1/14: 21st Dance Amateur Classic, Midnight Yoga…

…and a cocktail class inspired by film noir

By Elizabeth Bougerol

| Friday, Jan 14, 2011 | Updated 6:44 AM EDT

1/14: 21st Dance Amateur Classic, Midnight Yoga…

Dinh Linh/Flickr Creative Commons

KICK IT: If you think your rhythm-loving soul gets whipped into a frenzy from watching Dancing With the Stars or stomping through a few rounds of Dance Dance Revolution, imagine being in the front row (or thereabouts) as couples swirl and sweat for the gold right before your eyes. The 21st Annual Dance Amateur Classic comes to the Manhattan Center (W. 34th) this weekend, as dancers vie for a shot at going on to the USA Dance Nationals. Go for the outfits alone! Heats all weekend long, starting Friday at 3PM.

SHAKEN: Think of it as a shot of cultural anthropology on the rocks: The Astor Center’s Jenn Smith isn’t just a master mixologist, she’s aces at placing drinks within historical and cultural context. At tonight’s installment of Time Travel Happy Hour, you’ll learn all about (and how to make) cocktails made famous by the characters of pop culture noir—detectives and the femmes fatales who drive them to drink (Philip Marlowe, for instance, favored a Gimlet). 6:30PM.

NAMASTE: Instead of spending your Friday night setting yourself up for Saturday’s hangover, here’s a surefire way to greet the weekend right: At the Flatiron’s Laughing Lotus, a two-hour Midnight Yoga class for participants of all levels, bend, flex and breathe to live music as you shake off every drop of your workweek stress. 10PM.

--EB

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