Credit: Sarah Hinzman
As my Shirley Graham Du Bois Creative in Residence tenure comes to a close, I am deeply inspired by my experience with Castle of Our Skins. My goals in applying included collaborating with musicians and artists of genres different from dance. This was definitely achieved and I’m excited about the people that I’ve met and the relationships I’ve begun to cultivate. These relationships are bridging a gap in my creative journey between musicians and my dance practice of choreographing and facilitating.
Working closely with the COOS creative team has further affirmed and motivated my ambitions to strengthen and fortify my creative organization, Modern Connections. The thought and detail that goes into the COOS programming is clear and effective. It allows budding and professional artists opportunities to engage with professional development and performance experiences that enhance their artistry. It’s important for Black perspectives to continue to be represented in the field of art and music, particularly in this city and made accessible to people in those communities. My life completely changed when I attended undergrad and experienced my first Black teacher (professor of dance). I had a visceral response to her. At the time, I didn’t understand what the feeling was or how her guidance and training would impact the direction of my career. Seeing a Black woman with locs at the front of the room for multiple classes a week over four years time, sharing her knowledge encouraged me to step into my own excellence. She opened the doors to the world of African and African derived movement and history and I began to take myself and my training more seriously.
Jenny in Cachoeira
Now, as an adult and mid-career artist, I understand that the feeling I had was that of transformation and connection, some may even refer to it as an intitian. Both transformation and connection remain a central component of my experience of the Self. I use dance as a method of processing and understanding the interconnectedness of people, culture and spiritual praxis. I’m able to deepen that understanding when I’m in a creative relationship with others. As I’ve mentioned in my first blog post, I believe that movement is the first form of communication and that it begins in the womb. I’m constantly noticing the movement of others and the way that movement informs our worldviews. Sometimes, I’ll sit somewhere in a public place and watch what’s happening; the stop lights changing, the trees swaying, the formation of the birds as they take flight, the gait of people walking, the placement of architecture, the smell in the air etc. It’s fascinating to see the ways in which we navigate together in an improvisational structure yielding life force energy and how that shifts through the seasons and with time. I remember a day while I was in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil waiting at the bus stop just outside of Pelourinho and the dance of the neighborhood as I looked on. It became a performance in my mind. Some people were moving quickly darting around those in their path while others were strolling leisurely, taking in the sights and enjoying the company of those around them. There were folks who were navigating in an altered state of consciousness but yet so clear in their own world. There were young people, older people, tourists and locals all intersecting and creating pathways through space. There were old buildings and new stores amplifying the sounds of the bustling neighborhood, protest chants and street vendors trying to make a sale. The ocean created an enchanting backdrop with the sun reflecting off the waters offering a majestic light as it moved toward the sunset. All of this happened at a moment in time that will never be experienced again, just as dance happens in a timeframe that can never be experienced the same way a second time. A true reflection of life. In my work I try to create meaningful dances with this in mind. What is it that I want to say about this moment? What am I sharing? How am I creating space for others to experience my curiosity in a way that allows their interpretations to interact with my idea. What am I archiving?
Jenny in Bahia
As interconnected, intersectional people it’s imperative that our education and creative engagement with others includes spaces for ‘yes, and’ otherwise we risk perpetuating systems of oppression, erasure and harm. Erykah Badu said in an interview that “evolving involves elimination” and I believe that we need to eliminate the idea that the compartmentalization of expression is a comfortable, acceptable and/or necessary form of creating art.
Black art and its expression is bold, ancestral, life affirming and engaging. COOS is embodying these truths in Boston. I hope to continue to add, evolve, eliminate, incorporate, integrate and share that in my own organization and creative work. Modern Connections is a multi-pronged dance organization that provides experiences to help people process information and ideas through workshops and performances. The Shirley Graham Du Bois Creative in Residence has helped me to grow upward as an artist as well as deeper into my Self. I am clearer now than when I began and grateful to have played, collaborated and developed more work and things to reflect on that will help me as I continue forward in my career and life’s purpose.
I want to take time to share a note of thanks specifically to Ashe Gordon and Ciyadh Wells for their constant support and guidance during my tenure as Creative in Residence. Thank you for leading with compassion, empathy and flexibility. Your example has confirmed that thoughtful leadership yields outcomes that support organizational growth and community enrichment. Your work ethic and excellence is unwavering no matter the setting; a classroom, speaking at an esteemed event, performing on stage or producing an intricate, multi layered event. This resonates with me. To the next Creative in Residence, Carmin Wong, I hope that this opportunity offers you space to grow and breathe, to take risks and manifest a vision that speaks to your purpose as an artist.
Jenny at Somerville Community Garden
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