“There are several different pieces on the show, but the most important work is titled ‘Burning Air’,” Shapiro & Smith artistic director Joanie Smith said in a recent phone interview.

Smith explained that the play is “loosely based” on the Great Hinckley (Minn.) Fire of 1894. In one particularly evocative scene, the dance is intended to portray people standing in about 18 inches of water, alongside of local cattle and wild animals all seeking refuge from the surrounding flames.

“These images are very powerful for us,” Smith said.

“It was literally a firestorm,” Smith said of that 1894 fire, which burned 350,000 acres – over 400 square miles – of forest land and claimed the lives of more than 415 men, women. and children as well as countless pets, livestock and wildlife.

Smith also noted that the exact number of people who died in that fire was still unknown, as during this time period, Native American lives lost were not counted in the official tally.

Smith said she and some of her fellow dancers thought the timing of this piece was particularly appropriate, with the recent wildfires in Canada sending unpleasantly smoky air through Minnesota at various times this summer, as well as the more recent fire that sent clouds of black smoke across downtown Detroit Lakes last Friday.

While undoubtedly tragic, said Smith, the play “Burning Air” is also meant to evoke emotions of hope and faith. Other pieces performed during the two-hour show will evoke romance, inspiration and even comedy.

“There’s this unique piece, called ‘Shirt’ … it’s about a bunch of men negotiating and busting about for a bunch of shirts,” Smith said, adding that the performance was intentionally humorous. . “It was totally inspired by my dogs.”

Smith explained that her three dogs were known to fight and argue over a toy they didn’t even notice until she picked it up and called attention to it. “It’s really, really funny.”

In another more poignant piece, titled “To Have and To Hold,” the dancers evoke a sense of romance and what it really means to lose a loved one. Although it was choreographed by Smith and her husband, Danial Shapiro, several years earlier, the play took on special significance after her death from cancer in 2006 at the age of 48.

“It’s about trying to grab hold of the important people in your life and hold on to them,” she said, adding, “We miss him so much.”

Although they will only do one show at the theater during the trip, the dancers of Smith’s troupe will actually be in Detroit Lakes for several days this week, working with dancers from Northern Lights Dance of Frazee and Summit Dance of Detroit Lakes as well as seniors from the Silver Sneakers program at Ecumen Detroit Lakes and the Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center, as well as the Lakes Crisis & Resource Center.

“It’s the kind of thing we really love to do,” Smith said of their outreach work; their appearance at the Holmes Theater, as well as outreach programs, are funded by a touring grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, she added.

If you are going to

What: Shapiro & Smith dance

When: Thursday September 16, 7:30 p.m.

Or: Historic Holmes Theater, 806 Summit Ave., Detroit Lakes

How? ‘Or’ What: Tickets cost $ 15 for adults, $ 7.50 for students and can be purchased by calling the Holmes Box Office at 218-844-7469 or by reserving your seats online at dlccc.org/holmes-theatre.html.

With the New York skyline as a backdrop, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Closes Weehawken’s summer concerts on the Hudson series this Friday.

The free event at Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center tackles a heavy subject: the pandemic. Don’t worry, however, it won’t be a depressing evening.

“Shadow Force” is a 25-minute dance featuring six dancers reacting “differently to the isolation situation and those feelings translated into movement,” Chen told NJ Advance Media. “I think there are unknown forces we are facing right now – the isolation of the division and the insecurity.”

The dancers working together “imagine that love and connection will help us and come out of the shadows with struggles,” she adds.

Performing during sunset should add a special touch to the show which, weather permitting, starts at 7pm.

“You will see the light change with the sunset as the background continually shifts completely in the dark and only sees the light on the dancers on stage,” Chen explains. “Visually, it will be beautiful and dramatic. “

The 90-minute performance, which features Chen’s signature steps of traditional Chinese dance mixed with modern dance, includes other numbers evoking different moods, including joy.

“I’m going to open with a dance called ‘Raindrops’, a really beautiful female quartet,” Chen says. “I like the evening to have something pleasant and sweet. I don’t want that pain. I want to show light and hope.

“Raindrops” was triggered by memories of Chen’s childhood in northern Taiwan, where it rains frequently. She describes this dance as soft and playful and leads to “Shadow Force”. The evening ends with “Emissary of Light”, a solo.

Chen won’t play. At 61, she describes herself as semi-retired but continues to teach and choreograph. Like so many dancers, Chen first entered a dance class at the age of 4.

She studied traditional Chinese dance and later Western forms, including modern dance. At 18, Chen was on tour, and at 22, he emigrated from Taiwan after earning a BFA in dance at Taiwan University of Chinese Culture.

At NYU, she earned a master’s degree in dance education. Decades ago, she and her husband decided to make New Jersey their home.

“I need personal space,” Chen explains. “Across the river, I heard sirens all the time. As an artist, I need space. I need to hear the birds. I went through New Jersey, and I can see birds, trees. We have deer in the yard. And as an artist, I could think, I could create.

The company is in residence at University of the City of New Jersey in Jersey City. During the pandemic, Chen worked with dancers on Zoom.

As the performance at Weehawken marks the end of the summer concert season on the Hudson, Nai-Ni Dance Chen Dance Company is also performing at Montclair on Saturday at Dance party on the lawn.

She is delighted to give the free concerts.

“Dancing is still not as popular as music, movies, and sports,” Chen acknowledges. “Sport is number one in this country. For me, as a dancing person, I would like to have the whole world to enjoy dancing. I am a messenger. I want to keep playing and representing my work around the world. While it is free, it is accessible to everyone. It is no longer the elite.

When she visited the Hudson River Performing Arts Center, Chen liked to see families “watch the shows and get together as a family.” This neighborhood is very diverse, and you see all kinds of people, and they all come together for that. And what can be more powerful to bring family and all the arts together? “

After a year and a half, which has seen the horrific increase in hate crimes against Asians, Chen notes that she came to America because she historically embraced immigrants. In 40 years in the United States, she had never witnessed such a division. By presenting the dance, she hopes to foster cultural understanding.

“In a performance, you see how different countries come together, and it can cross cultural boundaries, and when it’s beautiful, people forget the difference,” Chen says. “They don’t look at me, ‘Oh, you’re Asian.’ Dancing is universal, and when you express it as a human, it doesn’t matter where you come from.

“Shadow Force”, performed by the Nai-Ni Chen dance company

Friday at 7 p.m.

Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center, 1200 Harbor Blvd, Weehawken

Free entry, bring a chair or blanket

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Jacqueline Cutler can be contacted at [email protected]. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Afrika stage! will play ‘Drumfolk’ in Hancher after a week of community engagement with UI students and other groups.

In 1739, 20 enslaved Africans in the American colony of South Carolina used their drums to start a revolt against their slave owners. This campaign for freedom, known as the Stono Rebellion, caused widespread apprehension within the British American colonies and met with the Negro Act of 1740. This act severely restricted the expression of African slaves and prohibited their use. of the drum.

This Saturday at Hancher, Step Afrika! will tell the story of the Stono Rebellion and the Negro Act of 1740 through a theatrical experience called Drum. For Jakari Sherman, director of Drum and percussionist for Step Afrika!, the show is a story of recovery.

The dance troupe performs steps, a form of percussive dance that began to develop after enslaved Africans could no longer use the drums to communicate. The dance style is practiced by historically black fraternities and sororities.

“We have the opportunity to present the history of stepping – which is our favorite tradition to play – but through this history we are able to see a lot of the use of drums in the show and the introduction of a lot of early African American percussion traditions, ”Sherman said.

Some of those traditions include the hambone, the ring cry, and more recent contemporary footsteps, Sherman said.

“I really love the journey we are taking through this story and all the different shapes you see along this path,” he said.

Because Drum explores a very specific facet of American history, Step Afrika! Founder and Executive Director C. Brian Williams recommended viewers read both the Stono Rebellion of 1739 and the Negro Act of 1740 before the show.

“This truly fascinating piece of legislation, drafted by American settlers – of what was then the colony of South Carolina before the actual formation of the country – raises questions about the manifestations and history of social injustice in the country.” Williams said. “It also raises questions about how we respond to social injustice.”

In the case of the Negro Act of 1740, instead of creating more freedoms for African slaves, the settlers tried to suppress their freedom even more. Freedom is what enslaved Africans fought against in the Stono Rebellion of 1739, and it is an ongoing struggle today, Williams said.

“Even to this day, you see people fighting against systemic injustice and inequality in the country. But we always see people moving to improve it, ”said Williams. “Drum is our effort to tell the story of the beginning of American history that precedes the existence of the country. It’s a great moment in history that more Americans should know more about.

Afrika step! has been in Iowa since Monday and the company has been busy training, performing and educating all week. Last night, the company helped dedicate a sculpture at the Muscatine Art Center to Mary Jo Stanley, who was a great friend of the arts, Hancher executive director Chuck Swanson said.

RELATED: A brilliant new semester: Hancher kicks off the UI school year with an outdoor light show

Wednesday, Step Afrika! performers spent most of their day with UI dance students, teaching step master classes.

Afrika step! will perform Drum live in Hancher on Saturday evening. According to Swanson, the performance is a historic moment that touches on the past and raises social issues of today.

After the show there will be a ‘talk back’ for people to discuss what they saw on stage with Williams and some of the Step Afrika.! dancers. In Swanson’s eyes, there is no better way to start the fall season in Hancher.

“It’s a pretty amazing way to kick off our season,” Swanson said. “This is exactly one week’s work that Hancher strives to do.”

Tickets for Drum can be purchased through the Hancher ticket office, and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday September 11.

Addison wright Hiplet: Because we can is part of the Scene In Color film series, presented by Target, which showcases incredible filmmaking skills. As part of the series, three emerging filmmakers will receive mentorship from producer Will Packer, and their films can be viewed on Rotten Tomatoes, MovieClips Indie Channel, Peacock and the NBC app.

They have the “sexy walk”; “The pretzel; »« The dougie; “” La Viviane. ” These are not 1950s overtones. These are the dance moves performed by a special Chicago-based ballet company. Founded by Homer Hans Bryant, hiplet is a combination of hip-hop and traditional ballet performed with a dizzying and intoxicating effect by a collection of incredible local dancers. Director Addison Wright, another Chicago native, decided to make a film about these viral sensations after discovering the cast on Instagram. His eight-minute documentary short, Hiplet: Because we can, was an official selection at the 2020 South by Southwest Film Festival, later became a Vimeo staff choice, and is now part of the Scene in color film series.

Wright’s film, titled after the dance, fuses a choreographed music video feel with precise documentary style for a vivid exploration of this invigorating new style of movement. While the performers’ movements speak for themselves – their swaggering strides texturize their powerful and beautiful black forms, mesmerizing the setting with a fearless spirit – Wright interviews them as well. The exuberant ballerinas explain the retreat they experienced in a world classically defined by whites for their unique artistic identity, varied body types and blackness.

In Hiplet, Wright takes an immersive and empathetic look at these talented women. He shows great agility in the making of his films, capturing the ballet motifs of the dancers while oscillating between striking colorful compositions and equally magnetic black and white filmed interviews. Hiplet is not only an exhilarating introduction to an evolving new style of ballet, but the perfect launching pad displaying Wright’s fresh and confident voice.

Here, Wright chats with Robert Daniels, a Chicago-based Tomatometer-approved Top Critic.

Robert Daniels for Rotten Tomatoes: How did you first get to the movies?

Addison Wright: I grew up in the 90s, so I was glued to the TV watching MTV and BET. I’ve always been fascinated by music videos and by directors like Hype Williams and Spike Jonze, and Little X. So I knew early on that I had a passion for it. I went to Simeon High School in Chicago, where I played football for four years. I ended up getting a scholarship to Delaware State University. I played football there and my specialty was TV production. I didn’t have a camera in high school or anything like that, but once I got to college I realized this was something I wanted to pursue.

I ended up injuring myself during my first year in college. So I didn’t play football, but the team wanted me to be around so I traveled and filmed practices and games. When there was no practice or game, I would borrow the camera and shoot clips on campus. That’s when I started learning how to build stories in music videos. So I would take some of the things I had learned in some of my classes and apply them to my videos. This is where my passion started.

Daniels: Where and when the idea of Hiplet first form?

Wright: I was on Instagram and on my Explore page I saw these black ballerinas doing ballet a little differently. So I clicked on it and heard the music and saw them in the dance studio and thought these girls were nuts. I was scrolling up and started seeing them over and over again. So I researched Hiplet ballet flats online and saw some of the ads they were in like the Old Navy and Mercedes-Benz ads and featured in Japan and other places. Then I saw that they were based here in Chicago and I was like, whoa that’s a story to be told.

At the beginning, the concept was that I would make a full clip of them. I wanted to shoot it at the South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago because it was a white establishment a hundred years ago. And I want to put black girls in this beautiful cultural center, and let them do their thing in a place they couldn’t have been a hundred years ago. But once we got the cost of renting that space back, I knew we couldn’t do it.

So we ended up finding a gym on the south side, the Grand Ballroom, which is at 64th and Cottage Grove. You won’t even notice it if you drive or walk past, but if you look up you can see the beautiful terracotta. The story grew when I went, at least once a week, to the studio to film the girls and watch them rehearse and practice just to see how they move and see their personalities so that I get to know different angles and areas. to watch out for. . Homer, he’s the founder of Hiplet, and I was having a casual conversation and he told me how these girls were going through. Every time they post something online, people laugh at them, but these same people are imitating what they are doing. He comes from the dance community. People of different races look at them and see that they don’t do traditional ballet, so they talk about it. So I decided to give the girls the floor: we are going to film them, but we are also going to let them talk about the adversity they often encounter. This is what changed the film’s path a bit being a music video. That’s what made me realize how much I wanted it to be a short film and a documentary, but with the feel of a music video.

Daniels: How long did the shoot take?

Wright: Filming took about 12 hours a day. We started charging around eight in the morning and wrapped up with the girls around eight in the evening. It was a bit longer for us, but the girls were there all day. It was a lot of rehearsals. When the girls arrived they knew what they needed and we knew what we needed to do regarding the installation of the lights and the blocking.

Daniels: I want to go back to blocking. I think what’s great about your movie is that you can feel the energy of the dance. How did you get to this point where you got the right angles to bring the live energy to the camera?

Wright: My DP, Dan Frantz, and I would go to the studio where the girls were rehearsing and we would film some parts of the performance. It was a month before the shoot. We would sit down and determine the best angle for the camera location and lighting patterns. We also went to the ballroom and took some photos. I knew where I wanted to place the girls. I knew some of the angles I wanted to achieve based on their choreography. But it was a collaboration between him and me.

We were rushing against the clock to get some things as we only had the location for one day. But my goal was to really capture the energy of ballerinas. Make sure they make eye contact. Whenever the camera came in I made sure to tell them to interact with the camera. If he is near you, look at the lens, look through as if you are on stage and someone is looking you in the eye in a crowd. The camera is the crowd.

Daniels: And now your film is part of the Scene in color film series. How did you hear about this opportunity and what attracted you?

Wright: Funny, I didn’t know until they contacted me. And I was completely blown away. Even when talking about it right now, I’m still in shock because it’s all surreal. They said they saw the movie and really loved it. And I was like: me, really? It’s great that they like the movie. About three weeks later they gave me the details and I thought it was amazing. I remember making the movie public in February on Vimeo and it ended up becoming a Vimeo staff choice and then went viral. A month later, NBC contacted me.

Daniels: How do you feel about having a producer like Will Packer as a mentor?

Wright: It’s an amazing feeling to have someone who is a powerhouse within the industry and within the black community as a mentor. Even hearing me say that, it seems unreal. Just being able to choose your brain and having the ability to ask what to do in this situation, in certain situations, or do you think it’s a good idea, can only help my career in an extremely positive way. Maybe he can give some insight into his experience. He may be able to point me in a direction that could give me more visibility. I’m extremely excited to just be able to chat with him.

Daniels: What advice or advice has Will given you so far?

Wright: I asked him what is his favorite movie that he has ever made, the one that left him the most memories. He said Crush the yard. In short, he wanted to make this film to inspire people. Being able to hear that from him lets me know I’m doing the right thing. My goal as a filmmaker is to inspire people through the lens. And if that can’t change the world, at least I’ll open a person’s eyes. Will also said that he enjoyed the movie and that I was where I was supposed to be. To hear that as a promising filmmaker, as a black filmmaker, you know, hearing Will Packer say I’m where I’m supposed to be, it’s extremely crazy, man. It overwhelmed me. It solidified me as a filmmaker in my eyes and in my heart.

Daniels: What do you hope people take away from Hiplet?

Wright: I was born and raised in Chicago, and Chicago always has a negative light on us. I want people to be able to see these black girls on TV, on their phones and on their computers to see how, number one, beautiful they are; number two, how they take the ballet in a totally different direction by not changing the ballet but adding a touch to it. I want it to be motivating for black boys and girls to see someone who looks like you, who does something that changes the world of ballet by making a difference.

See more short films and meet more filmmakers from Scene in the color film series.