By Walter Rutledge
Out and About NYC Magazine (O&A NYC) will embed with the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project (CBDLP) for the Unbound: Shattered Frames, Endless Visions performance on Saturday, August 23, 6pm at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. The magazine has begun to document the artists from the ten dance companies performing in this unprecedented evening of Black dance excellence. The event is being documented with written commentary, video interviews and a review of the performance. The historic and cultural importance of this “consortium of the creative” needs to be brought to the attention of the theater going public. Not just in the great city of Chicago but to our international audience.
We would like to share with you the genesis of O&A NYC and why our support of CBDLP is vital. In the early 2000’s newspapers still provided the most in-depth arts coverage. Dance critic such as Anna Kisselgorf, Jennifer Dunning, Deborah Jowett and Zita Allen still provided constructive commentary, but a new group of journalists were offering much more critical, “poison pin” reviews. Quickly the negativity caused a sensation and print publications were scrambling to see which critics, and which publications could write the most destructive, mean spirited, counter productive commentary.
Years earlier Dunning explained her philosophy saying how hard and elusive the creative process could be and how much she respected the artist. She respected the time, energy and oft-times financial sacrifice of choreographers their companies had to make. If the work was not up to par, she would comment on the costumes, or the dancer’s performances, or the production value. She remained positive yet constructive.
This was our initial reason for creating O&A NYC. To return to the era of John Martins, Clive Barnes (pre vodka and tonic era) Kisselgorf, Dunning and Jowitt. When critics offered a thoughtful critique of your work, not just criticism. Can you imagine fund raising and sacrificing for years to be able to present work in the dance mecca, New York City; knowing that part of the investment was a coveted New York review. Only to have the critic become fixated over of a pair of loose pointe shoe ribbons and not the work.
O&A NYC vowed to provide commentary that reflected the work, not negative sensationalism to sell copies. We also realized the need to identify and support emerging and established artists, performers and producers of color. Arts commentary by people of color is still a small and finite club, which can translate into critiques from uninformed or factually ignorant commentators. We quickly realized our role in preserving history, and our responsibility to identify artists making history.
So much art is being created outside of New York by companies and individuals who are not able to tour but would benefit from a New York review. We decided “if the mountain can not come to O&A NYC, O&A NYC will go to the mountain.” And here we are in Chicago.
Instead of just a review of the August 23 performance of the CBDLP’s Unbound: Shattered Frames, Endless Visions We are sharing with you not just the final product but also insight into the creative process. O&A NYC will attend individual company rehearsals, tech rehearsals and per-performance run throughs, and interview dancers, choreographers and production staff who have helped create this historic evening of Black dance excellence.
But if you are in the Chicago area this weekend, come out to see an evening of Black dance excellence Saturday August 23 6pm at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance ((205 E. Randolph Street). For more information and tickets visit harristheaterchicago.org.
In Photo: lower row: Kevin Iega Jeff, Gary Abbott upper row: Hope Houston , Walter Rutledge, Mashaune Hardy
Photo by Adewale Adekanbi Jr.
