Recently, Karamu House hosted the 2 Ballets performance by The Room in the House resident Lexy Lattimore. The Room in the House residency program is an 8 week fellowship for 12 artist (8 visual and 4 performing) to develop content to share with the community through the end of this year. Each resident is required to show or perform work that aligns with honoring the African American experience through their choice medium. Facilitated by Karamu House Director of Programs (and More) Asselah Shareef, this performance aligned with the For the Culture Friday’s throughout the summer programming lineup.
The 2 Ballets performance was a 6 piece show choreographed by Resident Artist Alexandria / Lexy Lattimore. Lattimore is a formally trained dancer currently living in Cleveland, Ohio. This show, exploring dance as biography, showcased Lattimore’s skill and talent as an artistic director, choreographer, and lead dancer to embody the emotion and journey of life. But not just any life, the life of Cleveland artist Ms. Gwendolyn Garth. Ms. Garth is a beacon of hopeful light to Cleveland artist and beyond. Garth’s impact on her community precedes her and she is a loved contributor both on the grassroot and policy driven levels serving as an Ioby leader, owner of King and Queens of Art, and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture Board Member. As the woman of the evening, the audience was invited to gain a deeper view into the years and experiences that have made Ms. Garth the women we know and admire deeply today.
I always find it interesting how stories get translated. Who is worthy of the share? Who is equipped to translate it authentically? How do you choose the most relevant moments? And why is it even worth sharing? 2 Ballet’s answered each one of these questions adequately as a complete dance narrative that flowed without confusion, but with compassion. The show opened with a series of images flashing on the screen, images of struggle, redemption and hope from communities of color, both current and historical. Setting the tone on that which was to follow, and the accompanying playlist let the audience know they were right where they needed to be. Sitting tall in Karamu Houses relatively new seats, engraved with the names of supporters who would be proud of what was happening on stage. The silence in the theater soon after confirmed how deeply what was presented resonated. Loudly in solitude. And then, our girls, entered the stage. Dancing to a compilation of African American anthems, the young ones made us proud showcasing a mix of cultural and controlled movements in unison and sequence representing the joy and innocence of the sometimes challenged child. It concluded with the harsh reality of young African American tragedy, and hinted at the idea that a moment in time can change suddenly, and the ways in which black bodies, at all stages in life, must often deal with wrongful death and injustice way before their brains should have to. It’s all in the steps, whether choreographed or improvisational, often, as black people, the road is not always a direct route. Rather, it is filled with deviations to deal, emotions to maneuver and redemptions to reveal. As a culture, the support from others drives us forward, in spite of the outside forces. As the number of bodies on stage increased, this communal process manifested before my eyes, the lights brightened, the music supported and the audience was on their feet.
Still on the journey, words from Ms. Garth’s poems and most inner thoughts were presented, inviting the crowd to get a glimpse of what had been, and the experiences motivating the smile and the sparkle in the eyes of what we see in Ms.Garth. Using the story of Alice in Wonderland as a guide, 2 Ballets evokes what the classic Disney movie, originally released in 1951 and adapted from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland novel from 1865 invited the viewer to do, enter into a world seemingly not like the norm. In this case, a world where the allusion of following a mythical white rabbit in the form of life struggles and strife can lead you down a dark hole. This metaphor carried us through Ms. Garth’s history of worldly pleasures, addictions and chance, up until the moment of redemption and the return to self… the come back.
My key takeaways were:
- Witnessing an artist’ artistry is one of the most beautiful moments in life. The amount of details considered in sequence and time is numerous. Working to make sure it comes together in the end is nothing short of amazing. 2 Ballets was amazing. And not only that, the vulnerability, practice, empathy and understanding, on both Ms. Gwen’s and Lexy’s part should be commended.
- The support of stories appropriately told is key to embodying the authenticity and aura of the moments one is attempting to share. So many times this is missed, and specifically with black people. The spirit, strife and spectacularity is so multi-layered within the culture that tread depth is lost when covered in the mainstream avenues. Often there is a mis-translation of this depending on who is granted access to share.
In closing… Can I just say that I… just… (strategically placed passion word)… love… black… people… There were several… HASHTAG SEVERAL… moments when I just loved us. But you had to be there.
So next time.. Be There. Karamu House has a series of upcoming events through the rest of the summer and beyond that you should take a look at and bring your mother, and cousin too.
You can find out more about the Room In The House Residency here, final applications are due soon for the next rotation.
