Kristy Moody's Blog, page 20

BTSCelebs To Review Andrews and Wilson’s “Dark Fall”

On November 8th, Andrews and Wilson wrap up their compelling Shepherd Series with “Dark Fall.” The next installment follows our hero Jedidiah Johnson alongside his Joshua Bravo team as they fight the natural and spiritual enemy team the Dark Ones. This time around, the enemy group, who is lead by Victor, is attacking another part of the world with a mysterious new weapon. After Jed connects with the Eastern scientist that helped create the evil tool, he and his team begin their fight.

BTSCelebs plans to share the complete “Dark Fall” review in the coming months. Stay tuned!

Click Here to enjoy my review of the second book in the Shepherd Series. Click Here to read my exclusive interview with the authors.

A Special Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for the advance reader copy of the book and cover image*

Review: Chris Fabry And The Kendrick Bros’ “Lifemark”

On August 23rd, Chris Fabry and the Kendrick Bros’ “Lifemark” (novel) officially releases. The book is a touching pro-life story about a teenage couple with an unwanted pregnancy and a married couple grieving the loss of their babies.

Inspired by true life events, “Lifemark” focuses on Melissa, who is a senior in high school, living with her boyfriend, Brian.

She unexpectedly gets pregnant, and Brian suggests an abortion to simplify their lives. They have no money or additional resources to care for a child so it is the only logical solution. Seconds before the abortion procedure, Melissa changes her mind and considers giving her baby up for adoption. Out of a sea of potential parents, she chooses Susan and Jimmy Colton’s loving home.

As the years fly by, Melissa misses her son desperately. She and Brian move on with their lives, have another baby and navigate through the trials of marriage and divorce. Their biological son, David Colton, is thriving in his new life. Susan and Jimmy raise him with love and care while being completely open and honest about his adoption. Everything comes full circle when David turns 18 and decides to reconnect with his birth parents.

“Lifemark” is full of realistic and lovable supporting characters like David’s best friend Nate, his sister Reese, David’s siblings Courtney and Presley and even his step-parents. They round out the story about making your own choices in life. I recommend this book to anyone curious about the whole abortion and pro-life debate. Everyone doesn’t agree on this topic, but it is important to be well informed about the issue.

“Lifemark” is scheduled to be released on August 23rd, 2022.

*A Special Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for the advance reader copy of the book and cover image*

Kel Mitchell Writes A New Children’s Book

Check out Kel Mitchell’s IG video all about it here –

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kel Mitchell (@iamkelmitchell)

16 K-drama Soundtrack Tunes That Will Make Us Swoon Forever

K-pop is the foundation of the very best K-dramas! If a series has incredible music, the storyline will automatically be enhanced by it. Some of my all-time favorite shows had unforgettable songs that remind me of the magical time the series first aired. Dance, ballads, rap and more make up the list I have compiled for you today.

“Boys Over Flowers,” “Dream High,” “Descendants of the Sun” and “Love Alarm” are just a few of the K-drama soundtracks I’ve included on this fun-loving list to introduce you to the best songs from the past and present. 

Start enjoying the music now! 

“Boys Over Flowers”

“Dream High” 

“Prime Minister and I”

“Who Are You – School 2015” 

“Descendants of the Sun”

“Scarlet Heart: Ryeo”

“Dramaworld”

“Extra-ordinary You”

“Love Alarm”

“Navillera”

Listen to all your favorite K-drama tunes on current streaming sites KOCOWA, Rakuten Viki, NetFlix, Tubi and more! 

[Interview] Meet SCDT Artist Lourdes Taylor

Credit: Lourdes Taylor and The Silverman Group

Accomplished dancer Lourdes Taylor plans to wow the Chicago audience with her dance skills this Friday during An Evening with the South Chicago Dance Theatre: Celebrating Five Years. Lourdes, who is a Chicago native, has an extensive resume that includes graduating magna cum laude from Haverford College and being a Ph.D student at the University of Chicago. She has worked for top clients like Vanity Fair, Vogue, Shawn Mendes and Jamila Woods.

Do you want to learn more about South Chicago Dance Theatre’s Emerging Artist? Check out our interview below.

BTSCelebs: Who is Lourdes Taylor professionally?

Lourdes Taylor: Broadly, as a professional I am a dancer, writer, and teacher. I have been doing professional work in dance since I was sixteen, beginning with the Hiplet Ballerinas, who I still work with now. I am also currently a PhD student at the University of Chicago in English as part of the university’s first inaugural Black Studies cohort. I research relationships between Blackness and Ecology in literature, primarily novelistic fiction and poetry, which is quite fun. Finally, I am a teacher to two classes of wonderful students who I adore at Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center; teaching is incredibly fulfilling for me in both dance and literature.

Regarding dance, while concert dance has always been my primary focus, having a diverse range of performance abilities and pursuing opportunities in different capacities has made for a much more interesting career thus far. I have appeared in print ads, performed in music videos, modeled in fashion shows, but have also danced a full-length concert in a parking lot, performed at bridal showers, a book signing, etc. and loved it all. For me, creating meaningful and respectful connections with people is what makes for meaningful art, not maintaining an arbitrary commitment to one medium over another (though such choices can sometimes be necessary).

Social engagement is also an extremely important aspect of who I am professionally. I believe strongly in working with people and organizations who do not pretend to be blind to practices of exclusion, disrespect, and hatred in dance and the world at large. I was trained at a dance studio that was predominantly composed of Black and Brown students and administration. As a professional, I aspire to work with people and organizations who share a commitment to directly and immediately refusing racist, sexist, and heteronormative structures in everyday practice. This commitment for me extends well beyond dance, and is part of my professional life as a student, researcher, and teacher as well.

Who inspired you to pursue a career in performing arts?

So many people have inspired me at different points in my life. Perhaps most foundationally, Homer Hans Bryant is founder and executive director for the dance school that trained me, Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center. I’m a dancer today because of him and his commitment to educating Black and Brown kids in artistry. I’ve been continuously inspired as well by dance pioneer Debbie Allen, who I did a report on for school when I was in the first grade. Her children’s book, Dancing in the Wings, features a young black girl who wants to be a ballerina. It was one of my favorite books as a kid.

How did you get involved with South Chicago Dance Theatre (SCDT)?

In Spring 2021, I was in my senior year of college living with friends in Philadelphia. Once accepted into my current graduate program, I knew I was returning from Philadelphia back home, and started researching open auditions in Chicago I might be interested in pursuing. A few mutual friends followed SCDT on Instagram, bringing me to their page, and to a post advertising their upcoming virtual concert. When the day came, I screened the performance on my living room TV in Philly, and was immediately inspired by how talented and dynamic the dancers were. That summer, in June 2021, I went to the audition, and Kia Smith, SCDT’s Executive Artistic Director, hired me to perform in Dance For Life as a guest artist. From there, she offered me a contract as an emerging artist, and I’ve been with SCDT since!

What is your favorite moment from the five-year anniversary show?

There’s so much that I love about this show; I’m lucky to be constantly blown away by the people I work with. That said, one of my favorite moments is in a solo performed by guest artist Taylor Yocum, where she pretends to be almost alarmingly overwhelmed with emotion while accepting praise and adoration from an imagined (but also, very real beyond the fourth wall) audience. It’s so special and rich with Taylor’s genius, and came out of a collaborative movement exercise provided by choreographer Stephanie Martinez in the process for her piece, “On a Lark.”

What do you hope audiences take away from “An Evening with the South Chicago Dance Theatre: Celebrating Five Years?”

Hopefully the audience will take away that dance is truly more impactful when strong, unique voices are brought together without an outdated, rigid commitment to physical or personal “uniformity.”

Moreover, I’m excited for the audience to see the many different styles, personalities, and bodies that my fellow dancers each bring to the stage at this show. My biggest hope is that people come away from An Evening feeling a little more seen as human beings, that at some point across the five dances an aspect of their own experience was witnessed and appreciated by us. All I can hope for as a performer is that audience members trust me with their energy enough to transform it for them on the stage.

Name one popular song that describes your mood right now.

Jamila Woods, “Holy”

What projects should we anticipate from you for the remainder of the year?

This is a great question, to which even I don’t have an answer! I certainly hope to stay with SCDT next season, which Kia has, if you can believe it, even more exciting plans for. This coming summer, stay tuned with me as I audition for different commercial and concert projects.

An Evening with the South Chicago Dance Theatre: Celebrating Five Years will be held at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (205 E. Randolph St, Chicago) on May 20, 2022 at 7:30 pm.

BIO: A Chicago native, Lourdes Taylor received the majority of her dance education and training at Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center under the direction of Homer Hans Bryant. She also studied at Dance Theatre of Harlem and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater in their summer intensive programs. Lourdes graduated magna cum laude from Haverford College with a B.A in English and minor in Dance via Bryn Mawr College. Simultaneously, she danced with the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco!)’s second company, D2, where she performed works choreographed by Francisco Gella, Daniel Ezralow, Tommie Waheed, and Donald Lunsford among others. Lourdes has been a guest artist with Contretemps Contemporary Ballet as well as the Hiplet Ballerinas, whom she has long worked with. With Hiplet, she has performed live as well as appeared in print ads, commercials, music videos, etc. for such clients as Swarovski Crystal, Nordstrom Inc., Vanity Fair, Vogue, Shawn Mendes, Jamila Woods (Pitchfork Music Festival), and others. Lourdes is additionally a first year Ph.D student at the University of Chicago in English, as part of the university’s first inaugural Black Studies cohort. She is exuberant to be dancing with South Chicago Dance Theatre as an Emerging Artist this season.

A Special Thanks to Lourdes Taylor and The Silverman Group for the exclusive interview, bio and image.

“Black Panther”: Chicago Philharmonic Performs The Score On Juneteenth Weekend

Photo Credit: The Silverman Group/Chicago Philharmonic

Famous musical guests Massamba Diop (drum player from “Black Panther” fame) and Chicago native flutist Steve Kajula join conductor Emil de Cou for the upcoming Marvel Studios’ Black Panther Live in Concert! (Diop alone is a world renowned tama Senegalese talking drum player!) The highly anticipated event will happen at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N State St, Chicago, June 18, 2022 at 7:30 pm.

According to The Silverman Group press release, the empowering concert will feature the Chicago Philharmonic performing Ludwig Göransson’s Oscar® and Grammy®-winning score live to picture (the “Black Panther” film.)

Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Scott Speck: “Ludwig Göransson’s score for this movie is truly a wonder of modern composition, and an ingenious blend of traditional African and Western music. The two main characters are both given leitmotifs, which is a classical music tradition, but with a twist. T’Challa’s leitmotif is a talking drum rhythm, which Massamba Diop created and recorded for the original recording of the score. Killmonger’s leitmotif is played by the Fula flute, which will be performed in Chicago by Steve Kujala, one of the world’s foremost experts in ethnic flutes.”

Speck added, “Synchronizing a live orchestra soundtrack to a film is an exact science, but Emil has elevated it to an art form. He internalizes the score and breathes life into it, bringing the symphonic values of the music to full fruition. There is nobody around who embodies the flow of a film score more vividly than Emil.”

Executive Director Terell Johnson: “Words can’t describe how meaningful it is to me to bring this live to film concert, about Marvel Studios’ first Black superhero, to Chicago on the eve of Juneteenth. This record-breaking film highlights why representation matters and it is a terrific celebration of Black culture and artistry. We hope this will be an inclusive event that people from all over our city can enjoy together.”

For more information about the concert and the musical team, visit the the Chicago Theatre and Chicago Philharmonic websites: chicagotheatre.com, chicagophilharmonic.org

Todd Shoemaker’s “Dead Man Running” Film Is Famous At Southern Film Fest

Credit: Docsology Films

Todd Shoemaker‘s Instagram post:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dead Man Running Movie (@deadmanrunningthemovie)

Bears Share Their “NFL Draft” Plans

Past Bears Training Camp Image – Photo by BTSCelebs

The schedule below is subject to change, but this is the way the Chicago Bears plan to choose their new star athletes. The annual NFL Draft starts on Thursday. All the best to Da Bears!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chicago Bears (@chicagobears)

Jane Jenkins Herlong’s “Sweet Tea Secrets From The Deep-Fried South” Releases Today

The famous Southern humorist Jane Jenkins Herlong returns with her 5th book titled “SWEET TEA SECRETS FROM THE DEEP-FRIED SOUTH: Sassy, Sacred, Southern Stories Filled with Hope and Humor.” The trivia/novelty book is suppose to be filled with 50 unique tales that are true and all-encompassing faith stories, according to an official press release by Biscuit Media Group. They are about growing up in the South Carolina Lowcountry. No matter where you live the book promises “you’ll be entertained and inspired with warm Southern-fried humor and tried-and-true tips for attaining the best version of yourself.”

Jane Jenkins Herlong: “This book is both a celebration of, and an attempt to preserve, our Southern values. Now more than ever, we need to find the humor in our ways, and learn to laugh at ourselves. It’s also a venue for me to share a few over-the-top stories from my upbringing that can bring hope, healing, and a lot of laughter… I hope people are inspired by the book to take some of our Southern-isms and consider how they apply to our lives now. It will inspire you to surround yourself with people who encourage you to dream big, embrace who you are and who you are becoming, and celebrate people who are different from you.  This collection of Southern secrets will make your life as refreshing as a glass of sweet tea!”

The press release adds, “Colorful and beautifully illustrated, this collection of stories addresses specific landmark events in Jane’s life, along with issues in a Southern woman’s life, such as fitting into the covered-dish church culture, sacred sisterhood, finding hope in every season of life, and why so many people are drawn to beauty pageant competitions.”

Learn more about Jane and her new book “Sweet Tea Secrets From The Deep-Fried South” by visiting her official website, janeherlong.com.

A Special Thanks to Biscuit Media Group and Tyndale House Publishers for the info and image.

BTSCelebs to Review Chris Fabry and Kendrick Bros’ “Lifemark,” From “War Room” Fame

If you were a fan of “War Room,” “Overcomer” and the classic faith film “Courageous,” this new book “Lifemark” is a must read!

This summer, BTSCelebs plans to review Chris Fabry‘s novelization of the upcoming Kendrick Bros film “Lifemark.” The novel promises to be all about a mother’s tough decision to give up her son for adoption, and her grown son’s desire to reconnect with his birth family. The pro-adoption book is suppose to be based on a true story, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts next season.

Chris Fabry and the Kendrick Bros’ “Lifemark” book is scheduled to be released on August 23rd, 2022.

*A Special Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for the advance reader copy of the book and cover image*