E-MOVES
RONALD K. BROWN/ EVIDENCE
Friday, October 13–Saturday October 14, 2023, 7:30PM Harlem Stage Gatehouse Address: 150 Convent Avenue at West 135 Street, New York, NY 10031 Phone: 212.281.9240 ext. 19 | Website: www.harlemstage.org
@harlemstage 1
@myharlemstage
ABOUT THE EVENT For 25 years Harlem Stage’s signature dance series, E-Moves, has brought together phenomenal artists of color to showcase their movement-based creations. On the occasion of Harlem Stage’s 40th Anniversary, Harlem Stage invites back to the Gatehouse artists who have been critical to the legacy of the institution’s dance programming and who serve as inspiration for the future of dance. First presented at our previous home, Aaron Davis Hall, in 1998, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE returns for a not-to-be-missed performance featuring dances that are “pure Brown: otherworldly, charged, urgent in their undulating sweep and unaffectedly fervent” (The New York Times). Inspired by Harlem Stage’s 40th Anniversary Season’s theme of “Looking Back to Create Forward,” Brown invites emerging choreographer Joya Powell to present a work performed by her Movement of the People Dance Company.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR RONALD K. BROWN ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ARCELL CABUAG DANCERS DEMETRIUS BURNS, AUSTIN WARREN COATS, STEPHANIE CHRONOPOULOS, JOYCE EDWARDS, ISAIAH K. HARVEY, GREGORY HAMILTON, CHRISTOPHER SALANGO, SHAYLIN D. WATSON GUEST ARTIST - ADANNA RAE SMALLS INTERIM MANAGING DIRECTOR PAMELA M. GREEN
COMPANY MANAGER KRISTINA VARSHAVSKAYA
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR RESIDENT LIGHTING DESIGNER TSUBASA KAMEI
REHEARSAL DIRECTOR DEMETRIUS BURNS
COSTUME DESIGNER OMOTAYO WUNMI OLAIYA 2
ASSISTANT REHEARSAL DIRECTOR JOYCE EDWARDS
ABOUT THE COMPANY Founded by Ronald K. Brown in 1985 and based in Brooklyn, New York, EVIDENCE, A DANCE COMPANY, integrates African dance with contemporary choreography, music, and spoken word. Through its work, the company provides a unique view of human struggles, tragedies, and triumphs. Brown uses movement as a way to reinforce the importance of community in African-American culture and to acquaint audiences with the beauty of African dance forms and rhythms. EVIDENCE tours to 30 communities in the United States annually, and has traveled to Cuba, Brazil, England, France, Greece, Hungary, Hawaii, Ireland, Holland, Mexico, Columbia, South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, and the United Kingdom to perform and teach. EVIDENCE is a dance company in demand, not only for the work presented on stage, but also for the company’s dance workshops, community classes, and master classes provided for dancers of all ages and levels of dance experience. Annually, the company reaches an audience of more than 30,000. EVIDENCE works in partnership with the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, The Billie Holiday Theatre, and The Joyce Theater. EVIDENCE, A DANCE COMPANY
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
1368 Fulton Street Brooklyn, NY 11216 Telephone: 347-493-2414 Email: info@evidencedance.com Website: www.evidencedance.com BOOKING AGENT LOTUS ARTS MANAGEMENT Sophie Myrtil-McCourty 72-11 Austin Street #371, Forest Hills, NY 11375 Telephone: 347-721-8724 Email: sophie@lotusartsmgmt.com Website: www.lotusartsmgmt.com
Cover photo of Shaylin Watson by Rose Eichenbaum 3
ARTISTIC STATEMENTS FROM RONALD K. BROWN I am excited to have EVIDENCE and Joya Powell and her outstanding company be a part of the 40th anniversary of Harlem Stage. There are so many amazing memories that we are celebrating in the works EVIDENCE will share. Our Associate Artistic Director, Arcell Cabuag, is performing one of my favorite solos, Palo Y Machete, from One Shot, and the Company will dance Upside Down, a work he performed as a new Company Member at Aaron Davis Hall/City College in 1998. His impact in the company is unmatched. EVIDENCE has been a part of E-Moves quite a few times and I’m glad we are able to present March a duet that demonstrates the legacy and commitment to creative protest and the power of history both of our institutions believe in. Congratulations and massive thanks to Pat Cruz, the current and former staff on this momentous occasion. EVIDENCE and Movement of the People Dance Company would like to thank Pat Cruz, Eric Oberstein, Sarah McCaffery and the entire administrative and production staff of Harlem Stage for their support. CONGRATS on your 40th anniversary!
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FROM JOYA POWELL It is a tremendous honor to have been chosen by Ronald K. Brown to present work alongside his esteemed company EVIDENCE for the E-Moves performance uplifting Harlem Stage’s 40th Anniversary. As a Harlem grown company, this means so much to me and MOPDC. This moment still feels surreal. The creative and powerful ways that Ron approaches topics of social (in)justice and his commitment to community has been an inspiring force in the work MOPDC and I do. Thank you to Ron, Arcell and EVIDENCE for thinking of us and uplifting our work and vision! Thank you to everyone at Harlem Stage who we have been grateful to work alongside in creating ways for Hair Ties to live in the architecture of The Gatehouse. And to Jordan Carter, Education and Community Engagement Manager, and Careitha Davis, Teaching Artist, for all of the wonderful assistance in organizing our Choreographing the Headwrap Workshop at The Wadleigh School. And to the AHmazing students who explored our choreographic process of Hair Ties. We are grateful for our Harlem community and CB9 that have nurtured us over the years. In the 1940’s my great-grand-aunts immigrated from Jamaica to the neighborhood in Harlem my family and I still call home. In an echo of Ron’s attitude of gratitude, we are always eternally grateful to our ancestors who continue to shine light on our journey. Congratulations to Pat Cruz, Eric Oberstein, Sarah McCaffery and the entire staff of Harlem Stage on this momentous occasion! Happy 40th anniversary, and thank you for creating space for us to join in the celebration!
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TONIGHT’S PROGRAM HAIR TIES MOVEMENT OF THE PEOPLE DANCE COMPANY (2017) Choreography: Joya Powell in collaboration with Tyrone Bevans, Kendra J. Bostock, Angel Chinn, Brittany Grier, Solana Hoffmann-Carter, and Zenzele Johnson (Research Specialist); with interviews by Erminia Apolinario, Verna L. Hamilton, Jo Johnson, Ava McCoy, Aminah Muhammad, Kaila Paulino, and Theara J. Ward Music: Farai Malianga Lighting Designer: Chelsie McPhilimy Text: Amina Henry + MOPDC Projections Designer: Evelyn Green, Chelsie McPhilimy + MOPDC, with captions by Malia Detar Cheung Costume Designer: Joya Powell with additional assistance from Christian L. Milik; dresses generously donated by the Geoffrey Holder Collection, workshop headwraps donated by designer Javier Valencia and SoHarlem Inc. Performers: Tyrone Bevans, Brittany Grier, and Solana Hoffmann-Carter - INTERMISSION (10min) MARCH (excerpt from Lessons) (1995) Choreography: Ronald K. Brown Text: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Music: Bobby McFerrin Original Lighting: Brenda Dolan Lighting Re-creation: Tsubasa Kamei Costumes: Omotayo Wunmi Olaiya Excerpt from Lessons, March, set to a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that challenges the value of a man. The movement embodies the sentiment of the text to illustrate a physical story of perseverance, dignity and collective strength and caretaking. - PAUSE-
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ONE SHOT: PALO Y MACHETE (excerpt) (2007) Choreography: Ronald K. Brown Music: Loma Y Machete by Anónimo Consejo Original Lighting: Dalila Kee Lighting Re-creation: Tsubasa Kamei Costumes: Omotayo Olaiya Performance: Arcell Cabuag Commissioned by August Wilson Center for African American Culture, The Joyce Theater, American Dance Festival, One Shot was made possible, in part, by the Doris Duke Fund for Dance of the National Dance Project, a program administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Philip Morris Companies Inc. Special Thanks to Charles Teenie Harris Jr, Kamau Ware, Louise Lippincott, Celeta Hickman, Carnegie Museum of Art, Sandra Jackson Dumont, Deborah Willis, the staff of August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza, Youth Arts Academy, Jana Feinman, Jennifer Rabb, Dean Judith Freidlander, the staff of Hunter College, Kay Cummings, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Pam Tatge, Barbara and the staff of Wesleyan University. - PAUSEUPSIDE DOWN (1998) Choreography: Ronald K. Brown Music: Oumou Sangare and Wunmi Olaiya Original Lighting for EVIDENCE: Brenda Gray Lighting Re-Creation: Tsubasa Kamei Costume Designer: Omotayo Wunmi Olaiya Upside Down is an excerpt from the evening-length work Destiny. The full evening work was created in collaboration with Rokiya Kone of the Ivory Coast and her company Jeune Ballet d’ Afrique Noire, and premiered at Aaron Davis Hall
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WHO’S WHO IN THE COMPANY RONALD K. BROWN FOUNDER/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Ronald K. Brown raised in Brooklyn, NY, founded EVIDENCE, A Dance Company in 1985. He has worked with Mary Anthony Dance Theater, Jennifer Muller/The Works, as well as other choreographers and artists, and Mo no has been on the faculty of The Juilliard School. Brown has set works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Jeune Ballet d’Afrique Noire, Ko-Thi Dance Company, Philadanco, Muntu Dance Theater of Chicago, Ballet Hispánico, TU Dance, and Malpaso Dance Company. He has collaborated with such artists as composer/designer Omotayo Wunmi Olaiya, the late writer Craig G. Harris, director Ernie McClintock’s Jazz Actors Theater, choreographers Patricia Hoffbauer and Rokiya Kone, composers Robert Een, Oliver Lake, Bernadette Speech, David Simons, and Don Meissner, and musicians Jason Moran, Arturo O’Farrill and Meshell Ndegeocello. Brown is the recipient of the 2020 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award. His other awards and recognitions include the AUDELCO Award for his choreography in Regina Taylor’s award-winning play Crowns, two Black Theater Alliance Awards, and a Fred & Adele Astaire Award for Outstanding Choreography in the Tony Award winning Broadway and national touring production of The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, adapted by Suzan Lori Parks, arranged by Diedre Murray, and directed by Diane Paulus. Brown was named Def Dance Jam Workshop 2000 Mentor of the Year and has received a Doris Duke Artist Award, New York City Center Fellowship, Joyce Theater Artist Residency Center Fellowship, Scripps/ADF Award, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts Choreographers Fellowship, New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, United States Artists Fellowship, a New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award, Dance Magazine Award, and The Ailey Apex Award. Ronald K. Brown is a Creative Administration Research artistat NCCAkron.
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Brown is Co-Artistic Director of the Restoration Dance Youth Ensemble and a member of Stage Directors & Choreographers Society.
ARCELL CABUAG
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/DANCER
Arcell Cabuag raised in is a first-generation Filipino-American from San Jose, CA. He moved to New York City in 1996 to attend the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, where he was introduced to Ronald K. Brown. Soon after, he joined EVIDENCE, A Dance Company as its first apprentice, became a company member one year later, and has served as its Associate Artistic Director since 2004. He currently teaches EVIDENCE repertory at Princeton University and is thrilled to be the newly appointed Billie Holiday Theatre’s Youth Arts Academy Director of Education. Performance credits include: dancing with Camille A. Brown, Mekeda Thomas, Rock the House for Paramount Pictures; The Shoji Tabuchi Show (Branson, MO); the Richard Rodgers Centennial Production of The King and I; and dance festivals worldwide. Arcell taught classes and performed with EVIDENCE throughout Africa as a US Ambassador with Dance Motion USA. TV Credits include: Law & Order: SVU ¨Choreographed¨ and Codorniu Cava commercial with PILOBOLUS shot in Barcelona and aired on Spanish television. He has assisted Mr. Brown in creating repertory on Philadanco Dance Company; MUNTU Drum and Dance Company; TU Dance; Ballet Hispánico; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Cuba’s Malpaso Dance Company and served as associate choreographer for the Tony Award winning Broadway and national touring productions of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. Mr. Cabuag is proud to serve the dance community as a long standing educator and advocate nationally and abroad. Education, advocacy, and teaching EVIDENCE repertory work include: Professor of Dance at Long Island University (Brooklyn Campus); Education Director of the Restoration Dance Youth Ensemble; Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York University; University of Massachusetts; Boston Arts Academy, Peridance Certificate Program, The Ailey Fordham BFA and Certificate Programs; University of Washington, University of the Arts, Kent State, DeSales University, Coker College, Marymount Manhattan College, and Boston Conservatory. Arcell is a 2004 New York Dance and Performance ¨Bessie¨ Award winner for his performance and work with EVIDENCE.
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WHO’S WHO IN THE COMPANY DEMETRIUS BURNS
REHEARSAL DIRECTOR/DANCER
Demetrius Burns was born in Anniston, AL, and grew up in Boston, MA. He received his MFA in dancer from Hollins University and his BFA with an emphasis in Choreography from Boston Conservatory where he performed repertoire by Karole Armitage, Mark Morris, Darrel Moultrie, and many more as well as choreographed Urinetown in the musical theatre department. He spent several summers at the Earl Mosley Institute of the Arts as a student, intern, and instructor. He attended the Bates Dance Festival, and Sidra Bell Modules. Demetrius also attended Jacob’s Pillow Social dance program with the American Dance Guild Scholarship under the direction of Camille A. Brown and Moncell Durden and returned the following summer for the Improvisation Traditions and Innovation program under the direction of Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. Demetrius is a recipient of the EVIDENCE Dance Workshop Series Beth Young Scholarship and became a company member of EVIDENCE in 2016.
JOYCE EDWARDS
ASSISTANT REHEARSAL DIRECTOR/ DANCER
Joyce Edwards (she/they) b. 1997 is a multi-hyphenate creative presence forging her artistic path in NY and beyond. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from SUNY Brockport (2021). Joyce joined Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, a Dance Company in 2019 and in 2022 she became the Assistant Rehearsal Director. She is a 2023 Bessie Award winner for Outstanding Performer in Ronald K. Brown’s Grace, The Equality of Night and Day, and Open Door. Joyce collaborates with artists across genres and she wields her presence as her revolution from within her artistic practice.
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AUSTIN WARREN COATS DANCER
Austin Warren Coats is an interdisciplinary artist with a Magna Cum Laude bachelor’s degree in Dance Studies from Kent State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Originally from Reynoldsburg, OH, he has had the honor to work with artists such as Silvana Cardell, Angela Luem, Catherine Meredith, Jess Pretty, and Jamal White. He has attended summer intensives at The Joffrey Ballet School, Ruth Page Center of the Performing Arts, and Ronald K. Brown/ EVIDENCE on scholarship. Austin has many interests in the arts including fine art, dance, and fashion design. He is a published illustrator in college publications and illustrates for various dancers’ projects. His life goal is to become a choreographer and artistic director. Austin became a company member of EVIDENCE in 2021.
STEPHANIE CHRONOPOULOS DANCER
Stephanie Chronopoulos is a firstgeneration Greek American, born and raised in New York City. She graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in Dance from LIU Brooklyn where she had the privilege of performing works by choreographers Khaleah London, Frederick Earl Mosley, Erika Pujic, Doug Varone, and Ronald K. Brown. In 2015, she became a company member of Forces of Nature Dance Theater under the Direction of Abdel Salaam. During her time with the company, she performed in the Bessie Award winning Healing Sevens at BAM’s DanceAfrica, and in the revival of Terrestrial Wombs at the Apollo Theater. Stephanie has also apprenticed with Jennifer Muller/ The Works and is the recipient of the EVIDENCE Dance Workshop Series Beth Young Scholarship. Stephanie became a company member of EVIDENCE in 2019. 11
WHO’S WHO IN THE COMPANY ISAIAH K. HARVEY DANCER
Isaiah K. Harvey began his dance training at Innervisions Theater Arts Center in his hometown Queens, NY and earned his BFA in Dance from Montclair State University. He also trained at the Earl Mosley Institute of the Arts, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and The Ailey School, where he received the Bob Fosse Gwen Verdon Scholarship. He has performed works by Ulysses Dove, Camille A. Brown, Rennie Harris, and Alvin Ailey’s Memoria with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and danced with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Black Iris Project: Vibrant Voices, and as a backup dancer for RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 Contestant Olivia Lux, among others. Isaiah teaches throughout New York City and as a certified Lester Horton Technique Instructor. Isaiah became a company member of EVIDENCE in 2022.
GREGORY HAMILTON DANCER
Gregory Hamilton, a native of High Point, NC, embarked on his dance journey at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts during high school. His dedication led him to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), where he honed his skills in various dance forms and composition. Holding a BFA degree, Gregory has showcased his talent with companies like Gaspard and Dancers and the Jose Limon dance company. He’s also collaborated with choreographers such as Francesca Harper, Helen Simoneu, and Joanna Kotze. Fueled by a profound connection to humanity and a genuine love for his craft, Gregory is grateful to be able to contribute his passion to the endeavors of EVIDENCE.
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CHRISTOPHER SALANGO DANCER
Christopher Salango a from Stockton, CA received his Bachelorof Arts in dance from California State University, Sacramento where he discovered his love for Dunham Technique, under the tutelage of Dr. Linda Goodrich, Dr. Halifu Osumare, and Bernard Brown. Christopher continued his training with Urban Bush Women’s Summer Arts program, Elisa Monte Dance Summer Series, and is a two-time recipient of the EVIDENCE Dance Workshop Series Beth Young Scholarship. He is a second-year candidate for the Institute of Dunham Certification and is excited to continue his journey while performing with his EVIDENCE family. Christopher became a company member of EVIDENCE in 2021.
SHAYLIN D. WATSON DANCER
Shaylin D. Watson was born in Lanham, MD, and trained at Duke Ellington School of the Arts under the instruction of Charles Augins and Katherine Smith. She obtained a BFA in Dance with a concentration in Choreography and Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While in North Carolina, her choreography was featured in the National Black Theater Festival (Winston Salem, NC, 2019). Shaylin is a recipient of the EVIDENCE dance workshop series Beth Young Scholarship and has also received scholarships to intensives such as American Dance Festival and UNC School of the Arts. She has performed works by choreographers such as Clarice Young, T Lang, Christopher Huggins, Marcus White, and Shen Wei. She had the opportunity to assist setting repertory for EVIDENCE on students at the New Orleans Ballet Association (2021). Shaylin became a company member of EVIDENCE in 2019.
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WHO’S WHO IN THE COMPANY ADANNA RAE SMALLS GUEST ARTIST/APPRENTICE
Adanna Rae Smalls of Brooklyn, NY began her dance training at the Abrons Arts Center Henry Street Settlement in New York City. In 2021, she graduated as an Ailey dance major from the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan. She is currently enrolled as a Professional division student in the Certificate Program at the Ailey School and has also trained at Harlem School of the Arts and Steps. Ms.Smalls has worked with choreographers and artists including Clifton Brown, Freddie Moore, Daniel Catnach, Aubrey Lynch, an Natalia Johnson.
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Photo of EVIDENCE performing Upside Down by Rose Eichenbaum
Photo of EVIDENCE Dancer Joyce Edwards by David Torrence
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ABOUT THE COMPANY MOVEMENT OF THE PEOPLE DANCE COMPANY Founded in 2005 by Bessie Award winning choreographer, Joya Powell, MOPDC is dedicated to addressing sociocultural injustices through multidisciplinary Africanist immersive Contemporary Dance. The company is composed of dancers from diverse multicultural backgrounds and international experiences. Performance engagements include: BAM, Lincoln Center, SummerStage, La Mama, The 92nd St Y, Movement Research at The Judson Church, BAAD!, The Dance Complex (Cambridge), The International Human Rights Arts Festival (NYC + Maryland), The Theater at Riverside Church, The Wassaic Project (Wassaic, NY), York College (Toronto), The Center for The Arts Theater (Middletown, CT), Casa Del Prado Theater (San Diego), among others. Commissions include: CommuniTea @ The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Ziggy Ziggy/ZCO Dance Project @ Symphony Space, Paint the town red Hook/Dance on the Greenway, A Return to Joy/Queensborough Community College, Esquenta/ Penn State University. MOPDC has received the following recognition: CUNY Dance Initiative Residency, Bodies in Motion Residency at The School of Contemporary Dance & Thought (Northampton, MA), Certificate of Appreciation - Manhattan Borough President: Gale Brewer, Casita Maria AIR, The Performance Project @ University Settlement AIR, chashama AIR, Gibney Dance space grant recipients. MOPDC facilitates community engagements locally, nationally and internationally, and they hold an annual Free Day of Dance and acclaimed Winter Intensive, both currently celebrating their 10th anniversary. Collaborating company members include: Tyrone Bevans, Kelsey Burns, Camilla Davis, Melissa Escano, Brittany Grier, Solana Hoffmann-Carter, Megan Minturn, Joya Powell, Kendra J. Bostock, Najla Sims, Emily Tellier. MOPDC is rooted in the understanding that dance is resistance. www.movementofthepeopledance.com
JOYA POWELL
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/ COLLABORATING CHOREOGRAPHER
A multiethnic Harlemite, Joya Powell (she/her) is a Bessie Award winning choreographer, writer and educator passionate about community, activism, and dances of the African Diaspora. Throughout her career she has danced with choreographers such as 16
WHO’S WHO IN THE COMPANY Paloma McGregor, Katiti King, Nicole Stanton, Neta Pulvermacher, and Mar Parrilla. In 2005 Joya founded MOPDC, dedicated to addressing sociocultural injustices through multidisciplinary Africanist immersive contemporary dance. Her work has appeared at: BAM, Lincoln Center, SummerStage, La Mama, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, The Dance Complex (Cambridge), Mudlark Theater (New Orleans), Movement Research at The Judson Church, The School of Contemporary Dance & Thought (Northampton), BAAD! among others. Joya has choreographed such Off-Broadway plays as: Fit for a Queen by Betty Shamieh(The Classical Theatre of Harlem), JOB by Thomas Bradshaw (The FLEA Theater), Songs About Trains by Beto O’Byrne (The New Ohio Theatre). Her research led her to teach and study in Brazil, Puerto Rico, Cuba, France, England, Canada and Israel. Awards and recognition include: Dancing While Black Fellow, Women in Motion Commissioned Artist, EtM Choreographers Residency, Angela’s Pulse’s North Star Arts Incubator, CUNY Dance Initiative, The Unsettling Dramaturgy Award. She is a collaborating member of Dance Caribbean Collective, Dance Rising NYC, and is a co-leader of Angela’s Pulse’s Dancing While Black. She is also an Assistant Professor of the Practice of Dance and African-American Studies at Wesleyan University.
TYRONE BEVANS
COLLABORATING COMPANY MEMBER
Tyrone Bevans (he/him) is a dancer, choreographer, Illustrator and printmaker. He is currently dancing for The Fabulous Waack Dancers and Joya Powell’s Movement of the People. In the past Tyrone has performed and collaborated with artists such as Christal Brown, Chafin Seymour, Maya Orchin, Vessels, FunkanometryNY, and Karla Garcia. As a mover Tyrone investigates space, risk, and play with one’s physical vernacular in order to access personal freedom.
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WHO’S WHO IN THE COMPANY BRITTANY GRIER
COLLABORATING COMPANY MEMBER Brittany Grier (she/they) is an interdisciplinary teaching artist, performer, educator, as well as a cultural arts organizer. She began at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Dance Theater and continued her training, leading to a B.A. in dance, at CUNY Lehman College. Further education has emerged as 2018-2020 Community Actionist with Gibney Dance, a recipient of Sydnie L. Mosley Dances’ PD for The People, as well as hyperlocal community engagement liaison in Brooklyn and Harlem. Some of her lineage includes Youssouf Koumbassa, Marie Brooks, Esther Grant, Michael Manswell, Nicholas Leichter, Adia Whitaker, as well as Kim Holmes to name a few. Current collaborations are with Movement of The People Dance Company, Sydnie L. Mosley Dances and periodically as a guest artist with Ebony Noelle Golden. Brittany’s focus is to share tools for embodied storytelling practices, uplift communities of the African Diaspora who want their stories heard, and build sustainable places of care that honor our humanity.
SOLANA HOFFMANN-CARTER COLLABORATING COMPANY MEMBER
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Solana Yemaya Hoffmann-Carter (she/her) is a dance artist and Waldorf teacher living between Harlem, New York City and central Jersey. She began her formal training at the Mill Ballet School in 1998 and has never stopped dancing. Since receiving her BFA in dance and minoring in Religion and Philosophy at the University of the Arts, she has worked with many NYC based companies, projects and people, such as Movement of the People Dance Company, Silva Dance Company, Jasmine Hearn and Dancers, Adrienne Westwood, Ismael Ivo, Rosangela Silvastre and Moving Spirits Inc, to name a few. While seizing every opportunity to travel internationally, she continues to pursue her passion of discovering and connection with new people and places. Driven to work within creative spaces that continuously strive to provide an inclusive and equitable environment, she has found many opportunities to teach, which furthered her desire for a practice in education.
OUR SUPPORTERS
Supported by the Mellon Foundation, Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, and Harkness Foundation for Dance. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council. Harlem Stage’s Programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. 19
E-MOVES For 25 years Harlem Stage’s signature dance series, E-Moves, has brought together phenomenal artists of color to showcase their movement-based creations. On the occasion of Harlem Stage’s 40th Anniversary, Harlem Stage invites back to the Gatehouse artists who have been critical to the legacy of the institution’s dance programming and who serve as inspiration for the future of dance.
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RONALD K. BROWN/ EVIDENCE OCTOBER 13 – 14
BILL T. JON ARNIE ZAN COMPANY APRIL 19 –
NES/ NE Y – 20
nora chipaumire ShebeenDUB MAY 17 – 18
CAMILLE A. BROWN & GUESTS: BLACK JOY FEATURING WORKS BY CAMILLE A. BROWN, CHLOE DAVIS, JUEL D. LANE, MAYTE NATALIO, RICKEY TRIPP & MALEEK WASHINGTON JUNE 14 – 15
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ABOUT HARLEM STAGE Harlem Stage is the performing arts center that bridges Harlem’s cultural legacy to contemporary artists of color and dares to provide the artistic freedom that gives birth to new ideas. For nearly 40 years our singular mission has been to perpetuate and celebrate the unique and diverse artistic legacy of Harlem and the indelible impression it has made on American culture. We provide opportunity, commissioning, and support for artists of color, make performances easily accessible to all audiences, and introduce children to the rich diversity, excitement, and inspiration of the performing arts. We fulfill our mission through commissioning, incubating, and presenting innovative and vital work that responds to the historical and contemporary conditions that shape our lives and the communities we serve.
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Board of Directors Courtney F. Lee-Mitchell, President Jamie Cannon, Vice President Michael Young, Secretary Mark Thomas, Treasurer Angela Glover Blackwell Jenna Bond Jamila Ponton Bragg
JoAnn K. Chase LaChanze Patricia Cruz Hugh Dancy and Claire Danes Jenette Kahn Rebecca Robertson Tamara Tunie
Staff MANAGEMENT Eric Oberstein, Managing Director
OPERATIONS Rodney Bissessar, Director of Operations Lamont Askins, Operations Associate Acey Anderson Sr., Maintenance
DEVELOPMENT Shamar Hill, Director of Development Shanté Skyers, Associate Director of Development Julianna Friedman, Development Manager
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION NCheng LLC, Accountants/Advisors Jake Lee, Partner Aaron Lam, Supervising Senior Accountant
PROGRAMMING Carl Hancock Rux, Associate Artistic Director/ Curator-in-Residence Sarah McCaffery, Programming Manager and Associate Curator Maurice Ivy, Programming Associate
CONSULTANTS Aon/Albert G. Ruben Company (NY)/ Claudia Kaufman, Insurance Arts Education Consultants: Sobha Kavanakudiyil, Sierra Ray & Wendy Rojas Blake Zidell & Associates, Public Relations Briguel, Digital Video Services DAS, IT Consultant Derrick Saint Pierre/Snugg Studios, Digital Video Services Intrepid Digital, SEO Services JCA, Inc.: Database Consulting Jess Medenbach, Digital Video Services LCM/247, Digital Video Services Lutz & Carr/Chris Bellando, Accountants Madison Consulting Group, Matthew Laurence Manchester Benefits, Greg Martin Marc Millman, Photography Robyn L. Stein, Rl Stein Group, Development Consultant Charles Whelan, The Whelan Group Incorporated
Patricia Cruz, Artistic Director & CEO
MARKETING Deirdre May, Senior Director of Digital Content and Marketing Andre Padayhag, Marketing Manager and Graphic Designer EDUCATION Jordan Carter, Education & Community Engagement Manager PRODUCTION Amanda K. Ringger, Director of Production Jeff Davolt, Production Coordinator Clarence Taylor, Lighting Op Orlando Alvarado, Audio Engineer Gabriel Fequiere Jr., Video Op David Barrett, Deck Crew Henry Mayr, Saul Ulerio, Additional Lighting, Video, & Deck Crew
USHERS Toma Carthens, Nobar Deleon, Robert Gibbins, Fabian Franco, Andy Garcia