Ronald K. Brown / EVIDENCE Featuring TU Dance Student Matinee Pre-event Video Transcript

Welcome to Northrop at the University of Minnesota!   

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Did you know?
Exposure to the arts help K-12 students perform higher on standardized tests and achieve higher GPAs.  

​​In Minnesota it is the law that K-12 schools provide arts education to students for a more well-rounded education.      

We welcome Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE and TU Dance to the Northrop Stage!        

About Ronald K. Brown 

• Ronald K. Brown is a dancer and award-winning choreographer.
• Brown’s work incorporates modern dance, Senegalese Sabar and other West African movement vocabularies, Afro-Caribbean dance, and contemporary urban dance from around the world.

About the Company

• Founded by Ronald K. Brown in 1985 and based in Brooklyn, NY, EVIDENCE, A Dance Company focuses on the seamless integration of traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word.
• EVIDENCE makes connections to history and tradition through music, movement, and spoken word, leading deeper into issues of spirituality, community responsibility, and liberation.
• The company has traveled to Cuba, Brazil, England, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, and Canada to perform for and teach individuals of all ages.

RKB Fun Facts

• Ronald K. Brown's favorite food is crab legs, he listens to gospel music on Sundays, and his favorite R&B artist is Faith Evans. 
• Ronald K. Brown started choreographing after he saw Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at a school field trip when he was 8 years old. He founded EVIDENCE, A Dance Company when he was 19 years old, and he has choreographed seven pieces on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

About Tu Dance

• Founded in 2004 by Toni Pierce-Sands and Uri Sands in St. Paul, TU Dance is a leading voice for contemporary dance.
• TU Dance is acclaimed for its diverse and versatile artists, performing work that draws together modern dance, classical ballet, and African-based and urban vernacular movements.
• Through celebrated performances of the professional company and accessible dance education at TU Dance Center, TU Dance provides opportunities for everyone to experience the connective power of dance. 

"Dance creates a shared experience—an undeniable space where a diverse community of audience and artists connect to a common power."—Toni Pierce-Sands & Uri Sands

Meet the Founder 

• Artistic Director & Founder Toni Pierce-Sands is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher.
• Toni Pierce-Sands has performed with Minnesota Dance Theatre, Tanz Forum in Germany, Rick Odums in Paris, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
• Toni Pierce-Sands' favorite food is peach cobbler. 

Meet the Dancers

• Aleigha Mayo is from Chicago, IL.
• Charles Rosario has a turtle named Speedy, a Yorkie Terrier named Moka, and a black cat named Astro.
• Heaven Sha’Rae's favorite food is "Marry Me Chickpeas" over chicken-flavored rice and a buttery flaky dinner roll, with a tall glass of sweet tea.
• If Anna Pinault could have one superpower, it would be breathing underwater.
• MerSadies McCoy's go-to karaoke song is Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston.
• If Sa’Nah Britt could have one superpower, it would be the ability to shape shift into anything or anyone, at any time.

What You Will See & Hear

• Today you will see excerpts of three works by Ronald K. Brown.
• ​​Brown uses movement as a way to reinforce the importance of community in African American culture and to acquaint audiences with the beauty of traditional African forms and rhythms.
   

Where the Light Shines Through performed by TU Dance.

• Where does YOUR light shine through? 

"Why're you running from yourself now? You can't run away, Cause your scars shine like dark stars, Yeah, your wounds are where the light shines through."—Jon Foreman/Tim Foreman

• Notice how your view of the same movements changes as the dancers face in different directions.
• Listen to the different languages in the poetry and lyrics. How many languages do you recognize?
• Watch for the many ways the dancers cross their arms in front of their bodies. 
   

Percussion Bitter Sweet: Tender Warriors performed by EVIDENCE. 

• This piece honors Max Roach, prolific jazz percussionist, composer, and activist.
• The Percussion Bitter Sweet album takes on the struggles of the early ’60s Civil Rights Movement with powerful, message-driven jazz infused with Afro-Cuban percussion, references to South Africa, and the unrelenting spirit of Max Roach.
   

Grace performed by EVIDENCE.

•  Grace, created in 1999, was Ronald K. Brown's first commission for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and has become a masterwork of modern dance.
• Listen for the jazz standard Come Sunday by famous American composer, pianist, and jazz orchestra leader, Duke Ellington.
• Grace tells the story of mother God coming to Earth with her angels and transforming earthly people through grace.        

Other Matinees Coming up 

Join us for more exciting dance and music!

 UMN Marching Band, Nov 21 

Martha Graham Dance Company, Feb 6 

VocalEssence WITNESS, Feb 20

Sponsors 

We gratefully acknowledge the support from: MSAB.     

Enjoy the show!