Dallas Black Dance Theatre Portrays Civil Rights Struggles Through ODETTA and THE MOURNER'S BENCH

Dallas Black Dance Theatre is producing dramatic lessons on two historic periods: the reconstruction period following the Civil War and the Civil Rights Era. Music plays a vital role in both dances: ODETTA by Matthew Rushing and The Mourner's Bench by Talley Beatty. The repertoire will be reinvented and newly filmed in unique locations to make for a robust cinematic experience. Wells Fargo is the presenting sponsor for the virtual performance scheduled for Saturday, February 20, 2021, at 7:00 CST / 8:00 pm EST. The choreography is sponsored by Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger.

The choreographic brilliance of the late Talley Beatty is exemplified in The Mourner's Bench. Beatty created the solo in 1947, which portrays an emotional, spiritual struggle with social inequity in the rural South after the Civil War. "Sitting on the mourner's bench," the dancer reflects on the horror of oppression that is happening to his community. The work is set to the traditional spiritual There is a Balm in Gilead. Beatty's work focuses on the social issues of African Americans. His signature style was to choreograph dances fusing a combination of modern, ballet, and jazz techniques.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing brought Civil Rights Era activism to life through movement in ODETTA. Set to the musical genius of Odetta Holmes, Rushing choreographed the work to pay tribute to Odetta's musical range of folk, gospel, and blues music. Odetta's influenced the world using her magical voice for change. Rushing choreographed ODETTA for the Ailey company in 2014. Dallas Black Dance Theatre was the first dance company to perform ODETTA outside of Ailey in 2019.

CULTURAL AWARENESS PERFORMANCE DETAILS

Saturday, February 20, 2021 Virtual Performance starts at 7:00 pm CST/ 8:00 pm EST $30 per household Group tickets are also available.

Details at www.DBDT.com

To post a comment, you must register and login.