Charmaine Warren
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African Women in Dance @ NYLA part 2

9/24/2012

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Program B - Sepember 21 – 22 with Maria Helena Pinto (Mozambique) in Sombra, and Bouchra Ouizguen (Morocco) in Madame Plaza. 

What else should could be expected from such a well-thoughtout!?  The women at MAPP and the many presenters that said yes to this project deserve all the kudos that they could possibly get.  The house at NYLA was again packed with folks waiting and waiting to see what these wonderful African had in store, and they produced.  The first, Sombra by Maria Helena Pinto was literally a tour de force!  Amidst a stage filled with large black plastic pails (two were white), and later, tin drums descending from the ceiling, Pinto, who for the entire piece donned one of these pails, moved ever so formally.  She danced on top of the pails, stuffed in the pails, or like the pail.  An arm or a leg here and there just seemed so beautiful.  As much as I wanted to see her face at the beginning, when the piece came to a closer, it was definitely more poignant to stay with her on her journey.  No, don't take the pail of your head...and she didn't, but to take her bow.  Bravo! The four women is Madame Plaza (featured three Aïta vocalists -Kabboura Aït Ben Hmad, Fatima Elhanna and Naïma Sahmoud ) and lead by dancer and creator Bouchra Ouizguen were sculptural, whitty and transforming in their delivery.  More bravo!  
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My September AmNews Dance Calendar

9/19/2012

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http://www.amsterdamnews.com/arts_and_entertainment/september-dance-calendar/article_60490afc-f37d-11e1-90e8-001a4bcf887a.html
Picture
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African women in Contemporary Dance @ NYLA!

9/19/2012

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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.
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Nora Chipaumire @ BAM's Fisher (Fishman) Space

9/17/2012

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Friday night was my very first time as an audience member at BAM's new Fisher (Fishman) Space.  What a treat it was to see Nora Chipaumire's "Miriam."  Amidst a very dark and completely provocative set (water bowl, rocks, ladder, hanging bulbs and so much more), Nora and Okwui Okpokwasili were two fantastic African women telling tales through movement, sound and drama.  There was text, there was gutteral sounds and it was all very dark...very, very dark.  There was no doubt that this was a very demanding journey on the audience's part. 

Miriam is conceived, written and choreographed by Nora Chipaumire, and directed by Eric Ting with an original soundscore by composer and pianist Omar Sosa; lighting and visual environment by Olivier Clausse,  costume design by Naoko Nagata, and sound design by Lucas Indelicato.  Actor/dancer Okwui Okpokwasili joins in the performance.

An article:
http://www.amsterdamnews.com/arts_and_entertainment/african-women-in-dance/article_0ca62984-f909-11e1-b7c2-001a4bcf887a.html
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A weekend with Dianne McIntyre and the Sounds in Motion community! What a blast and such a journey!

9/17/2012

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I was more than lucky enough to be asked by Dianne McIntyre the founder and artistic director to join the committee to celebrate 40 years of Sounds In Motion (SIM).  Wow, really lucky.  Also on the committee was Aziza, Baraka Sele, Anna Glass, Laura Greer and Shireen Dickson.  I was indeed in good company.  Dianne was being honored by the American Dance Guild (ADG) (rightfully so), along with Elaine Summers.  It was a whirlwind weekend where 20 SIM alumni gathered to perform at the ADG event in Diannne's 1976 work "Life's Force."  What a treat!  I saw folks who helped me learn how to present Dianne's work!  Kathleen, Aziza, Jawole and on and on danced.  It was so heart-warming to see them dance and of course to see Dianne communicate with each dancer so wonderfully.  The live music from Ahmed Abdullah simply confirmed Dianne's edict! Ronald K. Brown was the stage manager.  How about that? 

Friday we all met (there must have been 40 people from the SIM community there), for a commemorative photo in front of the old studio at 290 Lenox.  It was a beautiful day in Harlem!  After the photo shoot we walked to the Dwyer Cultural Center for more sharing and good times. 

Dianne and the cast of fabulous SIM dancers performed "Life's Force" again on Saturday night.  \

A few articles are below:

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/dance/dianne-mcintyre-talks-about-her-love-affair-with-modern-dance

http://www.amsterdamnews.com/arts_and_entertainment/september-dance-calendar/article_60490afc-f37d-11e1-90e8-001a4bcf887a.html
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    I am a performer, historian, consultant and dance writer. I am a Empire State College's online program Center for Distance Learning.  I am also a former faculty member at The Ailey School and the Alvin Ailey/Fordham University dance major program, Hunter College, Sarah Lawrence College (Guest), Kean University and The Joffrey Ballet School's Jazz and Contemporary Trainee Program.  I write on dance for The Amsterdam News, Dance Magazine and various publications.  Click below to read more about me at my home page - "About Me."

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