How lucky was I to be in the audience for a spectacular opening night at NYLA. The lobby was full with anticipation and many were invited upstairs to see the new expanded studio space. Very nice. Bill T. Jones and Carla Peterson were fabulous in their welcome. Without doubt, as my colleague (Eva Yaa Asantewaa) sitting next to me said after we saw the first piece Correspondances, "that was a lot." I know she meant it in a great way. Program A which runs again tonight, September 19, opened with Kettly Noël (Haiti/Mali) and Nelisiwe Xaba (South Africa) Correspondances and closed Quartiers Libres with Nadia Beugré (Côte d’Ivoire). These women dared to not do "African dance," but instead donned couture "costumes," deconsructed ballet terms, danced with a puppet to Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll" and also to Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams." They danced on top of a table, among a spectacular curtain of plastic bottles, professed their woman-hood and one stuffed a full-sized garbage bag in her mouth. These women are daring, fabulous and they moved ever so beautifully. What a treat!
Program B runs Sepember 21 – 22 with Maria Helena Pinto (Mozambique) in Sombra, and Bouchra Ouizguen (Morocco) in Madame Plaza.
Program B runs Sepember 21 – 22 with Maria Helena Pinto (Mozambique) in Sombra, and Bouchra Ouizguen (Morocco) in Madame Plaza.
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