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In 1981, a group of twenty-something women were having a beer at the Corner Bistro in New York City when they decided to form a sword–dancing team: Half Moon Sword.

“When we were in our early twenties we had no idea what we were getting into or that we would still be doing it today, so many decades later,” said a founding member of the team Deirdre Bialo-Padin.

In 1986, Half Moon held their first Sword Dance Festival in New York City. At the time, there were no other sword dancing teams in North America. They inspired others to form teams all over the U.S. and even in Canada.

Sword dancing is a winter celebration performed in northern England, where the annual visit of the local sword dancers to the villages was thought to guarantee good luck for the year.

There’s been dancing of this nature for about a hundred years in New York City. Some of the members learned it by attending classes with the Country Dance & Song Society.

Half Moon women have traveled together, hung out together, and attended each other’s weddings. “It’s kind of like being part of an all-women’s baseball team,” Bialo-Padin said.

All of the four musicians on the team are married to one of the dancers. “We tend to marry musicians…so that they could play for us,” Bialo-Padin laughed.

Now even some of their children are part of the team. The tradition continues from generation to generation.

Half Moon Sword will host its 33rd annual sword dancing competition next year.

The post Meet the Women Who Brought Sword Dancing to America appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

Whether you’re a New York native or a first time visitor, without denial— the MET is the museum to visit in NYC.

Spanning two floors, The Metropolitan Museum of Art boasts well over 300 rooms and houses with some of the finest works of art the world has to offer. Priceless paintings, drawings and sculptures can be found within the countless exhibitions, while the beautifully curated galleries arguably outshine those of many other monumental museums. At the MET, the curation of the art is an art form in itself. Pieces are displayed together in ways that emphasize either a contrast or a striking similarity. Even the colors of the gallery walls have been chosen to bring out the best in each and every painting.

Yet there is much more to the MET than merely paintings. Lesser known, but no less breath-taking, are its furniture collections.  In European Sculpture and Decorative Arts (Room 507) a Venetian bedroom is brought to life, complete with a bed, desk, side tables, lounge chair and a vanity mirror. The ceiling swarms with cherubs carved into the crown moulding and two beautifully painted murals. Moving through the centuries and continents, the British Interiors exhibits, brightly colored in golden yellows and lavish blues, are truly a sight to see for anyone who enjoys interior design or architecture. Returning to home soil, the American House (located off of the Room 700 courtyard) is a great place to find authentic American furniture pieces, many hailing from New York City itself. On the second floor of the American house, you can find a quirky collection of paintings, sculpture and pottery— items currently independent of any specific exhibit. Such a collection is perfect for guests without much time on their hands, showcasing the vast scope of the MET’s repertoire in a single location.

The MET also offers an extensive collection of Asian art, including a 14-foot-tall statue of Bodhisattva. The star of the collection, however, is the Zen garden (Room 217). Complete with koi fish pond, the Chinese Garden Court boasts an open skylight roof, Asian flora, a small temple and a covered walkway. The garden especially shines when visiting the MET after dark. In the moonlight, the tranquillity of the garden with its dribbling koi pond is extremely relaxing, perhaps even therapeutic.

The most extensive and famous parts of the MET include the American and European paintings sections. In European Paintings on the second floor, Gallery 635 is a must see, especially for those with a penchant for Gothic art. The paintings featured in this gallery are wonderfully eerie, with dark canvasses and bright, almost luminous, subjects. Paintings featured in this exhibit include Vanitas Still Life by Jacob de Gheyn II, as well as Gamepiece with a Dead Heron by Jan Weenix. Further on from the Gothic, Gallery 821 marks the start of the Impressionist movement and includes works by the likes of Monet, Manet and Degas amongst many other amazing artists.

In the American Art exhibit, the top two Galleries to see are 760 and 767. Walking into Gallery 760, the first thing you will see is the extremely large painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware, measuring up at an impressive 149 x 255 inches. While many people may visit the room for this painting alone, the real treasures are the enormous landscape paintings that cover the rest of the walls. The painstaking details in these works are simply magnificent, causing them to look more like photographs than paintings. The gallery also includes The Valley of Wyoming by Jasper Francis Cropsey, as well as a beautiful portrait of The Aegean Sea by Frederic Edwin Church.

The MET also has galleries away from its permanent 5th Avenue address, including the Met Breuer, which features modern and contemporary art, and the MET Cloisters. Situated on the edge of New York City, the Cloisters specialises in medieval art such as the Hunt of the Unicorn, as well as tapestries and other exquisite items from ancient French monasteries. As half of the exhibits are outside, exposed to the open air, a visit to the Cloisters makes for an excellent day-trip, or simply a means of escaping the hustle and bustle of the city.

New York City continues to be one of the biggest art hubs in the world, with the Metropolitan Museum of Art at its centre.

Edited by Sophie Walker & Demi Vitkute

The post Your Guide to The MET appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

Texture is a huge trend this season and we’re betting on lots of fun fabrics to keep you warm. Velvet is a notoriously popular trend right now that is flattering as well as warming. Hundreds of brands offer velvet in some form of another, from jumpsuits to long sleeve rompers or dresses. As the autumn alternative to your sequined summer dress, a velvet ensemble can amp up the glitz and glam of an otherwise bulky winter outfit. Mix textures by layering a velvet outfit underneath a leather jacket for extra warmth and dimension.

In early fall months, the nighttime cool in New York is enough for a long-sleeved top or long sleeved romper. Bare legs, however, can be just as vulnerable to the chill. Instead of exposing your legs to the city wind, wearing a pair of thigh-high boots looks chic and covers up the goosebumps. The latest trend in high boots is suede thigh-highs—just look Stuart Weitzman’s campaign with Gigi Hadid.

Another trend-centered solution is the re-emergence of the jumpsuit. Usually offset with a deep V-neck or a scoop back, brightly colored jumpsuits keep club goers warm while shuffling through the city streets on cool autumn nights. Coupled with a pair of strappy heels, jumpsuits are no longer a 70’s fad—they have been popping up on the red carpet and runway, especially in the A/W season. Like knee-high boots, suede is a popular textured look for jumpsuits, but they also come in more versatile fabrics such as cotton, velvet, and lace. Jumpsuits have the potential to fit and flatter every body shape since they come in hundreds of different styles and shapes. Wide leg jumpsuits with a fitted top are essential for someone looking for movement when they dance, but skinny leg jumpsuits are perfect  for the girl who wants a sleek silhouette.

In the wake of the hipster revolution, layering has made a huge appearance on the streets of New York, mostly during the day. This quick and simple trend is also a money-saver because you can re-use your thin-strapped summer dresses by simply layering them over a long sleeve top. Layering a bright or sequined mini dress over a simple black top with a mock neck brings a chic smoothness to the outfit while keeping you warm outside the bar. 90’s ribbed tops are also back in-style, so layering one of those underneath a silk or lace dress is an edgier option.

Walking the streets of New York is the equivalent of walking a runway, but you don’t need to catch a cold while doing it. Paying attention to trends is key to making any look undergo the elements.

Edited by Brianna Arrighi 

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