So began an extraordinary journey last night at Harlem Stage when, to a SOLD OUT house, we launched the visible/invisible newly commissioned work of choreographers Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Nora Chipaumire. With and ensemble of 10 dancers and guest artist Pyeng Threadgill, they took the first bold step into this new work and with it, invited audiences to respond and to join them in this two year journey from inception to completion. It tells the story of Harlem, it takes its inspiration from Tony Morrison’s novel, Jazz, and Jacob Lawrence’s Migration series depicting the journey north of African Americans in the early part of the 20th century. And it will be inspired by emerging stories of immigration, migration, community, urban struggle and joy. Your stories.
It’s an understatement to say the work last night was bold, stirring and full of evocative imagery. Just listening to the feedback from the audience we knew that with this first look at the work they had struck out on a rich terrain of ideas and entered into a conversation that we want to continue here and through to the next stages of its development.
If you were here last night, we invite you to take this blog platform as a way to respond to the work. Tell us what you felt and thought, what came up for you as you witnessed this unfolding work.
If you weren’t here, we invite you now to start the journey with us. Tell us your story. visible/invisible is about Harlem, it’s about Jazz, it’s about migration. Where did you come from? Where did your people come from? What happened when you arrived in this metropolis, in this community? What does it mean to you today? What do you think of when you hear jazz? What do you think of when you walk down the streets of Harlem, of New York City?
~ Brad