Ronald K. Brown / Evidence Live Stream Event from The Joyce Theater

On behalf of The Joyce Theater Foundation, Northrop at the University of Minnesota, DANCECleveland, and Cuyahoga Community College, you are cordially invited to view the digital presentation of Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE’s mixed-bill performance live from The Joyce Theater stage on Thursday, February 18 at 8pm EST directed, filmed, and produced by Nel Shelby Productions.

Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE continues its 35th Anniversary celebration on Thursday, February 18 with a program of some of the company’s most iconic pieces, including the beloved Mercy and an excerpt from Grace, in a live stream performance event from The Joyce Theater’s intimate Chelsea home. EVIDENCE, the dance company founded by Ronald K. Brown in 1985, focuses on the integration of traditional African dance with contemporary and spoken word to provide a unique view of struggles, tragedies, and triumphs of humanity. 

EVIDENCE’s body of work blends contemporary, African, Caribbean, and social dance forms to express spirituality, African American and diaspora culture and the beauty of movement in many forms. For this special online program, the company has assembled a selection of solos and duets from their repertory, including an excerpt from Grace, Brown’s breakout piece performed first by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 20 years ago. The program also features an updated version of Mercy, an ethereal movement meditation that seeks to guide our hearts, set to music by Meshell Ndegeocello.

The full program for Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE’s live performance from The Joyce Theater on February 18 is as follows:

Excerpt from Grace
Originally choreographed in 1999 for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and now considered a masterpiece in the Ailey repertory, EVIDENCE brings its own unique style to Grace, added to the company’s repertory in 2004. Grace weaves the story of a Goddess’ journey to Earth to spread grace among humans, ultimately welcoming them to heaven.

For You
Choreographed in 2003 as tribute to the incredible legacy and leadership of the late American Dance Festival co-director, Stephanie Reinhart.

She is Here
She Is Here is a celebration of self-determination and perseverance. The solo, created on the Evidence women, honors the legacy of mothers and teachers who have inspired living with integrity.
 
Palo y Machete solo from One Shot
Inspired by the life and work of noted photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris, who documented black life in Pittsburgh from 1936 to 1975, One Shot features many aspects of life in Pittsburgh captured by Harris: the spirit of childhood, the indulgences of decadence, and the soul of jazz. The work uses the idea of looking to the legacy of community and its echoing effect on other communities in their distinct definition and evolution. 

March
A part of Brown’s larger work of Lessons, March is an extraordinary duet set to a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech on the value of a man. The movement embodies the sentiment of the text to illustrate a physical story of perseverance, dignity, and collective strength and caretaking. 

Mercy
Mercy marks the first collaboration between Choreographer Ronald K. Brown and Composer Meshell Ndegeocello. The piece focuses on seeking compassion, which leads one to have mercy. The tension of the dance embodies the words in Malian Composer/Singer Oumou Sangare’s “Shirk,” recorded by Ms. Ndegeocello. In this work, the dancers embark on a physical journey towards justice in response to assault that resolves in joy and surrender.