Redemption Too, at Least Some | A Work-in-Progress Collaboration from DBR & BANDALOOP

Suspended between metaphor and physics, this collaboration with Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) helps us discover our relationship to his physical, historical and musical presence on the wall with us. His artistic bravery elevates both our art making and our engagement with past and present social in-justice realities.

He writes, “We are creating new ways for a musician to work AND MOVE with the company of dancers…and from that same rope, in defiance and in dialogue with gravity, I can make peace with all the symbolism that is unique to the risk and history of my Black, male body. With BANDALOOP, race fades, gender matters not, and my humanity is born again through a new collaborative spirit that makes me feel alive, aware and magical.”

Special thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts, City of Oakland, and the California Arts Council.

+++
BANDALOOP honors nature, community, and the human spirit through perspective-bending dance.

A pioneer in vertical performance, BANDALOOP seamlessly weaves dynamic physicality, intricate choreography and climbing technology to turn the dance floor on its side. Founded by Amelia Rudolph, BANDALOOP re-imagines dance, activates public spaces, and inspires wonder and imagination in audiences around the world. The company trains dancers and youth at home and on tour, and has performed for millions of people in over 22 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia, and on screens in films and digital media.

BANDALOOP is based in Oakland, CA, where the company creates work for its bi-annual home season and for touring performances presented around the globe each year. Education and outreach are also an intrinsic part of the company’s mission. In addition to its ongoing work with youth, BANDALOOP offers regular classes, camps, and intensives at its home studio and in the mountains, and team building programs for business executives.

Learn more: www.bandaloop.org

+++
Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) is a prolific and endlessly collaborative composer, performer, educator, and social entrepreneur. “About as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets” (New York Times), DBR has worked with artists from Philip Glass to Bill T. Jones to Lady Gaga; appeared on NPR, American Idol, and ESPN; and has collaborated with the Sydney Opera House and the City of Burlington, Vermont. Acclaimed as a violinist and activist, DBR’s career spans more than two decades, earning commissions by venerable artists and institutions worldwide.

Learn more: www.danielroumain.com

+++

Edited by Jessica Swanson.