made it.”

With a Grammy nomination and five albums under his belt, not being embraced is the last thing the maestro has to worry about. In fact, music critics have lauded Glasper’s ability to seamlessly build a bridge between the worlds of hip-hop, soul, and jazz. “I’m just going along
with the natural fl ow of what jazz actually is by allowing diff erent types of music to inspire me,” he explains. “That’s the only way it stays fresh.”

His latest effort, Black Radio (Blue Note), is a masterful blend of genre-bending originals and surprising covers like Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” “That’s a rock tune that everybody loves,” says Glasper, who also covers classics by David Bowie and Sade on the album. “I didn’t want to choose obvious covers. I chose songs people could identify with.”

Radio is also his first full-length album with his band Experiment, and also features a who’s who in hip-hop and R&B, from Lupe Fiasco and Mos Def to Erykah Badu and Lalah Hathaway, who offers up a lush rendition of Sade’s “Cherish the Day.” “It was so much fun,” he says of the collaborative process. “We didn’t know what we were going to do until we got in the studio. I love being adventurous and tapping into the unknown. Doing it that way always leaves room for accidental goodness.”

Black Radio drops February 28. robertglasper.com

Danny Simmons, Lerone Wilson, Miguel Ovalle and Russell Simmons

Renowned artist Danny Simmons founded Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, along with his famous brothers, Russell Simmons and Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons, in 1995 to give opportunity to underrepresented artists. After the 15 years, the mission has not changed. The 501c3 organization, in partnership with Bombay Sapphire, created the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series, a nationwide search for the next superstars in the art world. This year’s winners were announced at Art Basel Miami last fall: New York artists Miguel Ovalle and Lerone Wilson.

Glory by Lerone Wilson

“Having my work recognized at one of the largest art fairs in the world is truly an incredible honor,” says Ovalle. “This level of exposure is indispensable when you are based in one of the world’s most stimulating art communities,” adds Wilson.

Message to the Gods by Miguel Ovalle

The two winners’ works are on exhibition at the Rush Arts Gallery until March 16th, 2012. 526 W. 26th St. 212- 691-9552. rushartsgallery.org—Isoul H. Harris

Since this issue is all about weddings and travel, we could not resist telling you about the breathtaking location for our cover shoot. The Oheka Castle Hotel & Estate is a rare American beauty. Nestled atop a bluff on Long Island’s historic Gold Coast, this iconic property was modeled after the French royal Château de Fontainebleau, complete with an elegant ballroom, a grand staircase, a library, and sprawling formal gardens with reflecting pools.

The manse was built in 1919 by New York financier and railroad baron Otto Hermann Kahn as his family’s summer retreat. Kahn, who was the inspiration for the classic board-game character “Mr. Monopoly,” used old New York City street cobblestones to pave the courtyard, and entertained guests such as Charlie Chaplin and Eleanor Roosevelt. The residence was also featured in the opening scene of the classic 1941 film Citizen Kane.

“The beauty, grandeur, and European ambience is what attracts most people to Oheka,” says Nancy Melius, director of marketing and design and daughter of Long Island developer Gary Melius, who purchased the castle in 1984. The new owner launched a much-needed $30 million renovation that included a terrace room, imported Italian doors, and the planting of more than 3,000 trees and shrubs.

Today, Oheka stands as the second-largest private residence in America and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel features 32 guest rooms and suites that overlook 23 acres of land (including a golf course), and has been visited by tastemakers such as Nicole Kidman, Jay-Z, and President Bill Clinton. Award-winning cuisine and an acclaimed pastry kitchen make Oheka the wedding venue of your dreams. Experience their white-glove treatment for yourself the last Wednesday of every month on Restaurant Night, when their dining room is open to the public. oheka.com

Click here for the full spread from our Weddings shoot.

Vera Wang gown ($5,995), available at Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier.

Ippolita earrings ($1,500).

Jordan Alexander diamond tassel bracelet ($2,400).

Iced Orchid engagement ring ($5,539) and band ($3,280).
On him:
Etro jacket ($1,698) and pants (price upon request).

Ermenegildo Zegna shirt ($425).

Asprey London belt ($1,350) and band ($1,000).

Another week, another day and another round of outrageous celebrity phrases! This week, the celebrity sound bites making headlines include everything from the POTUS’ demands of a Golden Girl to the supermodel of the world’s love of all things tranny to an Emmy Award-winning actor’s love for nudity. Plus, guess which “Love & Hip Hop” cast mates are feuding and which RHOA credits God for her designer clothes. And I quote…