Are you looking for a celebratory way to kick off Black History Month? Well, here’s one way you can start the month off right. Collage Dance’s ballet performances of Their Eyes Were Watching God and Rise were originated with one thing in mind: to honor Black culture and to spotlight pivotal moments the Black community endured in the past.
“I wanted to create works, or ballets, about our community. Because in this art form, classical ballet, there really are hardly any stories about us,” says Kevin Thomas, artistic director at Collage Dance, co-choreographer with Amy Hall Garner of Their Eyes Were Watching God, and choreographer of Rise. Based on Zora Neale Hurston’s 1937 novel of the same name, Their Eyes Were Watching God follows the timeless story of Janie Crawford’s life and her journey of self-discovery that many fans love, incorporating it into ballet. Thomas says, “This is the first time a story by Zora Neale Hurston has been turned into an actual ballet and a ballet about our history.”
Rise, on the other hand, is Collage Dance’s decade-old ballet that portrays the era surrounding Martin Luther King Jr.’s final speech before his assassination, evoking what Black people have overcome and the uncertainty about what lies ahead for them. If you have seen Rise before, expect a few changes as dancers will now be wearing period-inspired costumes instead of the classic abstract attire that they have previously worn. “This was inspired by Abeo Brown, who’s our wardrobe designer, and she came up with this look. She was actually inspired by a picture of the balcony scene of Martin Luther King. There’s a little girl on that balcony and that’s where the inspiration came from. Abeo was honoring that little girl there,” says Thomas. King’s final speech will be presented live during the performance and voiced by the award-winning voice actor known for portraying Pua in The Lion Guard, Gerald C. Rivers.
The production, which also features the dance Trilogy, runs from January 31st through February 2nd, and tickets are on sale now. For more information regarding all three ballet performances and where to purchase tickets, visit collagedance.org/rise/.
Their Eyes Were Watching God and Rise, Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Friday, January 31, 11 a.m. (Student Matinee) | Saturday, February 2, 2:30 p.m. | Sunday, February 3, 2:30 p.m., $22-$62.