Friday–Saturday, October 16–17, 2009
8:00 p.m. each evening
Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
INSPIRIT
Founder and artistic director Christal Brown presents and performs with INSPIRIT, a dance company that creates contemporary works imbued with spiritual exuberance, ancestral strength, and startling insight. The rich movement vocabulary draws from the ensemble’s wide-ranging experiences, from postmodern forms to traditional West African dance, from ballet to yoga. “Evoking the strength of the ancestors and the sassiness of today’s feminists/womanists”—Eva Yaa Asantewaa. Post-performance discussion Friday. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series and the Dance Program.
Tickets: $24/18/6
http://go.middlebury.edu/tickets or 802-443-MIDD (6433).
Middlebury College press release available here.
Additional events in conjunction with this residency:
October 15, Thursday
Dance Residency Activities with INSPIRIT
See times listed below; MCFA, Dance Theatre
Join founder and artistic director Christal Brown and other company members of INSPIRIT for residency activities that precede their public performance Friday and Saturday nights. Pre-registration required, contact dance@middlebury.edu.
- 9:30-10:45 A.M. Master class, Advanced Beginning level
- 12:30-1:15 P.M. DanceTalk with the choreographer and company members (see below)
- 3:00-4:15 P.M. Master class, Beginning level
October 15, Thursday
DanceTalk: Christal Brown and INSPIRIT, a dance company
12:30-1:15 P.M., Mahaney CFA, Dance Theatre
Christal Brown and members of INSPIRIT will show excerpts from their upcoming concert and discuss their mission and creative process. Free
Program:
Past Her Rites (2005)
Choreographer: Christal Brown
Music: Mocean Worker and Nina Simone
Costumes: Xi
Performers: Krystal Butler, Beatrice Capote,
Alexandra J. Houston, Toni Renee Johnson,
Chevon Stewart, Tiffany Spearman
Lighting Design: Christina Huertas
Solitary Refinement (2009)
Choreographer: Christal Brown
Music: Daniel Jose Older
Costume: Xi
Performer: Candace Thompson (Fri.), Alysia Ramos (Sat.)
Lighting Design: Christina Huertas
Until Fruition (2004)
Choreographer: Christal Brown
Music: Oumou Sangare
Costumes: Lela Jones
Performers: Beatrice Capote, Alexandra J. Houston,
Toni Renee Johnson
Lighting Design: Christina Huertas
Take That (2008)
Writer and Performer: Christal Brown
Costume: Courtesy of Nia’s Wedding
Lighting Design: Christina Huertas
Intermission
Dreams and Visions (2008)
Choreographer: Christal Brown
Music: Farai Malianga
Text: Remica Bingham
Costumes: Trebien Pollard
Performed: Beatrice Capote, Krystal Butler,
Alexandra J. Houston, Toni Renee Johnson,
Alysia Ramos, Tiffany Spearman, Chevon Stewart,
Candace Thompson
Original Lighting Design: Dans Sheehan
Media Design: Christal Brown
Support for the creation of Dreams and Visions was provided by Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Dance/Now NYC, Mason Rhynes Productions, Dance Place, Middlebury College, and Long Island University.
Company Biographies:
About INSPIRIT, a dance company
INSPIRIT was founded in 2000 to provide a forum for collaboration among emerging female artists and choreographers. Since its inception, the company has grown to be an incubation tank; providing training in executive, artistic, and educational skills. In addition to having performed in various venues across the United States such as the Joyce Soho, Aaron Davis Hall, Bronx Academy of Art and Dance, Mulberry Street Theater, the Lincoln Theater, Dance Place, the San Francisco Street Theatre Festival; the company has also been in residence at several colleges and universities while also creating strong ties with various communities of young women nationwide through Project: BECOMING. INSPIRIT challenges the structure of traditional collectives and repertory companies by producing the work of choreographers within the company and collaborating on work driven by an artistic theme and an artistic director. These differences allow each company member to forge a deep commitment to the company’s mission; to infuse one another with ideas, to encourage rich collaboration and to invigorate audiences everywhere.
INSPIRIT's unique company model thrives on artistic and executive collaboration. From the office to the stage company members are invited to be a part of each decision making process. This communal investment allows the company to create strong bonds that influence our collective growth and achievement. To this end INSPIRIT has also created the Company Choreographic Commissioning Project (CCCP) that produces the work of two emerging choreographers from the company per year. These choreographers are given rehearsal space, a production stipend, feedback sessions, and the opportunity to have their work placed in the INSPIRIT repertory catalog for performance and touring consideration.
Meet the performers:
Christal Brown, Founder/Executive Director of INSPIRIT (Choreographer, educator, performer, writer, activist) is a native of Kinston, North Carolina and received her BFA in dance and minor in Business from the University of N.C. at Greensboro. Upon graduation, Brown went on to tour nationally with Chuck Davis’ African-American Dance Ensemble and internationally with Andrea E. Woods/Souloworks. Immediately following those experiences Brown performed with and managed Gesel Mason Performance Projects while apprenticing with the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange in Takoma Park, M.D. Upon relocating to New York, Brown apprenticed with the Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company before finding a home with Urban Bush Women; where she spent three seasons as a principal performer, community specialist and apprentice program coordinator. Aside from performing, Brown is the Founding and Executive Director of INSPIRIT, a performance ensemble and educational conglomerate dedicated to bringing female choreographers together to collaborate and show new work, expanding the views of women of all ages, and being a constant source of inspiration to its audience as well as members. Founded in 2000, INSPIRIT has been honored to show work at Aaron Davis Hall, St. Marks Church, Joyce Soho, The Lincoln Theater of Washington, D.C., and various other venues across the country. Through the growth of INSPIRIT, Brown has also been able to launch a nationwide youth initiative for teen girls called Project: BECOMING. Brown has been a resident artist of Dance New Amsterdam, Movement Research, and Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and is currently a visiting lecturer in Dance at Middlebury College. Combining her athleticism, creativity, love for people and knack for teaching, Brown continues to teach and create works that redefine the art of dance and the structure of the field.
Toni Renee Johnson (Educational Liaison) is a performer, choreographer, and dance educator. She earned her M.F.A. in choreography and performance from Florida State University. She had the opportunity to study with and perform works by Dan Wagoner, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Alonzo King, Nia Love and others. Once in New York, she performed with Blacksmith’s Daughter and INSPIRIT, a dance company, serving as Education Liaison and Interim Associate Artistic Director. Toni Renee newly formed her own company, Breath of Life Dance Experience. She has been commissioned to make dances for Drexel University, INSPIRIT and Bronx Arts. Toni Renee also works as a dance specialist for grades K-6 at Bronx Charter School for the Arts.
Alexandra Joye Houston (Community Liaison) is a native of the Washington, D.C. metro area. She began her intense training as a dance major at Suitland High School for Visual and Performing Arts. She received her B.A. degree in Drama with a concentration in Dance/Pre-Medicine from Spelman College in 2003; and in 2006 received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Upon graduation from UNCG, Alexandra relocated to Brooklyn, NY and was offered an apprenticeship with Urban Bush Women. She has since found a home with Christal Brown’s INSPIRIT dance company. Alexandra has been fortunate to work on projects with Bill T. Jones and as a teaching artist with the Brooklyn Arts Council and The Leadership Program. Alexandra is an emerging dance filmmaker: her first film short shown in the Urban Literature Film Festival in 2006 and at the University of Chicago’s Eyes on Mosaic conference in 2007. Alexandra participated in the Africa and the Diaspora dance intensive workshop—in Senegal at the company home of Jant-Bi—under the leadership of Germaine Acogny and other guest artists. Alexandra is also the recipient of INSPIRIT’s Company Choreographic Commissioning Project (CCCP) Grant for 2008. Her piece VENUS was set on INSPIRIT, premiering at Tribeca Performing Arts Center and has also been shown at the Solar 1 Dance Festival and at The Dance Place in Washington, D.C. This is Alexandra’s third season with INSPIRIT and is grateful to be working with such amazing women. In addition to performing, Alexandra also serves as the Community Liaison for INSPIRIT. Her responsibilities include initiating community partnerships and coordinating all programs which unite community members and INSPIRIT. The centerpiece of her responsibilities is serving as the Project Manager for Project: BECOMING—an intensive rites of passage program for teen girls—which seeks to equip participants with the tools necessary to achieve their life goals.
Tiffany Spearman is a native of upstate New York. Tiffany graduated Cum Laude with a B.F.A in Dance Performance from Boston Conservatory, where she had the opportunity to study and perform works by Jose Limon, Martha Graham, Murray Louis, Richard Colton and Amy Spencer. While at the Conservatory, Tiffany also had the opportunity to create and produce her own work. Upon graduation Tiffany apprenticed with Battleworks Dance Company, and performed with Caitlin Trainor Dances. Tiffany is excited and honored to be in her first season with INSPIRIT.
Chevon Stewart (Fiscal Agent) is a native New Yorker. Raised in the Bronx and Beacon, N.Y., she currently resides in Brooklyn where she works as a performer, teaching artist and yoga instructor. She began her formal dance training at Ballet Arts Studio under the direction of Valerie Feit in Beacon, N.Y. In high school, she went on to study at Central Pennsylvania Youth ballet and attended the Ailey school as a fellowship student. She attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges as an Arts Scholar and received her B.A. in Dance and Psychology. Chevon has had the privilege to perform with Urban Bush Women’s apprentice program, Arthur Aviles Typical Dance Theater, Keila Cordova Dances, Richard Rivera, Baraka De Solilel’s D’ Underbelly, and Nia Love’s Blacksmith’s Daughter Dance Theatre. She feels very blessed to be in her third Season with INSPIRIT.
Alysia Ramos (Development Officer) views dance through a linguistic lens; traveling the globe to investigate distinct dance idioms. She draws on her diverse dance experiences to explore humanity’s collective human heritage through choreographic works for her company, The Mezclado Movement Group, educational programs for CREATE! and the Brooklyn Arts Council, and collaborations with other artists. Current collaborations include, INSPIRIT dance, Kotchegna Dance, The Cuban Cowboys, The Dance Conduction Continuum and Danzaisa/Gabri Christa. Alysia’s training has been broad and unconventional, from “dancing school” as a child, to nightclubs in Senegal, from children in a rainforest to YouTube videos, it began in R.I. and continues in Brooklyn where she currently resides with her hubby Myles & son, Tiago.
Krystal Butler is a 2008 graduate of the B.F.A. Dance Program of Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus. She is a Washington, D.C. native and a graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts, under the direction of Sandra Fortune. Butler has worked with artists such as Louis Johnson, Christopher Huggins, Robert Battle, Earl Mosley, Camille Brown, and Dianne McIntyre, to name a few. In 2006, Krystal performed in the play “JUNKANOO” with the theater company “Art Creates Life.” The company performed at the Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C. and at the National Theatre of Dakar in Dakar, Senegal. Krystal recently performed a historical piece choreographed by Erick Hawkins at the 2008 American Dance Festival PAST/FORWARD concert. Butler has been with INSPIRIT for two years. Krystal thanks her family, her friends, and god for all of their support. She would also like to give a special thank you to Christal Brown for being her mentor.
Candace Thompson (Assistant to the Artistic Director), a Trinidad and Tobago native, attained her B.F.A. at Adelphi University’s dance department, where she was accepted on scholarship. During her training, she was able to perform works by Trebien Pollard, Leda Meredith, Nick Seligson-Ross, Janis Brenner and Martha Graham. After graduating, she was able to work with David Gordon and intern at Jennifer Muller/The Works and apprentice at INSPIRIT, a dance company. She is pleased now to be an INSPIRIT company member and to be able to share her craft with this wonderful group of ladies. Candace is also a Pilates instructor and personal trainer.
Beatrice Capote (Rehearsal Director), West New York, N.J., is a graduate from The North Carolina School of the Arts. She began her dance training at Amarylis American Dance Center in New Jersey, and then continued her training at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center Junior Division Program. She has studied and performed works during her dance training by Camille Brown, Kevin Wynn, Milton Myers, Oliver Steele, Dianne Markham, Troy Powell, Ruth Barnes, Craig Patterson, Paul Matteson, Jenn Nugent, Ellen Commendador, and Denise Jefferson. Ms. Capote is currently teaching in various after school programs. Ms. Capote joined the company in 2006.
Christy Huertas (Lighting design) has worked for INSPIRIT for 3 years now and feels blessed and constantly inspired by these amazing ladies.
Company website:http://www.inspiritdance.com/
Other links:
INSPIRIT's YouTube channel
Press Quotes:
“…evoking the strength of the ancestors and the sassiness of today’s feminists/womanists…”-- Eva Yaa Asantewaa, Field Notes: Dance, Performance & Theater Commentary
“INSPIRIT, an all-female company made up of mostly black women, was the opposite. Fervid in their expression, the company conveyed hearts swelled with passion. The Cutting Place…stood out. Brown spoke of the burdens of family and race with eloquence. Every word and gesture landed with searing meaning. …Past Her Rites…pulsated with energy –sleek, heady and tough.”--Wendy Liberatore, Daily Gazette
“…favored text and dove deeply into female-female, mother-daughter relationships in Beg-In Her. …Brown presented some intriguing staged moments, especially the opening image of women engulfed in waving swaths of cloth and the closing moment of two—sisters? mother and daughter? –separated but, perhaps, still connected.”--Lisa Trager, DanceView.org
“The strongest work was Paloma McGregor’s 34 Prayers, inspired by Hurricane Katrina and its tragic aftermath. Dancers gently swayed their arms to the sound of flowing water as though it were washing over them. Then they angrily pushed against a wall at the back of the stage and fell to the floor with their hands clasped in prayer, poignantly suggesting that despite their anger and disillusionment, some people never lost their faith or hope for survival. In Wishes, a nearly naked Christal Brown delivered a humorous yet defiant monologue about men who degrade her with catcalls.”--Sarah Halzack, The Washington Post