Ronald K. Brown -

Evidence

Saturday, February 28, 7:30 p.m.

Show Repertory:

Upside Down (1998)

Upside Down begins with the premonition of community mourning. The dance continues as a race that reflects the impetus that drives the individual towards their destiny. The score begins with Malian vocalist Oumou Sangare’s Kun Fe Ko (The Uncertainty of Things), a song which says the destiny of a child is in god’s hands. The remainder of Upside Down is set to Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s, song of the same title, which tells the story of chaos and corruption, because of the abuse of power and the ever strong desire for wealth. The dance uses the loss of a community member as a rite and calls for solidarity. The ascension and passing on of one soul is also used as an image to reflect that the destiny is to the self.

Grace (1999/2004)

Originally choreographed in 1999 for Alvin Ailey, American Dance Theatre and now considered a masterpiece in the Ailey repertory, Evidence brings its own unique style to the performance of Grace, added to the Evidence repertory in 2004. The piece is an homage and ode to “God’s Grace” and Mr. Ailey’s legacy embodied I the physical journey of dance. Set to the music of Duke Ellington, Roy Davis Jr. and Fela Kuti, with recorded vocal performances of Come Sunday sung by Jimmy McPhail and Jennifer Holiday.

High Life (2000)

High Life is built as images of migration and discovery of decadence. This dance looks at the movement, stories and music that describe the journey of the American Negro from the rural south to the north. The work also examines music, fashion and culture which developed in West African cities as young people and families left their villages making their way to the dreams and aspirations pregnant in developing metropolises. The implications of new found freedom and self-determination are addressed in this dance, where celebration and new beginnings are examined alongside the traditional and cultural values that are lost during the discovery of so called liberation. The music score includes; Oscar Brown Jr., Nikki Giovanni, The JB’s, The Nkengas, The Ashantis, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, with the original music by Wunmi Olaiya