Davalois Fearon Dance Announces Davalois Fearon Dance Virtual Theater

Bessie Award-Winning Artistic-Activist Davalois Fearon has announced the virtual premiere of the BRIClab work-in-progress performance of For C.J., supported in part by the 2020 New Music USA Project Grant. The performance will be available for streaming at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, October 23rd, 2020, via the Davalois Fearon Dance Virtual Theatre, a new platform to present both new and work-in-progress performances. Time to Talk with Davalois Fearon, a post-performance discussion with historian, dancer, curator, and co-creator of Black Dance Stories, Charmaine Warren, will occur at 8:00 pm.

Visit davaloisfearon.com/virtualtheater for tickets to the performance and post-performance virtual event. The Davalois Fearon Dance Virtual Theater is the company's response to the devastating effects of COVID-19. The virtual theater was created to support the company's commitment to creation, performance, and community engagement despite pandemic restrictions.

For C.J. honors Fearon's nephew, who fell victim to a fatal asthma attack in 2017. Fearon decided to take action and research asthma fatalities in response, which led her to the alarming discovery of systemic medical and environmental negligence in communities of color. In the Bronx, where Fearon and C.J. grew up, "The asthma hospitalization rate for children is 70 percent higher than the rest of New York City and 700 percent higher than the rest of New York State," says Fearon.

For C.J. is an ensemble work celebrating C.J.'s life, telling his story through movement, live music, and visual arts. "Sitting in the audience of For C.J. was an experience that affected both my head and my heart," said B.J. Evans, BRIC, Senior Producer, Performing Arts. "This beautiful, flawlessly-executed work gets to the heart of the urgent crisis of medical and environmental racism."

The post-performance discussion is the kick-off of a new series called Time to Talk with Davalois Fearon. It is the second phase of Fearon's Time to Talk project, which points out structural racism within dance, academia, and society. Each episode will feature Fearon and a guest to talk about race.

The Davalois Fearon Dance Virtual Theater allows Davalois Fearon Dance to fulfill its mission of pushing artistic and social boundaries while cultivating the next generation of dance artists by providing a platform for the company to share performances, workshops, and discussions.

For more information on For C.J., Time to Talk, or the Davalois Fearon Dance Virtual Theater, please visit davaloisfearon.com.