Ballet Afrique Contemporary Dance, choreography by Leah Smiley Tubbs Preview 3/11/10 Salvage Vanguard Theater
“Through the Silence” dancer Danielle Martin, music Booka Shade
Palms spread on side of rock face. Body bundle builds, broad stride, large roll. Enter freefall, tall still, spun wilderness, spun into warbled threads of bread. Fleeting eyes spreading yarns armed with elbowed pleas.
Spread bold yarns, told through toes into rolled threads passed beyond. Tales told brushed across forearms and bottoms of feet. New born cloth run, threaded, and bundled.
“At Play” danced by Company, music Bobbie McFerrin
Sister Sister, oogoogah wa bah. Sister Sister, bah bah oogawa boobahwa Sister Sister, Hop plop straddle rattle prattle, not to settle, not a saddle, Sister Sister hide a gaggle, glide to spec-tacle, Whee a raffle. Sister Sister Lather gallop, ripple back, flying knees, shina slap a mattle, Sister Sister Mamma shees, fall and giggle, kickie slapping napping rolling crawling, Whee Mamma come play with me.
“Thoughts of You” dancers Stacey Baldon, Danielle Martin, Leah Tubbs, music Ahn Trio
Three voices meet around an arabic campfire. Three pairs of eyes stare straight into the flames. Each brave body comes from the ends of the earth. All songs sung right here. All visions flung, all dances begun, all courage to see right here, right here, right here.
In one voice, one body, pelican perfection meets choppy waves for the catch. In voice two, one body, propeller spins desert air reaching for flight. In voice three, one body, funky forest sounds capture ear, heart, imagination. All songs sung, all bodies flung right here, right here, right here.
“Circles” dancers Sade Jones, Stacey Baldon, Danielle Martin, Adrianna Ray, music Bobby McFerrin
LOOOk ooah, spin me into the shooom, show me the truth, LOOOk ooah, show me falling into the sheenda. Ooah, confidence, balancing here. Show me turning my head to the light, turning my head looking into the night floor.
Splash me into a yoga sunrise. Careen me flat into an arabic carpet. Spread my back carved into a mosque calling. Stop action my knees bending into water.
“Reset” dancer Stacey Baldon, music Moby
Deepest night, sleep disturbed, twisted limbs bristled twigs, sprouting then retreating deep into nutrient earth before sending standing shoots seeking cliffs edge with toes. Crackling icy winds, reaching precipice, spreaded wings hide eyes in the cross hairs of life.
Deepest blinding night, bamboo bent takes the blast, crashing into the cracks of the earth. Only toes can find the heels to guide ascent and descent. Only bamboo can rattle enough, shaking arms to break free so that spine can speak.
“Nina Remixed” danced by Company, music Nina Simone
Break the spell of history’s kneeling bell. Nina’s flowering culture captivating new nurture. Swan shoulders beat below sweet sun’s heat. Each succulent pulse surges beyond mammas and poppas rowing below decks hiding tears for suffering children.
Afrique’s throbbing gaze, vigilant species on journey’s return into the heart of God’s loving palms. Slowly spreading toes forever extending legs to break open the horizons beyond the sea’s edge. Committed grooves brush aside fears, kick the sides of earth, finding life rustling out of tight rib cages, shattering old vocabularies swung from trees and leaping through broken twig nights.
Nina Simone bursts through to the other side of love taking us with her. Smooth ocean velvet raisins into the spinning sunshine, finding the ripples to touch foot palms. Fresh lines of horizons bleeding sweet blood spreading tartness of butter on life’s swinging hips, spinning the long awaited breeze into the stillness of new seas, fathoms deep willing to receive.
Boom chi chi chi ah. From deep forests, from long deserts, from mountains, and sea shores. Drums sing. Gut speaks. Thighs bend. Pelvic thrusts. Toes come under solid frame. Woman of reaching. Woman of seething. Woman of standing. Woman of commanding, all turn together and sing their bodies through their very bones.
Music takes me for a walk on these lonely streets, yes my elbows choose their own way, my rotating arms state what finally needs to be said. I stand. I see. Yes, I swing into the power of the heartful falling seasons. Now I look into the spring within me where I am not hurt, where I feel my toes under me.
Right from my heart, I give everything I’ve got. From here I see. From here I open my heart.
