Event Info
EVIDENCE, A Dance Company seamlessly integrates traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word. Founded in Brooklyn in 1985 by internationally acclaimed Director Ronald K. Brown, EVIDENCE provides a unique view of human struggles, tragedies, and triumphs, and uses movement as a way to reinforce the importance of community in African American culture.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Open Door
Gatekeepers
Upside Down
Open Door provides a journey into Afro-Cuban social and traditional dance forms embodying the music of Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble. It is an ode to Afro-Cuban dances of the Orishas, and salsa, fueled and propelled by the musical compositions, each section invigorating the dancers leading to the final section of liberation and the arrival of contentment and peace. The work was originally choreographed for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2015 and became part of the EVIDENCE repertory in 2023.
Gatekeepers – Originally commissioned by Philadanco in 1999, Gatekeepers portrays dancers as “soldiers walking toward heaven, searching for the wounded and looking out to make a safe haven for others to follow.” The inspiration and influences for Gatekeepers include Native American myth and African traditions. The name “Gatekeeper” is given to a newborn child in some African cultures and preparations are made to welcome the child into the community. In these cultures, they often observe two worlds: the world of form (life) and the unseen world (afterlife). “Gatekeepers” guard a portal into the unseen world, where we connect with our ancestors in the afterlife if we are properly prepared. These cultures also believe that just as its community cares for the child, so must the child care for its elders when it is time to transition into the afterlife. The theme of preparing the way—a safe and peaceful way of life across generations, and our responsibility to help each other in this quest—is present in many of Brown’s works. Brown feels that mankind has a fundamental responsibility to serve each other as caregivers
The critically acclaimed Upside Down is an excerpt from the evening-length work Destiny. The full evening work was created in collaboration with Rokiya Kone of the Ivory Coast and her company Jeune Ballet d’Afrique Noire, and premiered in New York City at Aaron Davis Hall in 1998.
Dance at BRIC is made possible in part by the Mertz Gilmore Foundation.
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THE ARTISTS
About BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!
This event is part of BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, New York City’s longest-running, free, outdoor performing arts festival, held ever year at Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park.
The Lena Horne Bandshell at Prospect Park is home to BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, New York’s longest-running, free outdoor performing arts festival. Named to honor the legendary singer, actress, dancer, and Brooklyn native Lena Horne, the Bandshell is transformed into a venue every summer that can accommodate over 8,000 people.
BRIC is committed to welcoming people of all abilities
The facility is completely wheelchair accessible. If you require special seating arrangements, please ask any staff member to speak with the house manager on the day of the performance when you reach the gate, and we will happily accommodate you. If you have any other questions about accessibility, please contact Emma Montoya Hills at [email protected] or 718.683.5626.
