Choreographer Dominic Moore-Dunson to Present World Premiere of INCOPNEGRO: AFTERMATH at CATAC

Choreographer Dominic Moore-Dunson will present the world premiere of inCOPnegro: Aftermath, an evening-length dance-theatre performance which explores concepts of safety, police relations, and the importance of community healing. inCOPnegro: Aftermath will premiere at the Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture (CATAC) in Akron June 22-23 and June 30-July 1. inCOPnegro: Aftermath is co-presented with CATAC.

Moore-Dunson was recently named one of Dance Magazine's 2023 Top 25 To Watch, a national list of dance artists and choreographers on the rise across the U.S. The development of inCOPnegro was a key reason for the honor, dance writer Steve Sucato noted "The 33-year-old's visceral, cross-disciplinary dance projects, themed around Blackness and social justice, pull from his personal experiences living and working in Akron, Ohio."

Inspiration for this project came from Moore-Dunson's own life experiences. He explains, "As a Black man, I have been pulled over by police no less than 45 times in my life. Then after the death of George Floyd in 2020, as a father-to-be, I realized for the first time I didn't only have to worry for my own safety, but that of my unborn son. I began reaching across my network asking Black parents, 'How do you teach your kids about the police?', and the overwhelming answer was, 'You just teach them to get home.'"

In 2022, Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man, was killed in Akron, OH. Akron police fired 90 rounds, landing 60 of those into his body. Having this happen in his hometown, Moore-Dunson started thinking about his community healing. "I started questioning how we, as a community, heal from this trauma. When the news stories are over and the initial upset has simmered, how do we continue the conversation in the aftermath?"

inCOPnegro: Aftermath explores the lives of four Black male characters after police violence has torn apart their community. This 60-minute work combines live jazz and hip hop music with Moore-Dunson's choreographic style of "Urban Midwest Storytelling". Seated in the round, the audience gets an intimate view of the healing process needed in Akron today.

The creation of inCOPnegro: Aftermath was shaped by one-on-one interviews between Moore-Dunson and Akron community stakeholders, police officers, and criminal justice workers, as well as those outside the region. Attendees are encouraged to listen to the podcast inCOPnegro: Black & Blue before seeing the show as it offers context for the choreography, music, and spoken word. Moore-Dunson reflects, "These interviews are first-person accounts of racial injustice and the impact of policing. By listening to them, attendees will have a deeper understanding of the social, cultural and civic dynamics at work, as well as intimate access to the core material of this new performance." In partnership with LoveAkron, the July 1 performance will conclude with an artist/community talkback reflecting on the performance. Executive Director Kemp Boyd will lead a discussion about the healing process for Akron in the wake of Jayland Walker's death and the pending grand jury decision.

Performance Details:

inCOPnegro: Aftermath

Dates: June 22 & 23, 2023 and June 30 & July 1, 2023 at 7pm ET

Location: Balch Street Theatre, 220 Balch St. Akron, OH 44302

Preview Performances: June 23 & 24 $10/ticket

Performances: June 30 & July 1 $20/ticket

TICKETS can be found here.

(Online ticket sales only, no walk-up sales)

Highlighting an all-Black cross-disciplinary cast of four artists, inCOPnegro: Aftermath, includes artists: Chris Coles (composer and musician), Dominic Moore-Dunson (lead choreographer and dancer), Kevin Parker Jr. (assistant choreographer and dancer), and Floco Torres (hip hop musician).

Made for ages 14+ (some explicit lyrics), inCOPnegro: Aftermath and the companion podcast, inCOPnegro: Black & Blue, both aim to peel back the stories of individuals on both sides of "the blue line" while Moore-Dunson, a new Black father, looks to answer the question, "How do we raise our children in a world where their safety is threatened every day?"

inCOPnegro: Aftermath will specifically reference the following podcast episodes from Season 1 - Ep. 1: Officer Chaunte Ford-Double Consciousness, Ep. 3: Coach Kemp Boyd-The Encounter, & Ep. 6: JAYLAND. To learn more about inCOPnegro visit incopnegro.com.

As a Creative Residency artist at NCCAkron, Moore-Dunson has leveraged the organization's resources, for example time, funding, and studio space, in the artistic creation process with his fellow artists. NCCAkron Executive/Artistic Director Christy Bolingbroke says, "The body is political and therefore the art of dance inherently carries the politics of the body, especially in terms of race and gender. When exploring complicated, unwieldy topics, dance is a powerful tool to process these subjects. Dominic's community-centered choreographic research gives added voice and resonance to this incredibly important topic."

Dominic Moore-Dunson's Creative Residency at NCCAkron was made possible by the Akron Civic Commons and the Akron Community Foundation's Vernon L. Odom Fund. The development of inCOPnegro was also supported by a residency at Akron Soul Train. Moore-Dunson is also a Creative Administrative Research artist at NCCAkron with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Dominic Moore-Dunson (Akron, OH)

Dominic Moore-Dunson (he/him/his), Dance Magazine's 2023 "25 to Watch", has received numerous recognitions highlights include: 2021 Associate Artist at Atlantic Center for the Arts #180 with Doug Varone, 2019 Cleveland Arts Prize's Emerging Artist Award for Theatre & Dance, and 2019 fellow of The Ann & Weston Hicks Choreography Program at Jacob's Pillow. Currently, Moore-Dunson is a Research Resident Artist at The National Center for Choreography at The University of Akron (NCCAkron). dommooredun.com

Chris Coles (Akron, OH)

Christopher J. Coles is a graduate of Cleveland South High School (2004). In 2009 Chris received his Bachelor's Degree in Saxophone Performance from Youngstown State University. It was here that he studied with world-renowned saxophonist and educator Dr. James C. Umble, jazz saxophonist Dr. Kent Englehardt, and jazz bassist and composer Dr. David Morgan. In 2012, Chris received his Master's Degree in Saxophone Performance from The University of Akron. Chris also played at the North American Saxophone Alliance Regional Festival in West Virginia with the Dana Saxophone quartet. In 2008, The Dana Saxophone Quartet premiered and commissioned work by John Hollenbeck at the Whitney Art Museum Composers Workshop. myspace.com/chriscoles1

Floco Torres (Akron, OH)

Floco (pronounced Flock-o) Torres is a Hip-Hop musician 32 projects deep into his career. He has envisioned and revisioned his creative expression countless times and with this adaptive style, he has gained a steady following for his hip-hop-meets-alternative rock style. A New Jersey native, but current resident of Akron, OH, created the Hip-Hop duo, Free Black! in 2018 with producer/drummer HR3. Citing influences from the likes of Jay Z, Biggie, Lupe Fiasco, Kid Cudi, and St. Vincent, Torres' sound is a collation of the old school boom bap hip-hop sprinkled with pop and indie influences. Nobodycaresnews.com

Kevin Parker Jr. (Cleveland, OH)

Kevin graduated Magna Cum Laude at Cleveland State University with a Bachelor of Health Science degree. Kevin trained with the Inlet Trainee & Apprentice Program for 3 years, was promoted to a Company B Member in 2016, and then promoted to Company Member in 2017. Kevin performed with Inlet at Jacob's Pillow as part of the Inside/Out Series and performed one of the lead roles in Inlet's national tour of What Do You Do With An Idea? Kevin is also a Licensed Massage Therapist pursuing a Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Cleveland State University.

Matthew Roberts (Akron, OH)

Matthew Roberts is an Ohioan who, at the age of 10, discovered he was bilingual and his real native language was dance. After studying at the University of Akron's Dance Institute, he moved to New York looking to become more fluent and graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in 2013 with a BFA in Dance and a concentration in Choreography. There he performed works by Lar Lubovitch, Robert Battle, Jessica Lang, and Shen Wei. He has Danced with Lustig Dance Theatre, Oakland Ballet Company, Awakening Movement, Molissa Fenley, Tami Stronach Dance, Neos Dance Theatre, Bruce Wood Dance, Zion Dance Project, Pegasus Contemporary, Osage Ballet, and Störling Dance Theater. Now freelancing while he founds Frtrss Dance Theatre, he enjoys teaching dance, discussing movement, and leading worship jams, but his love for storytelling, choreography, and sharing the human experience are what fuel his passion to create.

About NCCAkron

The National Center for Choreography at The University of Akron supports the research and development of new work in dance by exploring the full potential of the creative process. In addition to offering studio and technical residencies to make new work, activities focus on catalyzing dialogue and experimentation; creating proximity among artists and dance thinkers; and aggregating resources around dance making. For more information, visit nccakron.org.

About CATAC

The Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture (CATAC) aims to establish a forum for community engagement and educational outreach through collaboration with emerging and established artists and the creation, production and presentation of a diverse array of theatre, music, dance, and exhibitions that affirms the intrinsic value of all cultures and explores the transformative power of the arts for the greater Akron community. CATAC seeks to provide a home base for the research and performances of the Chameleon Village Theatre Collective, Gum-Dip Theatre, QuTheatr and others, and nurture emerging local artists and those of international reputation creating new work and experimenting with new forms of expression.

Image (L to R): Dominic Moore-Dunson, Kevin Parker Jr., Chris Coles, Floco Torres (Photo by Blaak Media).

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