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HAT Co Dance Ensemble Field Trip: Anthony Williams’ Dress/Tech
October 16, 2014 @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
By invitation only
HAT Co’s core dancers have an opportunity to observe a dress/tech rehearsal for Anthony Williams’ performance of Loving Black. The rehearsal will take place a few blocks away at the Alloy Studios on Penn Avenue. We will go to the rehearsal instead of dance class that evening (Thursday, Oct 16). Pick up will be at the Alloy Studios at 8 pm. Here is information about the performance.
Hope Academy teaching artist, Anthony Williams, presents Loving Black, as part of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s Fresh Works series. This new dance performance is about the complicated love between African American men. The project examines past and present representations of black male identities to inspire a dialogue about the diversity of expressions.
Loving Black is a personal work created by Anthony Williams. It is about identity, race and sexuality; and it does include content suitable for more mature audiences. This description should help parents/guardians decide if their teen should attend the rehearsal and/or performance:
In this work, four men explore intimacy, sensitivity, and colorism as they move through the process of redefining their projected identities. The piece begins with historic references to the Willie Lynch letter as well as an excerpt from Malcolm X’s “You Can’t Hate The Roots of A Tree” speech. Another excerpt, from Mark Gonzales’ “As With Most Men,” a spoken word piece about the fear of male intimacy, uses the F-word. The dancers change costumes onstage, so there is some partial, but not genital, nudity. Projected images are used throughout the piece to illustrate the derogatory way our culture describes and defines masculinity.
Language – Mild to moderate use of profanity
Sexual Content – Non-explicit depictions of sexual behavior, possibly including partial nudity
Sexual Themes – References to sex or sexuality
Suggestive Themes – Mild provocative references or materials
Violent References – References to violent acts
About Anthony Williams:
Anthony Williams is a resident teaching artist at Kelly Strayhorn Theater who recently presented his work Identity at KST’s newMoves Contemporary Dance Festival 2013. He has performed with Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble, Texture Contemporary Ballet, and Ballet Chicago. Anthony has studied with a range of master teachers and choreographers including Terrence Greene, Nathan Trice, Ray Mercer, Christopher Huggins, and former KST artists-in-residence Sidra Bell and 2013 MacArthur Fellow Kyle Abraham. Anthony continues his journey in Pittsburgh as a freelance dance artist.
About Fresh Works:
Fresh Works is KST’s month-long creative learning program for Pittsburgh-based artists. The program provides artists with production support, lighting and sound design, and 80 hours at The Alloy Studios to research, explore, play, and finally share a work-in-progress performance. Fresh Works debuted in 2013 and, so far, this residency incubator has benefited seven lead artists.
Funding for Loving Black was provided by the Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Fund, a partnership of the Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments. Additional support was provided by Artist Opportunity Grant through the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
Photo by Anna Malguina (St. Petersburg, Russia)