Wed 2/17 @ 7:30PM
Thu 2/18 @ 8PM
Dancer/choreographer Ronald K. Brown and his New York-based company EVIDENCE have become one the prominent modern dance ensembles, incorporating African, Afro-Caribbean and hip-hop influences into their work.
Brown founded the company in 1985 with a mission to “promote understanding of the human experience in the African Diaspora through dance and storytelling and to provide sensory connections to history and tradition through music, movement, and spoken word, leading deeper into issues of spirituality, community responsibility and liberation.” They’ve grown from a teenager’s dream (he was 19 when he sowed the seeds for the company) to an international touring and teaching ensemble.
The company was scheduled to perform at Playhouse Square in early February as part of DANCECleveland’s 2020-21 season and the company’s 35th anniversary tour. That, of course, was cancelled. But to tide dance lovers over until live tours can happen again, DANCECleveland and Tri-C will be streaming a program from New York’s Joyce Theater on Thursday February 18, featuring some of the company’s best-known works of the past 35 years.
In this performance, the company will perform a series of solos and duets from their repertoire, a choice necessitated by the pandemic. They include an excerpt from Brown’s noted Grace, debuted 20 years ago by Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, and an updated version of Mercy, with music by Meshell Ndegeocello, described as “an ethereal movement meditation that seeks to guide our hearts.” They’ll also perform She Is Here, a tribute to inspirational mothers and teachers; For You, honoringAmerican Dance Festival co-director Stephanie Reinhart; March, set to a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and the Palo y Machete solo from One Shot, honoring the life of Black Pittsburgh documentary photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris.
Dancer lovers can also see a recording of a live performance of Grace on Wednesday February 17 @ 7:30pm, followed by a Q&A with Brown and dancer Vie Boheme.
Tickets are $25; go to dancecleveland/live-streaming-performance-ronald-k-brownevidence to buy them. After the program debuts on Thursday February 18, ticketholders can watch it any time through March 4.
Get more info at dancecleveland.org.