Coming up! Veteran dancer, Lillian Colon on her journey from being the First Latina Radio City Music Hall Rockette to performing in In the Heights

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MEET LILLIAN COLON

Lillian Colon is a veteran dancer, having been in the entertainment industry since the age of 16. She currently teaches jazz in New York City. Among many of her accomplishments in the dance world, Lillian is the First Latina Radio City Music Hall Rockette and honored by the newspaper El Dario in 1997 as The Puerto Rican Woman of The Year. She has appeared as a Guest of Honor and Godmother in 3 Puerto Rican Day Parades.

Graduating from The High School of Performing Arts, Lillian began her career at Lincoln Center as a shark in West Side Story. After performing in various Latin night clubs, such as the Chateau Madrid, Lillian headed to the West Coast’s Los Angeles Playboy Club where she performed nightly in an act with Lainie Kazan. Since her roots were founded in the New York theatre world, Lillian performed at the famed Sacramento Music Circus

Lillian caught the eye of Steve Merritt and quickly became one of the lead dancers for the 61st Academy Award Show. She quickly became a favorite as a Steve Merritt dancer touring Mexico with Olga Breskin. Lillian performed in Olga’s TV show, night club act and the Spanish film, Nora La Rebelde. After returning from Mexico, Lillian became a dancer and assistant choreographer with Menudo ultimately replacing Miguel Gonz as their choreographer. A highlight of her career was having the opportunity to perform in Can Can with one of her idols, Chita Rivera. This experience introduced her to Alan Johnson, once one of entertainment's most talented choreographers. Among the many well known choreographers, Lillian also worked with Joe Layton, Donald McKayle and with the famed Michael Bennett in the 10th Anniversary of, A Chorus Line.

All this led to her dancing on the great stage that Lillian had always dreamed of, The New York Radio City Music Hall, as a Rockette in the Christmas Spectacular and as the first Latina Rockette.

Lillian currently lives in New York City with her husband Carlos and their daughter Roxanne.

RECENT Press:
'Meet the only dancer over 50 who auditioned for — and got cast in — 'In the Heights'

Writer/Director Scarlett Li joins Janeane to talk about her short film Double Happiness, an official selection of the Palm Spring International ShortFest

Scarlett Li is a writer/director born and raised in Shenzhen, a young city on the south coast of China. She is currently pursuing her MFA in film directing and writing at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she is an Ang Lee scholar. Her latest short film Double Happiness was nominated for Best Film, Best Writer, and Best International Film at the BFI Future Film Festival, and is an official selection of the Palm Spring International ShortFest. Scarlett has been a published writer since the age of 13.

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DOUBLE HAPPINESS

DIRECTED BY SCARLETT LI

Type of Project: Comedy

Length: 10:52

Producers: Louise Zhang, Amanda Huang

Editor: Scarlett Li

Cinematographer: Shiyu Li

Sound Designs: Kelly Rodriguez, Jeanne Grivelet

In a Chinese wedding that can cause all parents to collapse into their most childish selves, can the couple survive the madness, with their love intact?

WATCH Lili Rodriguez - Artistic Director for the Palm Springs International Film Festival share details on the 2021 Film Festival coming up June 22-28, 2021

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Lili Rodriguez has always been a film enthusiast, and following that passion has helped her shape a notable role in the industry. From majoring in film studies during her undergraduate work to being selected as the latest Artistic Director for the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Rodriguez has seen a consistent incline in her role with the Palm Springs International Film Society since she first joined in 2013.

Coming up! I See Old People: A True Story About How Small Acts of Kindness Lead Us to Extraordinary Love and Connections that Defy Our Wildest Dreams. Janeane speaks with author Jeanne Corvese Hussin.

Legally Separated and Unemployed with a Year to Kill – What Will Jeanne Do?

A unique and timely set of circumstances create the perfect storm for a woman on the cusp of multiple changes. Her somewhat flippant decision to volunteer sets the stage for profound relationships you won’t soon forget.

When the housing bubble burst in 2008, Jeanne Corvese Hussin found herself at a fork in the road. She could either continue her job as a senior vice president for a mortgage banker at a significant pay cut or take the year-long severance and travel with her son, Jason. She chose the latter.


Now what?


After Jason would go to bed, the nights stretched out before Jeanne like a long black highway cutting through the desert. She spent the hours flirting with men online but was often disappointed by the real person behind the dating profile.

Suddenly, she had an epiphany. Or maybe it was a message from God. She should find a way to give back. Drawn to senior citizens, Jeanne found herself at a local assisted living facility volunteering her time to memory care residents in a ward ironically named Recollections.

From her inspired impulse to serve emerge the colorful characters who comprise I See Old People©. You will never be the same.

In these pages, Jeanne tells the story of her family, her interactions with the seniors at Recollections, and finally, her storybook “never too late” romance in this extraordinary memoir.

I See Old People is much more than a book; it’s an experience.

About Jeanne Corvese Hussin
Jeanne Corvese Hussin is chief marketing officer for a financial services company based in Seattle. A compelling story teller, she has over 30 years' experience in brand marketing and public speaking. In her autobiography, "I See Old People," she shows how to lead with compassion and shares her remarkable love story.

Jeanne resides in Washington with her husband Joe and their two mixed dachshunds, Tasha Bear and Oscar. She volunteers her time visiting with seniors who suffer from dementia and enjoys spending time with her son Jason. 

Learn more at www.kindconversations.com.

Coming soon! Janeane speaks with Editor, Spencer Averick about the highly anticipated multi-part documentary series from co-creators and executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, featuring illuminating stories that help lift the veil on the current state of mental health and emotional well-being. In “The Me You Can’t See,” Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry guide honest discussions about mental health and emotional well-being while opening up about their mental health journeys and struggles.

The highly anticipated multi-part documentary series from co-creators and executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, featuring illuminating stories that help lift the veil on the current state of mental health and emotional well-being.

In “The Me You Can’t See,” Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry guide honest discussions about mental health and emotional well-being while opening up about their mental health journeys and struggles. Featuring guests including Lady Gaga, Glenn Close, San Antonio Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan, Phoenix Suns' Langston Galloway (formerly of the Detroit Pistons), mental health advocate and speaker Zak Williams, Olympic boxer Virginia “Ginny” Fuchs, celebrity chef Rashad Armstead and more, alongside a wide range of people from across the globe living with the challenges of mental health issues and addressing their emotional well-being. The series transcends culture, age, gender and socioeconomic status to destigmatize a highly misunderstood subject and give hope to viewers who learn that they are not alone. The producers partnered with 14 accredited and respected experts and organizations from around the world to help shed light on different pathways to treatment.


"The Me You Can’t See" is currently streaming on Apple TV+.





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Janeane speaks with Eunice Lin Nichols - Vice President, Innovation, Encore.org. Eunice is passionate about intergenerational strategies and creating a better future.

EUNICE LIN NICHOLS

Vice President, Innovation, Encore.org

@eunicelnichols

Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

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ABOUT EUNICE

Eunice Lin Nichols is obsessed with bringing older and younger generations together to solve society’s greatest challenges, creating a better future for all. She is Vice President of Innovation at Encore.org where she leads the Gen2Gen Innovation Fellowship.

Previously, she ran the Generation to Generation campaign, an initiative to mobilize 1 million adults 50+ to help young people thrive and The Purpose Prize (now a program of AARP), which has awarded over $5 million in prizes to nearly 100 social entrepreneurs over the age of 60 since 2006. She also spent 11 years leading a portfolio of initiatives to expand the social contributions of older adults in California, including scaling Experience Corps from one neighborhood school in San Francisco into a thriving Bay Area program helping thousands of kids read by third grade.

Eunice has been recognized as a Next Avenue Influencer in Aging and is a graduate of the Billions Institute Fellowship for Large-Scale Change. In 2019, she received the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award for advancing innovative and effective solutions to California’s most significant issues.

CO-GENERATE! LIVESTREAM 6/23/21 
REGISTER NOW!

 
Register now for Co-generate! Livestream — a 2-hour virtual, free & public event on June 23 for younger & older changemakers eager to join forces & work together for a better future.

The Co-generate! Livestream on June 23 (10am-12pm PT / 1-3pm ET) is a 2-hour free, publicly streamed event open to everybody interested in breaking down age silos to create a better future. We hope to amass an audience of 1,000+ for this first-of-its-kind Encore event featuring provocative conversations between established and emerging thought leaders on the power of co-generation, including:

Krista Tippet (On Being) in conversation with Rev. Jen Bailey (Faith Matters Network), Angela Glover Blackwell (PolicyLink) in conversation with Eric Liu (Citizen University), Chip Conley (Modern Elder Academy) in conversation with Sian-Pierrre Regis (director of Duty Free), and Andrew Ahn (director of Driveways) in conversation with Lucas Jaye (Actor in Driveways). We'll also debut performances from Mumu Fresh, MILCK, Justin Kauflin and John Clayton. The event will be co-emceed by Encore Senior Fellow Harriette Cole and Encore Creative-in-Residence Scott Shigeoka. REGISTER HERE for the Livestream.

Help us spread the word about Co-generate! Livestream on twitter using this Click-to-tweet, or via social media using the following copy: So excited about @EncoreOrg’s Co-generate! — a virtual, free & public event for younger & older changemakers eager to join forces & work together for a better future. Register now! http://bit.ly/Co-generate #Cogenerate #Gen2Gen #intergenerational

Don't miss Meeting the Multigenerational Moment, a new essay series published by SSIR in partnership with Encore.org and The Eisner Foundation.

WATCH Lisa Marsh Ryerson, President of AARP Foundation, in conversation with KUCI's Janeane Bernstein

Lisa Marsh Ryerson
President of AARP Foundation

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Lisa Marsh Ryerson is president of AARP Foundation, the charitable affiliate of AARP. A bold, disciplined, and collaborative leader, she sets the Foundation’s strategic direction and steers its efforts to realize an audacious vision: a country free of poverty, where no older person feels vulnerable.

Since she took the helm, AARP Foundation has implemented pioneering initiatives, explored new avenues for collaboration, and secured unprecedented funding to support programs and services that truly change lives. In its last three-year strategic plan, AARP Foundation generated over $5 billion of income for older adults through work and jobs, tax refunds, and credits and food security benefits.

She also has served on the boards of numerous higher education and nonprofit organizations, including the Council of Independent Colleges, Southern New Hampshire University, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, the Congressional Hunger Center, and National Women’s History Museum. 

Lisa has spearheaded innovative partnerships with other organizations to create and advance effective solutions that help vulnerable older adults increase their economic opportunity and social connectedness. Before joining AARP Foundation, Lisa served as the president and CEO of Wells College in Aurora, NY. 

Twitter: @PresRyerson