Leticia E. Poole

A The minority activism network doesn’t believe an all-male dance troupe should be raked in the coals for its divisional costume, saying the context doesn’t make blackface attire “a racial thing.”

The Britannia Coconut Dancers received support from the Lancashire minority advocacy group BME Network after the John Morris Organization, the dancers’ parent company, decided the troupe could not continue to wear the costumes, part of which required the dancers to wear black face paint. LBN said the historical background shows the dancers’ blackened faces are not intended to be offensive, saying face painting is part of “a rich cultural tradition linked to Lancashire”.

“In the past, when I worked on similar topics, I never saw them as a racial thing at all,” said Jonathon Prasad, project manager for the network. Daily mail. “We think communities should come out and really ask questions about why people blackface.”

TEXAS CONGRESS CANDIDATE WESLEY HUNT WANTS TO BRING MORE DIVERSITY TO THE GOP

The JMO decided last year that its dance members would be required to stop darkening their faces because the paint “has the potential to cause deep injury.” The Britannia Coconut Dancers refused the JMO requirement and parted ways with the organization soon after.

While the exact origins of the troop’s costume are unclear, one theory Explain by Prasad argues that “the factory workers who were quite poor had to earn extra income, so one of the things they did was paint their faces black so their employers wouldn’t know that they dance for extra money, “adding that it is” also related to a whole pagan ritual also about not wanting to be attached to evil spirits. “

Other incidents around the world in which people have appeared publicly in blackface have drawn criticism. A staff member from an elementary school in the United States was put on leave last month after wearing blackface to work, and politicians such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam is facing calls to quit after photos were posted allegedly showing them in blackface years earlier.

The story continues

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Britannia coconut Dancers held her first performance since her split from JMO on Sunday, dancing in Lancashire for around five hours. Gavin McNulty, the troupe’s secretary, called the performance and audience participation “a big success.”

The Washington Examiner has contacted LBN, JMO and the dance group for comment.

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Key words: New, Dancing, Activism, the diversity, Race and diversity

Original author: Asher notheis

Original location: Raked on the coals: Minority activists defend a black-faced dance troupe inspired by British coal mining

For people with disabilities, the restrictions imposed by the pandemic may have been doubly difficult.

“The pandemic has isolated us all – once we get through that, a lot of us will come back to sort of normal,” said Andrea Johnston, who leads the All Abilities Dance Troupe with local dance teacher Tasha Bryant. “For people with disabilities, isolation can be a constant reality. Community bonds are vitally important to our health and well-being – to all of us. “

That’s why the All Abilities dance troupe is excited to host their first in-person class in October, after a year spent meeting only through Zoom.

Before COVID, the group ran classes every month at All Saints Anglican Church. When they had to switch to online classes, it was more difficult for leaders and dancers to engage.

“We’ve pivoted both literally and figuratively by running courses on Zoom,” Johnston said. “Then last fall there was a reprieve in the restrictions and we got together for an outdoor class. We were so happy to reconnect and dance. Then we were closed again.

As always, classes are free and welcome to anyone wishing to dance together, regardless of their level of dance skill.

“It’s for anyone who wants to get up and move their body together. We all have so much fun and spend half the time laughing, ”said Bryant. “It has been such a pleasant and enriching experience. I have made so many amazing relationships with people who come from different walks of life.

The next class will be on Friday, October 15 at 4 p.m., masked and physically distanced, in the courtyard of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts Studio across from River Mill Park.

The troop has been together, with members coming and going every year, for almost seven years. The group is made up of over 30 people of all skill levels who come together for the love of dancing and over the years have participated in many events in Huntsville.

Although they partner with Community Living Huntsville to bring their clients into the troop, the group has many non-disabled people including business owners, board members, teens and seniors.

The troupe is grateful for the support of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, Community Living Huntsville and the Muskoka Dance Academy.

Follow the All Abilities dance troupe Facebook page for updates on this event and future performance.

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In 2019, New City’s Jim Irwin asked Anne Archer Dennington, executive director of Flow projects, who coordinates temporary public art projects throughout the city – if she had any ideas to animate the then unfinished development of her business at 725 Ponce in Old Fourth Ward. Dennington had just the artistic treatment in mind: dancers suspended in mid-air, performing vertically on the building’s edge facing the Eastside BeltLine trail. she had just met Bandaloop, a California dance troupe that combines choreography and climbing technology to reinvent dance in the public realm, and Dennington figured the facade of 725 Ponce would serve as the perfect stage — turned sideways.

His vision is finally coming to fruition. From October 1 to 3, Flux Projects will be presented in preview FIELD, the second installment of LOOM, a national four-part series from Bandaloop. The series juxtaposes traditional fabric creation techniques with the socio-ecological impacts of the global fashion industry, which alone accounts for 20% of industrial water pollution.

“The textile industry is the second polluting industry in the world. With Atlanta, but more specifically the Old Fourth Ward, playing a role in the cotton trade, this event is site specific, ”says Dennington. It refers to O4W’s Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills, now the Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts, which made bags out of fabric and paper. What is now Studioplex was once a cotton warehouse, and the local railroad carried related products.

Transforming the building adjacent to BeltLine into a giant loom, FIELD’s stories – led by Bandaloop’s artistic director, Melecio Estrella, and told by a collective of dancers, textile artists and sustainability strategists – will pit the ecological challenges to the power of the fabric to hold, comforts and adorns the human experience.

“You are drawn to artists because there is an undercurrent. As you work together, weaving what is prevalent in their work with what is specific to the Atlanta site, you start to find those commonalities, and the piece kind of reveals itself, ”Dennington explains to About how the partnership with Bandaloop came together, then deepened and regenerated with the pause imposed by the pandemic. The installation was initially scheduled for 2020, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Flux Projects.

“I firmly believe that artists are connected to the messages and lessons that humanity needs to learn, and they are able to make them visible and communicate them in a way that a much larger audience can start to. to hear and understand at the right time. ,” she says.

“The thing with Bandaloop is that they do it in a way that is just spectacularly beautiful.”

This article appeared in our October 2021 issue.

A psychology graduate does her best to raise money for a Chester charity that works with people recovering from addiction.

Becca Lennard, a recent University of East Anglia graduate, will compete in the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday October 3 for the Fallen Angels Dance Theater.

The company in residence at Storyhouse is unique in the use of dance in the recovery process.

This is not Becca’s first marathon. Earlier this year, on lockdown, the 22-year-old ran a ‘virtual’ 26.2 mile challenge in Norwich on behalf of her varsity netball team to raise money for charity.

Becca’s Golden Bond spot at the Virgin London Marathon was made possible by the Chester Lions Club. She applied to run for Fallen Angels after studying the biological psychology behind drugs and the effective rehabilitation of offenders.

She said: “I can’t wait to put on my running shoes and take on this challenge. The Fallen Angels Dance Theater makes such a big difference in people’s lives in such a positive and expressive way, which in my opinion is truly inspiring.

Claire Morris, Executive Director of the Fallen Angels Dance Theater, said, “We are very grateful to Becca for taking on this huge challenge on behalf of Fallen Angels. She has already put so much effort into fundraising and the more she raises, the more people we can welcome into our recovery groups.

“Becca’s marathon challenge will make a real difference in people’s lives.”

The London Marathon usually takes place in April but has been canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2021 event has been postponed from April to October 3 due to continued containment.

To sponsor Becca and support the Fallen Angels Dance Theater, visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BeccaLennard.

The Fallen Angels Dance Theater (FADT) helps people recovering from addiction transform their lives and share the journey of recovery with the general public, through dance, performance and creativity.

The company supports a structured journey to enhance recovery through creative activities that promote wellness and inclusion in the recovery process.

Led by artistic director Paul Bayes Kitcher, the professional dance company offers a unique experience for dance audiences to meet works developed by artists in recovery.

Participants are at the heart of the work, sharing their stories in the R&D process and developing their dance skills in the workshop program. Auditions and professional company performances show how a creative intervention can bring about positive and lasting change in addiction recovery.

Since 2015, FADTs have performed at UK Recovery Walks every year. In 2018, they were finalists for the Working Partnership of the Association for Public Service Excellence Awards.

In 2018, they met and performed for the Queen and Duchess of Sussex. FADT also worked in residence at Tate Liverpool in response to the opening of the Keith Haring exhibition.

A contemporary dance company that took off during the pandemic is planning its first show in an unusual place.

The six members of the Meander Dance Company will take the stage at the South Whidbey State Park Amphitheater from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 3-5.

The new company started as a pilot project last spring when South End dancer and choreographer Beck Diamond posted a social media message asking if anyone would be interested in joining the creative project.

“I’ve always wanted to start a dance company and COVID has taken all of my work from me,” Diamond said.

To meander is to wander aimlessly. It’s a name that’s been chosen in part as a societal critic, as Diamond explained when people expect artists to do something for “the greater good.”

“For me, Meander is all about finding contentment and just enjoying and being where you are at and it doesn’t matter if you get better or more skilled at an activity, but that’s not necessarily the only reason. why we are doing it, ”the company founder said, adding that they saw the company as an“ anti-capitalist practice ”.

“I think in particular that people take dance for granted and don’t look at it the same way they look at, say, musicians and other artists, painters,” Diamond said. “I want people to understand that we are a professional company that is continually working on our craft.”

The company aims to offer dance performances in an accessible way. Meander’s first show in the woods will have a “pay what you can” model. If anyone has any accessibility issues about the show, Diamond said he’d like people to email [email protected].

“I don’t just want to be an elite company that you can only go to if you have $ 50 to pay to get in,” they said.

The dancers in the company come from all walks of life and skill levels, from classical trained at the Whidbey Island Dance Theater to beginner enthusiasts. Hunter Fox, one of Meander’s youngest members, was never technically trained but has been described as “a natural driver”.

“I was that person when I was younger and someone took a chance and let me be on a show. And that was it, then the next year I was choreographing, ”said Diamond. “When I see Hunter, I remember this youngster. He just brings a lot of positive energy to our rehearsals and I think he really adds to the dynamics of the group.

Diamond added that it is important for the entire community to have the opportunity to dance and perform if that is what is desired. Another goal of Meander is to eventually become a youth company, which would complement what already exists on the island for young dancers. Three children will perform as part of the dance company’s first show.

Juliana Brielle, another Meander member, said the new venture is inclusive for older generations who grew up dancing on Whidbey but now have children who might want to participate in the activity as well.

“It’s a total filling in the gap of something that was missing to be an adult and want to perform professionally,” she said.

Brielle starred as Clara in the Whidbey Island Dance Theater production “The Nutcracker” in 2009. She now has a daughter of her own who may one day also want to dance.

“It’s really exciting to be able to pull out of all the different aspects of dancing that Whidbey already has, such as with codified movement and free movement and improv contact, even part of the acro world,” Brielle said. .

The group has a GoFundMe fundraiser which can be found by searching for “Meander Dance Company”. Donations will help cover the costs of spaces the company plans to rent for future shows, such as the stage at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts.

But the beauty of the group is also its versatility.

“I can totally see us at the amphitheater in the woods, at WICA, on the beach, in an open field, on a basketball court,” Brielle said.

“We’re ready to meander anywhere,” Diamond joked.

A contemporary dance company that took off during the pandemic is planning its first show in an unusual place.

The six members of the Meander Dance Company will take the stage at the South Whidbey State Park Amphitheater from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 3-5.

The new company started as a pilot project last spring when South End dancer and choreographer Beck Diamond posted a social media message asking if anyone would be interested in joining the creative project.

“I’ve always wanted to start a dance company and COVID has taken all of my work from me,” Diamond said.

To meander is to wander aimlessly. It’s a name that’s been chosen in part as a societal critic, as Diamond explained when people expect artists to do something for “the greater good.”

“For me, Meander is all about finding contentment and just enjoying and being where you are at and it doesn’t matter if you get better or more skilled at an activity, but that’s not necessarily the only reason. why we are doing it, ”the company founder said, adding that they saw the company as an“ anti-capitalist practice ”.

“I think in particular that people take dance for granted and don’t look at it the same way they look at, say, musicians and other artists, painters,” Diamond said. “I want people to understand that we are a professional company that is continually working on our craft.”

The company aims to offer dance performances in an accessible way. Meander’s first show in the woods will have a “pay what you can” model. If anyone has accessibility issues about the show, Diamond has said they’d like people to email [email protected].

“I don’t just want to be an elite company that you can only go to if you have $ 50 to pay to get in,” they said.

The dancers in the company come from all walks of life and skill levels, from classical trained at the Whidbey Island Dance Theater to beginner enthusiasts. Hunter Fox, one of Meander’s younger members, was never technically trained but has been described as “a natural driver”.

“I was that person when I was younger and someone took a chance and let me be on a show. And that was it, then the next year I was choreographing, ”said Diamond. “When I see Hunter, I remember this youngster. He just brings a lot of positive energy to our rehearsals and I think he really adds to the dynamics of the group.

Diamond added that it is important for the entire community to have the opportunity to dance and perform if that is what is desired. Another goal of Meander is to eventually become a youth company, which would complement what already exists on the island for young dancers. Three children will perform as part of the dance company’s first show.

Juliana Brielle, another Meander member, said the new venture is inclusive for older generations who grew up dancing on Whidbey but now have children who might want to participate in the activity as well.

“It’s a total filling in the gap of something that was missing to be an adult and want to perform professionally,” she said.

Brielle starred as Clara in the Whidbey Island Dance Theater production “The Nutcracker” in 2009. She now has a daughter of her own who may one day also want to dance.

“It’s really exciting to be able to pull out of all the different aspects of dancing that Whidbey already has, such as with codified movement and free movement and improv contact, even part of the acro world,” Brielle said. .

The group has a GoFundMe fundraiser which can be found by searching for “Meander Dance Company”. Donations will help cover the costs of spaces the company plans to rent for future shows, such as the stage at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts.

But the beauty of the group is also its versatility.

“I can totally see us at the amphitheater in the woods, at WICA, on the beach, in an open field, on a basketball court,” Brielle said.

“We’re ready to meander anywhere,” Diamond joked.