Lissa Kryska interviewed MFA alum, Rodney A. Brown. Brown set an inspiring work on dancers Honora Wood, Sumi Matsumoto, Caty Raupp, Ashley Manci, Hannah Schon, Deanna Tomasetta, Kula Batangan, and Lissa. The piece is called Garden's Things.
What inspired your piece?
“I was inspired by a few different ideas and images, but they all come from a regard for storytelling; as an artist, I like to tell stories. Garden’s Things has biblical roots, with the garden of Gethsemane and Jesus’ agony in the garden, which is a Christian phenomenon. The repeated gesture of hands pressed and cupping the ear, is as if listening for the Master Gardner. It also has roots in African-American folklore (Virginia Hamilton’s The People Could Fly). I didn’t want to follow any particular story literally, but the vibrant images of these narratives ideas sparked my imagination. Other inspiration came from the dancers-their individual sensibilities within their form and movement. I engaged the provocative movement [found from the dancers]; this inspired Garden’s Things as well. All of this lends to reflecting the individuality of all creatures who reside in my garden.”
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at U of M?
“ This is a difficult question… I remember the first day that I interviewed and auditioned, I was of course nervous. That next year I had a conversation with Judy Rice, and she commented on my work ethic. And that was a really important moment for me. I’d been pushing really hard, and she was one of the first people at U of M to say to me, ‘I see the work that you’re doing, it’s important and keep doing it.’ A wonderful moment for me.”
What was doing your MFA show like?
“I refer to this process as ‘remarkable insanity.’ I had had opportunities to create works on main-stage before; but this time there was a different sense of accomplishment, it was the culminating performance of my two years. I traveled to South Africa to expand the research I was doing in Ann Arbor, commissioned a poet to create work, had mentors supporting the process (the program featured a written forward by U of M faculty Dr. Dwight Fontenot and preface by Debbie Blunden-Diggs, Artistic Director of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company) and a host of others who acted as a soundboard—shared insight and critique. It is encouraging to have that kind of support.
For A Wider Lens, [title of the MFA show] I created two pieces:
To: Our Tomorrow, my group work, acted as a breathing letter to black women living with HIV. The solo work entitled I am One, is about civil war soldiers, it was inspired by Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s When Dey ‘Listed Colored Soldiers. For me, it invoked images of acceptance and breaking boundaries. The majority of the solo is danced in a small square, and at its end, the dancer finds courage to become ‘one among the many’ and leaves the square. It was very powerful for me. As I look back, it seems kind of prophetic.”
Do you have any advice for budding choreographers?
“To view art! To be encouraged by seeing work. I also think it’s important to do your own thing; acknowledge the instructors and others you rely on for advice and insight, but remember that they have their own ideas about what art is and what it can/should look like. I say, if you believe in it as a choreographer, you should go with it, even if you don’t always know why or have the language to articulate it; be intentional and trust your instincts. Don’t be so tied to the acceptance or critique of others—if you like it and it’s important to you, then that should be enough. Don’t be afraid to change or offer a new voice to the game. I know… easier said than done. I am working on this myself”
What are you most proud of having accomplished since graduating?
“Obviously securing employment [Santa Fe College] after graduating is an accomplishment. But I would have to say my greatest is continuing to grow, and staying the course despite all the bumps, roadblocks, and alleyways. Sometimes, simply putting one foot in front of the other to step can be the most terrifying thing.” What are your plans for the future?
“I’m joining the dance faculty at The Ohio State University in the fall, which I know will give way to some great opportunities. I also want to work on vivifying the legacy of Jeraldyne Blunden [founder of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company]. Mostly, I plan to keep growing, continuing to make my art. I am open!”
If you could dance in any piece or company, past or present, who/what
would you choose?
“I would like to dance in the ballet Vespers, an all woman’s work choreographed by Ulysses Dove. Dove was paramount in showing me the intensity that could be found in movement. Seeing this dance onstage is stunning, but to witness dancers in the studio negotiating the material is profound. The movement is so crisp, emotional, unaffected and frankly: damn hard. I would love the challenge. While I haven’t met him- Dove died of an AIDS related illness in 1996- my dance mothers worked closely with him, were inspired by him and passed his legacy and spirit down. I still hear their voices in my ear as I instruct my classes. Those words are now a part of my pedagogy; treasures passed to them from Dove.
I would also like to perform as a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (AAADT)- not the sizable institution we have come to know - but the 60’s and 70’s Ailey Company. A young black choreographer/artist, I often feel as if I am playing a part for which I have no script. How did Ailey become AILEY?! We forget that the AAADT wasn’t always critically acclaimed, that his life as an artist was challenged by particular adversities and racism in the world including dance (see Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey. With A. Peter Bailey). Sadly, I still see a lot of the same things today in 2012. Context is important for me- reclaiming our parent’s gardens; I like the idea of being in the space as Ailey’s formidable works were etched. How great would that be? I am deeply interested in understanding more of my histories in modern dance- what a place to start.”
What made you decide to start the Brown Dance Project?
“ I had an urgency to not only create more but to create about the individuals, stories, perspectives and humanity that impact my world. I was performing with DCDC at the time and there simply weren’t enough outlets for me to make dances. Encouraged by my teachers, colleagues and friends, I started the BDP. It basically started there; these artists believed in my vision and encouraged me to go for it. They still do, even when the funds are small or nonexistent. Much has changed since then [2006] and like me, the BDP is constantly growing, in search of realizing its full potential and purpose.”
In our rehearsals, we used the beat of a random song- Super Bass- to set
some of our movement. On the first day we also started out dancing to music by Drake, and you would say, “Drake’s gonna tell us what to do next.” Do you often find inspiration in random places like that? Is it usually music or just anything at all?
“[With Super Bass] I was trying to solve a problem. I knew that I wanted a set of gestures, what I didn’t want to do was create them engaging my ‘normal’ rhythmic sensibility. We were nearing the end [of the dance], and I wanted to change that dynamic. I was interested in your [the dancer’s] sense of rhythm and phrasing, it was a song that most of you knew, so I used that as a springboard. As for the Drake song Karaoke, I often play music I’m not creating to in order to come up with movement; artists like Drake, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Coldplay, Erykah Badu, Little Dragon, and J Dilla inspire and open me to different movement/rhythmic ideas. Besides that, the Karaoke lyrics put me in a particular ‘mood.’ ‘Does the spotlight make you nervous? If you’re looking for a purpose.’ It takes me there. I also use it to get the dancers’ attention. It seems to work.”Can you tell us a little about your trips to South Africa with POA?
“A rich experience! It began when I took Homophobia in the Black World, a course at U of M, and Dr. Nesha Haniff [who taught the class] required us to perceive the world differently. Next thing I knew she asked me to enroll in Women’s Studies/CASS 441, which prepares students for the trip to South Africa. Dr. Haniff chooses the students through an application process, and when she invited me on the trip as a grad student, I thought, ‘What a wonderful opportunity.’ Dr. Haniff’s Pedagogy of Action program attracts individuals interested in empowerment methodologies and is built on the premise of empowering ordinary people to take control of their own problems... in this case HIV.
During my first trip in 2007, we traveled to the University of Zululand and the Black South African townships of Cato Crest and Cato Manor to teach a module of HIV prevention developed by Professor Haniff. The POA module is a 15-minute presentation that is given orally, and designed to be accessible to individuals who cannot read or write. The module thoroughly explains the complex scientific processes of our bodies in a way that is straightforward and makes sense. It covers details of HIV/AIDS, our immune system, transmission, prevention, and reduction of stigma— all through the analysis of acronyms and the spirit of storytelling. Unlike many slogan campaigns, the module discusses why specific prevention strategies work, rather than simply saying to use them. Broad slogans and communicade are clarified. Love, Understanding, Caring, and Kindness are deeply involved in the explanation of prevention of HIV/AIDS. Learners are given tools to discern transmission myths and make their own decisions about keeping themselves healthy. We were involved in situations where all individuals were treated as intellectual wholes despite their formal or informal educations, turning the command of education on its side. Because this is often the first time people realize that they are capable of owning such complex knowledge it can be very empowering to both learn and teach this pedagogy; though, what I am finding most interesting about these experiences is the anchor that narrative and storytelling are providing to my creative aesthetic. The POA program is also shaping because it provides a space to have these particular experiences.
I returned to South Africa to further my work through the POA at the University of Johannesburg in 2009. We also visited other countries on the continent. Again, it was a rich experience!”How do you use dance as a tool for advocacy, especially with regards to
HIV/AIDS? When I watched the video dance from the Brown Dance Project website, The Sound of a Feeling, it was very powerful for me, especially to hear the text when the woman speaks about living through some of the initial HIV outbreaks. I had never heard it that way before.
“ I believe you addressed this inside your question. You mentioned that ‘You’d never heard it that way’ and that’s exactly it. You are not the only one who hasn’t heard this perspective of the male dancer or HIV. It is a source of history. The text for the work, taken from a conversation with a dance artist who grew up in New York City in the 1980’s, reflected her experiences as a student and budding dancer. She speaks not of the sexiness or commercialism of HIV/AIDS, but of her male teachers who she watched die with little or no notice. My hope is that there will be a cure available for HIV/AIDS soon. But the questions are, when the dust settles and the glamour of it all dims: what will we remember of this time and our past? Who will tell the stories for individuals who don’t get their names printed in The New York Times? Are those the only names we’ll collectively remember because of record? I hope not. I want people to know that there was an Aaron Dugger and a Blaine Evans. And while their names may not be on as many lips as those as acclaimed as Alvin Ailey or Ulysses Dove, they too have made innumerable contributions and touched our world just the same.”
“I was inspired by a few different ideas and images, but they all come from a regard for storytelling; as an artist, I like to tell stories. Garden’s Things has biblical roots, with the garden of Gethsemane and Jesus’ agony in the garden, which is a Christian phenomenon. The repeated gesture of hands pressed and cupping the ear, is as if listening for the Master Gardner. It also has roots in African-American folklore (Virginia Hamilton’s The People Could Fly). I didn’t want to follow any particular story literally, but the vibrant images of these narratives ideas sparked my imagination. Other inspiration came from the dancers-their individual sensibilities within their form and movement. I engaged the provocative movement [found from the dancers]; this inspired Garden’s Things as well. All of this lends to reflecting the individuality of all creatures who reside in my garden.”
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at U of M?
“ This is a difficult question… I remember the first day that I interviewed and auditioned, I was of course nervous. That next year I had a conversation with Judy Rice, and she commented on my work ethic. And that was a really important moment for me. I’d been pushing really hard, and she was one of the first people at U of M to say to me, ‘I see the work that you’re doing, it’s important and keep doing it.’ A wonderful moment for me.”
What was doing your MFA show like?
“I refer to this process as ‘remarkable insanity.’ I had had opportunities to create works on main-stage before; but this time there was a different sense of accomplishment, it was the culminating performance of my two years. I traveled to South Africa to expand the research I was doing in Ann Arbor, commissioned a poet to create work, had mentors supporting the process (the program featured a written forward by U of M faculty Dr. Dwight Fontenot and preface by Debbie Blunden-Diggs, Artistic Director of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company) and a host of others who acted as a soundboard—shared insight and critique. It is encouraging to have that kind of support.
For A Wider Lens, [title of the MFA show] I created two pieces:
To: Our Tomorrow, my group work, acted as a breathing letter to black women living with HIV. The solo work entitled I am One, is about civil war soldiers, it was inspired by Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s When Dey ‘Listed Colored Soldiers. For me, it invoked images of acceptance and breaking boundaries. The majority of the solo is danced in a small square, and at its end, the dancer finds courage to become ‘one among the many’ and leaves the square. It was very powerful for me. As I look back, it seems kind of prophetic.”
Do you have any advice for budding choreographers?
“To view art! To be encouraged by seeing work. I also think it’s important to do your own thing; acknowledge the instructors and others you rely on for advice and insight, but remember that they have their own ideas about what art is and what it can/should look like. I say, if you believe in it as a choreographer, you should go with it, even if you don’t always know why or have the language to articulate it; be intentional and trust your instincts. Don’t be so tied to the acceptance or critique of others—if you like it and it’s important to you, then that should be enough. Don’t be afraid to change or offer a new voice to the game. I know… easier said than done. I am working on this myself”
What are you most proud of having accomplished since graduating?
“Obviously securing employment [Santa Fe College] after graduating is an accomplishment. But I would have to say my greatest is continuing to grow, and staying the course despite all the bumps, roadblocks, and alleyways. Sometimes, simply putting one foot in front of the other to step can be the most terrifying thing.” What are your plans for the future?
“I’m joining the dance faculty at The Ohio State University in the fall, which I know will give way to some great opportunities. I also want to work on vivifying the legacy of Jeraldyne Blunden [founder of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company]. Mostly, I plan to keep growing, continuing to make my art. I am open!”
If you could dance in any piece or company, past or present, who/what
would you choose?
“I would like to dance in the ballet Vespers, an all woman’s work choreographed by Ulysses Dove. Dove was paramount in showing me the intensity that could be found in movement. Seeing this dance onstage is stunning, but to witness dancers in the studio negotiating the material is profound. The movement is so crisp, emotional, unaffected and frankly: damn hard. I would love the challenge. While I haven’t met him- Dove died of an AIDS related illness in 1996- my dance mothers worked closely with him, were inspired by him and passed his legacy and spirit down. I still hear their voices in my ear as I instruct my classes. Those words are now a part of my pedagogy; treasures passed to them from Dove.
I would also like to perform as a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (AAADT)- not the sizable institution we have come to know - but the 60’s and 70’s Ailey Company. A young black choreographer/artist, I often feel as if I am playing a part for which I have no script. How did Ailey become AILEY?! We forget that the AAADT wasn’t always critically acclaimed, that his life as an artist was challenged by particular adversities and racism in the world including dance (see Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey. With A. Peter Bailey). Sadly, I still see a lot of the same things today in 2012. Context is important for me- reclaiming our parent’s gardens; I like the idea of being in the space as Ailey’s formidable works were etched. How great would that be? I am deeply interested in understanding more of my histories in modern dance- what a place to start.”
What made you decide to start the Brown Dance Project?
“ I had an urgency to not only create more but to create about the individuals, stories, perspectives and humanity that impact my world. I was performing with DCDC at the time and there simply weren’t enough outlets for me to make dances. Encouraged by my teachers, colleagues and friends, I started the BDP. It basically started there; these artists believed in my vision and encouraged me to go for it. They still do, even when the funds are small or nonexistent. Much has changed since then [2006] and like me, the BDP is constantly growing, in search of realizing its full potential and purpose.”
In our rehearsals, we used the beat of a random song- Super Bass- to set
some of our movement. On the first day we also started out dancing to music by Drake, and you would say, “Drake’s gonna tell us what to do next.” Do you often find inspiration in random places like that? Is it usually music or just anything at all?
“[With Super Bass] I was trying to solve a problem. I knew that I wanted a set of gestures, what I didn’t want to do was create them engaging my ‘normal’ rhythmic sensibility. We were nearing the end [of the dance], and I wanted to change that dynamic. I was interested in your [the dancer’s] sense of rhythm and phrasing, it was a song that most of you knew, so I used that as a springboard. As for the Drake song Karaoke, I often play music I’m not creating to in order to come up with movement; artists like Drake, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Coldplay, Erykah Badu, Little Dragon, and J Dilla inspire and open me to different movement/rhythmic ideas. Besides that, the Karaoke lyrics put me in a particular ‘mood.’ ‘Does the spotlight make you nervous? If you’re looking for a purpose.’ It takes me there. I also use it to get the dancers’ attention. It seems to work.”Can you tell us a little about your trips to South Africa with POA?
“A rich experience! It began when I took Homophobia in the Black World, a course at U of M, and Dr. Nesha Haniff [who taught the class] required us to perceive the world differently. Next thing I knew she asked me to enroll in Women’s Studies/CASS 441, which prepares students for the trip to South Africa. Dr. Haniff chooses the students through an application process, and when she invited me on the trip as a grad student, I thought, ‘What a wonderful opportunity.’ Dr. Haniff’s Pedagogy of Action program attracts individuals interested in empowerment methodologies and is built on the premise of empowering ordinary people to take control of their own problems... in this case HIV.
During my first trip in 2007, we traveled to the University of Zululand and the Black South African townships of Cato Crest and Cato Manor to teach a module of HIV prevention developed by Professor Haniff. The POA module is a 15-minute presentation that is given orally, and designed to be accessible to individuals who cannot read or write. The module thoroughly explains the complex scientific processes of our bodies in a way that is straightforward and makes sense. It covers details of HIV/AIDS, our immune system, transmission, prevention, and reduction of stigma— all through the analysis of acronyms and the spirit of storytelling. Unlike many slogan campaigns, the module discusses why specific prevention strategies work, rather than simply saying to use them. Broad slogans and communicade are clarified. Love, Understanding, Caring, and Kindness are deeply involved in the explanation of prevention of HIV/AIDS. Learners are given tools to discern transmission myths and make their own decisions about keeping themselves healthy. We were involved in situations where all individuals were treated as intellectual wholes despite their formal or informal educations, turning the command of education on its side. Because this is often the first time people realize that they are capable of owning such complex knowledge it can be very empowering to both learn and teach this pedagogy; though, what I am finding most interesting about these experiences is the anchor that narrative and storytelling are providing to my creative aesthetic. The POA program is also shaping because it provides a space to have these particular experiences.
I returned to South Africa to further my work through the POA at the University of Johannesburg in 2009. We also visited other countries on the continent. Again, it was a rich experience!”How do you use dance as a tool for advocacy, especially with regards to
HIV/AIDS? When I watched the video dance from the Brown Dance Project website, The Sound of a Feeling, it was very powerful for me, especially to hear the text when the woman speaks about living through some of the initial HIV outbreaks. I had never heard it that way before.
“ I believe you addressed this inside your question. You mentioned that ‘You’d never heard it that way’ and that’s exactly it. You are not the only one who hasn’t heard this perspective of the male dancer or HIV. It is a source of history. The text for the work, taken from a conversation with a dance artist who grew up in New York City in the 1980’s, reflected her experiences as a student and budding dancer. She speaks not of the sexiness or commercialism of HIV/AIDS, but of her male teachers who she watched die with little or no notice. My hope is that there will be a cure available for HIV/AIDS soon. But the questions are, when the dust settles and the glamour of it all dims: what will we remember of this time and our past? Who will tell the stories for individuals who don’t get their names printed in The New York Times? Are those the only names we’ll collectively remember because of record? I hope not. I want people to know that there was an Aaron Dugger and a Blaine Evans. And while their names may not be on as many lips as those as acclaimed as Alvin Ailey or Ulysses Dove, they too have made innumerable contributions and touched our world just the same.”
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