February 14th,  6:00 pm

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a unique date night at the Hayden Planetarium! Starting with cocktails in the Cullman Hall of the Universe, complete with open bar, champagne, and hors d’oeuvres, accompanied by the music of the Josh Rutner Quartet. Then join Lydia Marie Petrosino and Ted Williams in the Hayden Planetarium for an unforgettable view of the night sky and some stellar romance stories from the ancient past. Tickets are $125.00 per person and can be purchased by calling  (212) 769-5200. Book soon this sells out quickly!

The American Museum of Natural History, Hayden Planetarium http://www.amnh.org

Saturday February 13th 8:30-10 pm  and Sunday February 14th 3:30-5:00 pm

Looking to re-ignite the spark of passion with your loved one this Valentine’s Day?  How about a tango class at Triangulo – NYC’s only dance studio dedicated exclusively to Argentine Tango. No experience necessary! Step out of the cold bustle of the city into the intimate atmosphere of an Argentine tango salon. Treat yourself and your loved one to a special Valentine’s Day tango workshop where you will learn the basics of Argentine tango beneath antique chandeliers and accompanied by the strains of classical orchestras. Let yourself be swept away. Included in the workshop are roses, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, $110 per couple.

Triangulo 135 West 20th Street #301  (212) 633-6445  http://tangonyc.com

Through February 6th

FEEDBACKLOOP, is a solo exhibition and experimental installation surrounding a new series of portraits by painter Sandro Kopp. FEEDBACK LOOP presents painting cycles of the artist’s friends painted over the course of a Skype conversation. The resulting paintings are then placed in front of the camera in a video chat conducted at a later time and painted once again. The portraits embrace the distortion and pixelating interferences of the digital connection, thus creating representations that are progressively removed from a recognizable likeness. As a final step, the twice manipulated images are then transformed into a grid of squares – now almost completely abstracted; the figures’ faces are largely disguised.

FIVE ELEVEN Gallery  511 West 27th Street  http://www.five-11.com

February 12th 6:30 – 9:30

Chili peppers, chocolate, pomegranates, ginger, figs, vanilla.. What do all these ingredients have in common? They are known to increase the heart rate, improve blood flow, and give us a stronger sense of romance. At the Institute  of Culinary Education, Jonathan Pogash, aka “The Cocktail Guru”, will treat guests to a sampling of specialty cocktails using a wide range of ingredients that are sure to make you blush. You will also have the opportunity to create some recipes of your own. Cost is $195.00, more info and sign up at http://recreational.ice.edu

Institute of Culinary Education  Brookfield Place 225 Liberty Street   (800) 522-4610

Saturday February 13, 8pm       Sunday February 14th, 5:50 & 8:30

Listen. Smell. Touch. Taste. Dinners in the dark at Camaje, a hidden gem in the heart of the village, are multi-course meals eaten while blindfolded. Without sight, diners’ other senses are heightened. Smells, textures and sounds all become more intense. Menus are secret until the end of the meal so naturally you will have fun guessing which food and wine is on the plate and in the glass. Arrive at the door, don a blindfold and take a culinary journey. What a fun way to have a Valentine dinner. You need to reserve in advance, $125 per person. This sells out quickly!

Camaje     85 MacDougal Street  (212) 673-8184   http://camaje.com

Generally considered a breakfast, brunch or lunch meal, the dim sum experience is as much about how the food is served as it is about the food itself. Trolleys filled with different choices are continuously wheeled out from the kitchen and pass each table..Customers choose the dish they want, and the server marks the price on a running tab kept on each table.

You’ll recognize dumplings among the offerings, but dim sum is much more than dumplings. Barbecued pork buns, spring rolls, and rice noodle rolls are served 3-4 pieces to a dish. Because Dim Sum restaurants tend to be loud and boisterous scenes, it’s an ideal meal for a large group of family and friends.

Here are my favorites:

Jing Fong  20 Elizabeth Street (212) 964-5256   http://jingfongny.com

Ping’s Seafood  22 Mott Street (212) 602-9988

Nom Wah Tea Parlor  13 Doyers Street (212) 962-6047  http://nomwah.com

The Golden Unicorn   18 E. Broadway  (212) 941-0911

Through February 28th

New York City Ballet  ” A ballet company whose arsenal of talent and arts is unlike any other” -The Washington Post.

David H. Koch Theater  Lincoln Center   http://nycballet.com

February 13th  9:30 pm

LOVE SONGS at Feinstein’s/54 Below is back! This third year features a cast of dynamic performers from the Broadway and NYC theater communities, singing songs from across the musical theater spectrum about, well… love! The love we take, the love we find, and the love we hold onto. This evening will sing us through it all. A portion of the proceeds go to benefit the VDAY foundation, a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls.

Feinstein’s/54 Below  254 West 54th Street      Tickets and more info at  http://www.54below.com

Did you know that most of the musicians you see and hear in the subway are part of an MTA program called Music Under New York? I was recently walking down the subway steps and heard the most beautiful steel drums playing. As I approached the platform I saw a musician smiling from ear to ear playing away on his drums so happy to be making other people happy with his music. I got to thinking about where do these musicians come from? Is it a formal program or do they wander around from station to station? I researched a little further and found that it is a program that at present, more than 350 individuals and ensembles participate in. providing over 7,500 annual performances at approximately 30 locations throughout the transit system. A variety of performances are presented in New York’s underground such as classical strings, jazz, ensembles, blues bands, Doo Wop and steppers. Musicians often play interesting instruments including the Sengalese kora, Andean pipes, Korean drums, Aboriginal didjeridoo, steel drums, Cajun cello, Flamenco guitar, Gypsy violin, and Chinese dulcimer while divas sing songs of rhythm and blues, opera, pop, American and Haitian folk, and other types among the many diverse acts performed 365 days a year.

Every year, the annual auditions are held in Grand Central Terminal to review and add new performers to the roster. In an effort to appeal to all, musicians are selected who reflect the culture and diversity of the people of New York City. All performers are welcome to apply for the audition. Application forms are available at the beginning of the year.. Eligible performers are contacted and invited to perform at the auditions, which are held live, one-day only, and are open to the public. A panel of professionals, consisting of representatives from the music industry, cultural institutions, MTA station operations, fellow musicians and others, judge each of the five minute performances based on the criteria of quality, variety, and appropriateness for the mass transit environment.

After the audition, the selected performers attend an orientation meeting to receive information explaining the procedures of the program and regulations of the transit system. As a member of Music Under New York, members receive banners to display during scheduled performances at the 30 designated sites. The sites are busy, highly visible locations in the subway and commuter rail stations including Metro North and Penn Station.

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Did you know that this year marks the 140th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show? The first one was held on May 8, 1877, making it the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the United States behind the Kentucky Derby. The show originated as a show for gun dogs, Setters and Pointers, initiated by a group of hunters who met regularly at the Westminster Hotel at Irving Place and Sixth Street. They decided to create a kennel club called the Westminster Kennel Club specifically for the purpose of holding a dog show. The first show took place at the old Madison Square Garden. The show drew over 1,200 dogs and proved so popular that its originally scheduled three days became four, with the club donating proceeds from that fourth day to the ASPCA for the creation of a home for stray and disabled dogs.

Dogs are judged against their breed standards, to see how close each dog matches that standard, which is a written description of the ideal specimen of that breed.Because of the space considerations at Madison Square Garden, the entry is limited to 2,800 dogs and the breed judging is done during the day at Piers 92 and 94. Group and Best in Show judging take place in the evening at Madison Square Garden. The winning dog becomes “America’s Dog” for the next year.It begins it’s reign with a media tour on the day following the show with appearances on many television network morning shows, a visit to the Observation Deck at the Empire State Building, and much more.

The event is embraced in New York City every February, with salutes from such world famous partners as the Empire State Building, which lights it’s tower in purple and gold ( Westminster colors ) during the show; Saks Fifth Avenue, which features a street window with a Westminster-themed display; and the New York Stock Exchange, which invites the winner to ring the opening bell following its big win.

February 15th and 16th     Madison Square Garden more info and tickets @ http://thegarden.com