That’s right, choreographer Miguel Gutierrez titled his new dance after the classic anthology This Bridge Called My Back – but with the word “ass” instead of back in his title. “‘What underlies ‘This Bridge,’ Mr. Gutierrez said, is a consideration of something that has long piqued him: ‘the perception that artists of color are always doing content work’ — dealing with identity politics — ‘and white artists are only doing form and line.'” – The New York Times
Tag: sj
The Architecture Research That Is Changing, And Charging Up, Human Rights
Research architecture is the name for an organized movement of investigative journalists, AI experts, archaeologists, lawyers, and others who are engaged in “the politics of space, especially how it is manipulated by states and corporations against civilians and the environment – from drone strikes in Pakistan to mining in the Amazon.” – The Guardian (UK)
Ballet Isn’t Only Women – It’s Also Trans, Nonbinary, And Genderqueer Dancers
At least, that’s one push for 2019 from the dancers themselves, who are ready, whether the classical ballet world is or not, for more than just partner training for male-identified dancers and pointe training for those who identify as female. – Pointe Magazine
What Does It Mean To Be A “Teaching Artist”?
Eric Booth: “Teachings artistry lives in the hybrid zone, where two essential human realms meet—art and learning—to enrich one another and create the most fecund human space. Indeed, there is a tidal element to a teaching artist’s career as it ebbs and flows between the two kinds of projects.”
Creating Ability-Positive Theatre for Children
“Stories that are ability-positive center around real or fictional characters with different ability statuses, not for dramatic reasons, like an abled character experiencing a new struggle, but simply to show humans, in all their complexities, who make up the fabric of our world.” Tim Collingwood, an actor-playwright-activist who identifies as having Asperger’s syndrome, writes about how he was inspired to meet the ability-positive ideal with an adaptation of The Ugly Duckling. — HowlRound
In Brazil, Female Readers Band Together To Support Female Writers (And They’re All Going To Need Each Other Now)
Book clubs with names such as “Read Women” have been growing in Brazilian cities, pushing for including more work by women authors in publishers’ lists, bookstores’ inventory, and even school curricula. Now those writers and their supporters worry about whether the new president, Jair Bolsonaro, and his far-right followers will undo the progress of recent years. — Public Radio International
Artist Ai Wei Wei On The Need To Strengthen Human Rights
“If we truly believe in values that we can all identify with and aspire to – a recognition of truth, an understanding of science, an appreciation of the self, a respect for life and a faith in society – then we need to eliminate obstacles to understanding, uphold the fundamental definition of humanity, affirm the shared value of human lives and other lives, and acknowledge the symbiotic interdependency of human beings and the environment.” – The Guardian
Indigenous Performing Artists From All Over North America And Australia Gather In New York (Just In Time For APAP)
“In drawing attention to the breadth of contemporary Indigenous performance — with works spanning dance, theater, performance art and genres in between — the [First Nations Dialogues New York/Lenapehoking] are something rare for New York, if not unprecedented. Describing what to expect is not easy and not intended to be.” — The New York Times
‘Building A More Inclusive American Theater’: The New Director Of The Long Wharf In New Haven
Jacob Padrón: “When I’m thinking about what plays to put on stages I ask: one, does the story reflect the community I am in and, two, is the story in conversation with the world? Those are the two big questions that will guide a lot of my thinking at Long Wharf.” — Connecticut Magazine
Through Venezuela’s Chaos, Dance Company For Disabled Carries On
“Caracas-based AM Danza works with 50 young Venezuelans who are pursuing their passion for dance despite limitations like broken spines, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or blindness.” — Yahoo! (AP)