$15 general public, buy tickets

Program

Artist Name: Ajani Brannum Title: CONGRESS no. 2 Performers: Ajani Brannum, with special guests Bios: Ajani Brannum (they/them) investigates the choreographies of life in the shadow of empire. (Where are we?) Through a fluid, shapeshifting performative practice, they observe the forces that persist - for better, for worse, for otherwise - in and through our living. (How are we?) Ajani draws heavily on the knowledges they inherit as a Black queer maker with southern roots, honoring and extending the ancestral wisdoms that animate their craft. (How do we?) By turns contemplative and irreverent, their work invites audiences to rehearse vital forms of sensing and relation. (Why?) Ajani has created spaces of encounter with REDCAT, ODC, Human Resources Los Angeles, Materials & Applications, Highways Performance Space, Los Angeles Performance Practice, in classrooms, on tabletops and screens, and when no one is looking. Born in Anchorage, Alaska, they hold an AB in English and a Certificate in Dance from Princeton University, and a PhD in Culture and Performance from UCLA. They are also an alum of the Cecilia Weston Spiritual Academy, helmed by Jade T. Perry. @aajjaannii / https://ajanibrannum.com

Artist Name: Brigette Dunn-Korpela/ B. Dunn Movement Title: Echo Immersion- The Subway Scene Performers: Joan Fricke (Assistant Choreographer), E.E. Williams, Adzua Amoa Costume Designer: Athena Lawton Lighting: Alejandro Melendez Music Composer: Inna Most-Marque Gilmore Sound Editor: Pete Korpela Voice Over: Brance Souza Bio: Brigette Dunn-Korpela is a transdisciplinary dance artist, choreographer, performer, and educator based in Los Angeles, CA, honoring the ancestral land of the Tongva and Kizh peoples. With over 25 years of experience in modern and contemporary dance, Black dance traditions, improvisation, and yoga, Brigette's diverse skills enrich her artistic endeavors. Through dance, she calls upon ancestral memory and ritual to understand cultural and personal narratives, using her body as a vessel for creative-kinetic expression and healing. Her work challenges culturally biased norms of historic and contemporary racism, colonialism and patriarchy. Her performances have appeared at venues such as Geffen @ MOCA, L.A. Dance Festival, REDCAT, Bootleg Theater, Taste of Soul Festival, MiMoDa Studio, Multicultural Arts Center Cambridge, and Mobius. Ms. Dunn’s career includes the first U.S. Tour of The Lion King, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Nathan Trice/Rituals, and Philadanco II. She has performed works by noted choreographers Ronald K. Brown, Katherine Dunham, Talley Beaty, Donald McKayle, Eleo Pomare, and Rosangela Silvestre. Brigette holds an MFA in Choreography from the California Institute of the Arts and a BFA in Dance from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. As the Artistic Director and Founder of B. Dunn Movement, she leads a transdisciplinary performance company dedicated to healing and transformation within the African-Diaspora and BIPOC communities. Notable works include “Echo Immersion," a fusion of movement and technology exploring memory and ancestry, and "Black Market Value," which interrogates capitalism, race, and identity. In addition to her artistic practice, Brigette now serves as the Associate Dean for the Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts. Her artistic vision transcends boundaries, inviting audiences to engage with the complexities of identity, history, and social change through the transformative power of movement and expression. @bdunnmovement / https://bdunnmovement.com