Arts Spotlight: Performing Arts Series

To quote my close friend and role model, Morgan Freeman: “You’re going to relegate my history to a month?”

Black History Month is coming to a close, but the sentiment echos. You see, March is Women’s History Month. While I feel obligated to divulge that I am not necessarily a woman, you get the point.

The next few weeks are a time to practice giving women their due diligence, to acknowledge the far-reaching contributions women have made and just how hard it has been to make them. We are ever closer to an egalitarian world, but as many will tell you, there is still much to be done.

Along that vein, the Middlebury College Dance Program has programmed a week of Women in Dance that promises incredible insight into the past, present and future of women in the art. Movement company Camille A. Brown & Dancers will headline with performances of “BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play” on March 3-4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kevin P. Mahaney ’84 Center for the Arts (MCA).

The piece traces the complexities of carving a positive identity as a black female in urban American culture. It combines a rich history and musicology with the magical imagery of Alice in Wonderland to offer a grand narrative reflecting on feminism, patriarchy and women’s roles within this world.

In addition to intriguing performances by Camille A. Brown & Dancers, each day of the week offers a master class with a different world-class dancer as well as performances of “Sola” Friday and Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. at the MCA.

Stemming from her background as a clarinetist, Bessie award-winning choreographer Camille Brown creates pieces that utilize musical composition as storytelling, investigate the silent space within measures and filling it with mesmerizing movement.

Not only is Brown a prodigious choreographer and dancer, she was recently named a TED fellow, making her one of 40 innovators and trailblazers chosen this year to present at the 2015 conference in Vancouver, Canada. In fact, this honor necessitated the rescheduling of her Middlebury performances from the previously announced dates of March 16-17 to the new dates of March 3-4.

In “BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play,” Brown explores a world where black women are often portrayed soley in terms of their strength, resiliency or trauma. Brown responds with a fuller spectrum of the black female. To demonstrate the complexity of a racially and politically charged culture, the work uses African-American social dancing, rhythmic play and musical compositions that better illustrate who “black girl” knows herself to be.

Brown will share the stage with three emerging African-American choreographers, whose works will appear on the second half of the program. Denae Hannah is a comedian, a consultant and the CEO of the dance and comedy collective DNA Comedy. Johari Mayfield is a choreographer and performer who describes her eclectic work as “double Dutch, meeting Martha Graham, meeting African dance, meeting Edgar Allan Poe, meeting beatboxing.” Admittedly, I am not entirely sure what that means, but it sounds incredible. The third choreographer, Afaliah Tribune, is a rapper, singer and songwriter who has toured with Rennie Harris Puremovement, Bebe Miller and VOICES, created by Middlebury’s own Philip Hamilton ’82.

The March 3-4 performances are only two pieces of Middlebury’s week of Women in Dance. Each day of the week offers a master class with a different dancer, open to all students. Then, on March 6-7, Middlebury will present “Sola,” an evening of solo dances choreographed for and by women. Curated by University of South Florida (USF) assistant professor Andee Scott, the performances will showcase the work of choreographers from around the country, including Amy Chavasse (Michigan), Tzveta Kassabova (Vermont), Pam Pietro (New York), Mary Williford-Shade (Texas) and Bliss Kohlmyer (Florida).

“Sola” is the inaugural performance produced by Dance Linkages, a new organization created by Scott to build a contemporary network of artists connecting within and across disciplines to develop and perform new work.

The performance premiered in Tampa, Florida in August. The subsequent tour includes stops in Texas, Michigan, New York, and Vermont.

Camille A. Brown and Dancers will present “BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play” on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 3 and 4, at 7:30 PM each evening. Tickets are $20 for the general public; $15 for Middlebury College faculty, staff, alumni, and emeriti; and $6 for Middlebury College students.

Performances of “Sola” will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7, 2015, at 8:00 P.M. each evening. Tickets for “Sola” are $12 for the general public; $10 for Middlebury College faculty, staff, alumni, and emeriti; and $6 for Middlebury College students. Both events will take place in MCA Dance Theatre.

Visit go/boxoffice or stop by the office in McCullough or the MCA.