| COBA Collective of
Black Artists Feb. 23 – 26, 2005 • Harbourfront Centre Theatre • Toronto Report by Francine Poirier for The Live Music Report There was magic in the air. An indescribable sensation that something out of the ordinary was about to happen. Bliss! COBA, Collective of Black Artists, dazzled the Toronto crowd on Wednesday night at Harbourfront Centre Theatre with its cocktail of dynamic dance and exhilarating music performed by talented dancers and drummers who, if the decision rested entirely with them, would have entertained us the whole night through. Inspirit which opened the program was an ode to freedom. Life force, communicated through flying bodies in figure-hugging garments, lascivious moves and happy smiles. This joyous fervour choreographed by Charmaine Headley expressed an attitude of mind. In some way, dance creates a continuance that locks you in and suddenly a different world emerges in front of your eyes. In the second piece, the call of the drums rising in crescendo seeped furtively into my bowels, sending an electric shock up my spine. The musicians, in tune with the singers, sensing our enthusiasm enticed the crowd to clap and it obliged willingly. Romain Rolland could not have understood it more when he said: “Music means so much to us because it is the deepest expression of our soul.” And the frenzy stopped. Now, “can I have a soul clap…pour la terre oubliée?” Images of two white cells, one filled with the backbone of consciousness, on a black background. Sounds of strings punctuating the air. Ho’s N Head-w-Raps/Cheque yo Soul is the third offering. Choreographer BaKari E. Lindsay with much gnashing of teeth, muted revolts, calls Blacks to reappropriate their culture for fear of being dragged into an abyss where they will surely lose their soul. Culture is not for sale, right, but wearing “conscience costumes” is not enough. It is time to “check/cheque our souls”. It was not so much this credo of “Blackism”, an overly represented theme if you ask me, that most impressed me but the novelty of the presentation. Dance can indeed serve a social purpose. Then came the pièce de résistance: Bodika/Sessions. The four dancers on the stage, dressed in black costumes with a coloured square at the bottom resembling the flags of the world, motionless in their space as if time had suspended its flight, were exquisite. Movement came, though the moves suffered sometimes from slight imperfections and Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe paid homage to spirituality and tradition through dance enhanced by a skillful blend of theatrical setting, beautiful music and splendid lighting. It was nevertheless a celebration of individuality endowed with universality. While I agree that human beings must immerse themselves in the waters of the past in order to achieve oneness, they should be able to transcend this past. Only then can they start speaking a language, whether it has an African, Caribbean or Asian flavour, which allows them to merge into the masses without losing their identity. Universal language. The last two works were by Alassane Sarr. Sabar, a musical arrangement, introduced Mbayan, an old traditional harvest dance in Senegal. Together they ended the show in a concerto in drum major where both musicians and dancers in shimmering African garbs exuded tremendous energy on the stage. The crowd did not take long before joining in the delight. If you want my honest opinion, it was a great way to celebrate Black History Month. COBA's dynamic collective identity
SUSAN WALKER BaKari Eddison Lindsay, Charmaine Headley, Debbie Y. Nicholls and Julia Morris perform at a pace to bring on a sweat from just watching them in Mantsoe's Bodika/Sessions. The jump-up dance is set to Japanese music reminiscent of the Kodo Drummers. Mantsoe marries Asian martial arts to Balinese hand and arm gestures, West African footwork, ballet positions and Tai Chi configurations. Bodika is the word for initiation sessions that welcomed youths into the South African Pedi tribe. Mantsoe employs the physical language of ritual to construct a dance that opens under shadowy lighting, as if in a clearing in the forest. The dancers wear black cotton pants, with boldly coloured appliqués to accentuate their lines and suggest symbolic identities. As they move in ever more frenzied fashion, they form rapidly mutating shapes, as if seen through a kaleidoscope. Mantsoe is a South African choreographer and dancer who electrified a DanceWorks audience in 2002 with a series of powerfully spiritual solos. He started dancing on the streets of Soweto, and parlayed his talent into a place as resident choreographer for the Johannesburg company Moving Into Dance. Now he lives outside Vichy, France, and takes commissions all over the world, from Israel to Sweden, to Montreal and New York. He has collaborated for the last four years with dancers in Japan. Mantsoe's philosophy of preserving ancient African belief systems by extending them into the present serves his choreography well. Bodika/Sessions is an aggressive, almost combative piece, with a historical dimension: It reminds us that African dance in the New World evolved as a form of resistance. Lindsay took the first part of his title Ho's N Head-wraps/Cheque Yo Soul from a poem by True Daley that inspired a dance about the commodification of indigenous culture. Headley is the woman at the market, shopping for an exotic look, and picking up shell jewelry, a dashiki, headwrap and skirt until she is the image of the African woman. She literally dresses up in her off-the-rack identity. Behind her in black leotards, a ghostly ensemble of women dancers chant, "Conscious costumes won't bring your soul back," and strike poses like mannequins. The music is Zap Mama and Femi Kuti, artists with strong opinions about the exploitation of Africa and Africans. The most modern-looking piece on the program, Ho's N Head-wraps blares its politics a little too loudly, but not at the expense of some beautiful movement from Headley and her insidious companions. The five-member COBA drumming ensemble intensifies the sense of authenticity in an evening honouring the past without enshrining it. |
Saturday, February 1, 2003
COBA Cultural feast exhilarates
David S. Howes Theatre
Centre for the Arts
Brock University
Reviewed James Wegg
The talented and dedicated dancers and musicians of COBA thundered into the staid confines of Brock University last night and provided one of the most vivid cultural experiences of the year.
The wide-ranging program, reflecting the artistry and imagination of its co-founders (Eddison B. Lindsay and Charmaine Headley), was at times raw, poignant and physical but its compelling glue was story: told through flying bodies, underscored and punctuated by traditional drums and items the “kitchen,” narrated or coloured by the engaging quartet of Chantuelles.
The first-half highlight was easily Yoruba Suite, not only because the musicians were present, but the homage to tradition was so deeply felt by all. With imagery of blood and land waving through the air, Lindsay deftly moved within his flock, waking the dead, exorcising lost souls, and baptizing the living even as the youngest member of his band (so good to see a child confidently absorbing and participating in his heritage) shook the death rattle with vigour. And it was here that the women shone, as group,or solo, using their magnificent physiques to wash the stage with energy and unconditional commitment. It was so refreshing to see a troupe that has not fallen under the anorexic sway of magazine covers or body suit ads.
Primal Fête, which opened the program was a stunning tour de force for Lindsay as his incredible body extensions, unerring balance, and subtle characterization captivated our interest as much as his partners. However, in this orangey Dance of Three Veils, the women were hard pressed to match his movement and style—particularly his arms as they moved through the air with shimmering weight. (If only more conductors had this skill!)
After intermission, the three remaining offerings were an artistic sandwich with Musique Mélange as its meat. Left on their own the musicians and singers drew the crowd into the act easily enticing us to join the fray but clapping the less usual back-beat – the room shook in the fun. The singers were at their best in unison or declaiming solos, the harmonies suffered from slight pitch vagaries, but their passion rang steadily through their voices.
Emerging from an intriguing cluster of limbs, Headley, Lindsay and Julia Morris worked their way through the homophonic lines of the “Dead Can Dance” score with poise and unity of attitude. Their continuously flowing body smocks were a perfect match to the soundscape. The movements, like the eastern sounds that inspired them, were nearly all as one although that approach demands perfect ensemble, which, except for Lindsay’s incredible head snaps, was very nearly accomplished.
The final work, Mandiani/Doun Doun Ba, was exquisite. Choreographer Sis Hibbert, added another dimension to the evening, especially in making full use of every inch of the space. The heady, relentless drive of the music sent the bird-like dancers (imaginatively decked out in black-check costumes, which set off their feathers and headdresses beautifully) flying, pecking and happily interacting with themselves, their colleagues and the mesmerized crowd. Finally the bare-torsoed leader took stage and whipped his charges into a frenzy that had us cheering in our seats, eager for more.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2002
Rhythms out of Africa
COBA At Premiere Dance Theatre in Toronto on Wednesday
Reviewed by Paula Citron
Premiere Dance Theatre is the usual performing home of COBA (Collective of Black Artists),
but this concert has a special significance. For the first time, the Toronto-based
ensemble is appearing at PDT as part of the prestigious Harbourfront Dance Series, and of
particular interest is whether the local guys can hold their own on the same stage as
international dance companies. The answer is a qualified yes.
Although its production values are first rate, especially the live- music component,
COBA's dancing is uneven. Due to the company's financial constraints, these talented
dancers have to hold down day jobs and therefore don't have 'the spit and polish of
full-time professionals.
Since its founding in 1993, COBA has dedicated itself to presenting the Black experience,
particularly through African and Afro-Caribbean traditions, rituals and folklore. The
other COBA interest is new choreography inspired by themes, from the African Diaspora. The
three premieres on the program show COBA wearing both hats.
Eddison B. Lindsay’s Griot's Jive is certainly a compelling piece. In West African
tradition, the Griot was a storyteller who kept alive a tribe's history through the oral
tradition.
In this piece the Griots are the mothers of children who have been killed by gun violence
in dance clubs or drive-by shootings. Six courageous Toronto mothers tell the stories of
their lost sons via a film component; they were also on stage at the end to take a
well-deserved bow.
Lindsay’s piece is a sucker punch, starting with lighter fare before dealing a deadly
blow. The work begins with an amusing sequence involving a monolithic bouncer frisking
patrons as they enter a dance club. Some lively social dancing follows, including an
eye-catching break- dance by the elastic-boned, Germane Archer. The sudden sounds of gun
fire brings hysteria and chaos, and an abrupt end to Bob Marley's toe- tapping party
music.
After the mothers' film sequence. The dancers now clothed in white traditional African
garb, perform ghostly ritual to live singing and drumming. This episode could represent
either the spirit of the dead youth being received by their African ancestors, or a
harkening back to pre-slavery tribal days when the futures of young men were more certain.
The film credits include a harrowing list of names, year by year, of all the dead
children. As a reflection of Black urban angst, Griot's Jive represents the troubled
conscience of a troubled society.
Haitian guest choreographer Jeanguy Saintus created Transe for the 16-member ensemble. It
takes the audience through a traditional voodoo ritual and is set to a stunning mix of
taped and live music (the latter led by Haitian master drummer Daniel Brevil). The thrust
of the work is the initiate's willing surrender to the spirit of the god. Saintus begins
with slow, sensuous pelvic movements, which echo traditional West African dance. This
African influence continues throughout the work as the movements intensify. By the end,
the dancers are jumping and turning at a dizzying rate, before melting down into a lyrical
epiphany. The cast immersed themselves in the rhythmic music with passion. The supple
Jason Ying, who contorts his body through the snake-like Damballa with sinuous ease, is a
stand- out. And finally, co-artistic director Charmaine Headley's Inspirit is a charming,
sprightly female trio that mirrors the graceful movements of birds and animals fetchingly
performed by Sarah Anthony, Julia Morris and Debbie Y. Nicholls.
Overall, COBA delivers a satisfying program that balances the books between, provocative
statement and entertainment.
COBA's run at Toronto's Premiere, Dance Theatre ends today.
THE TORONTO STAR Friday, March 2002
COBA dancers’ energy envelopes audience
By SUSAN WALKER, DANCE WRITER
Universal Language, the show performed by COBA (Collective Of Black Artists) through
tomorrow night at the Premiere Dance Theatre, is very much a community affair. The company
has never looked so strong, the energy exuded by the COBA dancers, and musicians enveloped
the audience on opening night. Choreographer and co-artistic director Eddison B. Lindsay
took a big risk in demonstrating that dance can serve a social purpose, with Griot's Jive,
a piece that opens with some inspired hip-hop moves and the break-dancing of Germaine
Archer. The fun ends with the sound of a gunshot and the piece becomes a memorial to the
young black men who have lost their lives in violent incidents in Toronto and a plea to
end the violence. Although the video footage of mothers testifying about the loss of their
sons begins to overwhelm the dancing, Griot's Jive, a journey back to African spiritual
values through chants and ritual movement, is a powerful piece. Two short pieces, Distant
Voices, choreographed by Lindsay, and Inspirit, by Charmaine Headley, combined elements of
Afro-Caribbean and modem dance to good effect. The latter half of the show features music
from COBA's outstanding percussionists and singers. Rarely does a Toronto dance company
engage so many performers to such exhilarating effect. A musical interlude of drumming and
chanting set the scene for Transe, a new work by Haitian choreographer Jeanguy Saintus. A
huge dance, with Lindsay in a charismatic, central role, Transe captures the mood of a
Carnival procession and returns that form of dance to its spiritual roots. When it was
over, COBA had transformed the stage of the Premiere Dance Theatre into a sacred space.
Special to the Globe and Mail
African dance lives, breathes and respects its heritage
by PAULA CITRON
COBA - Les Rythmes de la Foret
Betty Oliphant Theatre May 3 -6 2000One of the most admirable qualities about COBA (a.k.a.
Collective of Black Artists) is the Dance Company's inherent integrity.
COBA's primary mandate is to present traditional African and Caribbean dance music and
folklore in a theatrical setting. Rather than being slavishly chained to authenticity,
however, the company creates choreography in homage of its black ancestral heritage. Most
importantly COBA remains true to the spirit of its roots, while never tarting up dances
for glitz, glitter, or theatrical show. The company's new concert, Les Rythmes de La
Foret, is a case in point.
The program is dedicated to West African song and dance traditions and while wonderfully
entertaining, is also anchored in respect. Three lovely backdrop panels depict the
distinctive rounded mud homes and vegetation of West Africa. In true collective spirit,
the design and painting was the work of musician Richard "Popcorn" Cumberbatch,
and dancers Charmaine Headley and Jason Ying. Eddison B. Lindsay's gorgeous parade of
colourfully authentic costumes enhances the vibrant picture of village life, while David
Morrison's lighting is a marvel of evocative restraint. This is a West Africa that lives
and breathes, not in a fairy tale, but in reality.
The concert seems to follow the course of a day, from Welcome Dance (Choreographed by
Lindsay) through Healing Dance (Linda Faye Johnson), then to a duo of celebrations that
includes the energetic Mandiani/Doun Doun Ba (Sister Robin Hibbert) drums that drives the
activity, whether it is women washing, or a shaman healing. In fact, the eight person
musical ensemble gets its own well-deserved time in the spot-light to show off its many
talents. COBA puts a large complement of people on stage - eight musicians and singers,
and 10 dancers. All are committed, talented performers. There is something very powerfull
on a primal level about a synchronized crowd moving and chanting, which is the main West
African ritual structure. The basic tenets of African dance can he found in each number --
the windmill arms, the stampeding feet, the shoulder and pelvic thrusts -- yet the use of
each is subtly different. No two dances look the same, although they share many common
elements. The physicality while mind-numbing in its relentless kinetic energy -- and one
wonders how the dancers are able to keep breathing -- is always natural and free-flowing,
and never jarring to the eye. The most exciting moments occur when a solo a solo dancer
plays off a solo drummer in a battle of virtuoso one-upmanship.
Perhaps the most ambitious piece is Johnson's dance drama Kakilambe a healing dance
(1996). A young girl (Arlene Henry) is rendered senseless by her encounter with an evil
wood god (Kwanza Msingwana), and the Kakilambe or healer (Ying) must restore her to
health, aided by his own dance of spirits and those of his attendants. Here the company
not only sings and dances but also acts. Ying, incidentally, is a real talent. Work,
however, still needs to be done on how separate numbers are woven together into a seamless
whole. Miming people meeting and greeting can only go so far, and these connectives need
more imaginative settings. As well the musical group has to conceal its anachronisms. For
example, one drum set was nestled in a folding metal frame luggage rack found in every
hotel room. Cover it at least, in straw or leather. Similarly, something has to be done
about the metal-wheeled drum stand.
Everything else about a COBA concert radiates such a profound purity, that these New World
oversights are irritating.
The Globe and Mail Saturday, May 2, 1998
DANCE REVIEW, DANSE BELE
Sensual dance shaped by slavery
Collective Of Black Artists
Reviewed by Deirdre Kelly
DANSE Belé, a vibrant piece inspired by dancer Eddison Lindsay's native Trinidad as much
anthropology as it is choreography. Lindsay, who performs the 90-minute intermissionless
with about a dozen members of Toronto based Collective of Black Artists company, has
created at exciting showcase of Caribbean dance augmented by live percussion and
vocals. The premise is to present a variegated portrait of Caribbean culture through its
dance and music. The troupe, at the Betty Oliphant Theatre, pulls it off with an
athletically energetic performance that is parts mystery, drama and sensuality.
COBA dancer and co-founder Charmaine Headley provides a running commentary that includes
historical information about the genesis and development of Trinidadian dance, drumming
and language. Her direct address to the audience is sometimes preachy. In Canada, she
says, Caribbean culture is regarded as "a ghetto community thing." As such, the
general population has tended to over-look its rich and multifaceted heritage. Ignorance
has led people to label island culture as African. "But it is not Afro
anything," argues Headley. "It is indigenously Caribbean."
While the show undoubtedly speaks for itself, the point is well taken. For most people,
Caribbean dance is limbo and one too many glasses of rum punch. To counter these and other
stereotypes, Lindsay and Headley co-founded COBA 1993 as a vehicle for unadulterated forms
of Caribbean dance, music and ritual. Danse Belé returning to the stage following its
debut in 1995, is a perfect representation of the troupe’s ambitions. The program
features four distinct dance pieces, each shaped and influenced by West Indian slavery.
The most fascinating is La Belle Vie, a hybrid dance form created when Caribbean house
slaves appropriated the minuet of their masters. They also borrowed aspects of their
dress, incorporating strings of pearls, tartan fabrics and stiff headdresses into their
own clothes. The dance the costume and the music (congas and a violin) amply speak to the
richness of Caribbean culture.
Dance Review:
Betty Oliphant Theatre April 30 - May 2 1998
Lise Watson: Arts Writer TWAS (Toronto World Arts Scene)
COBA Danse Bele
Okay, so with one Collective of Black Artists show under my belt (in the Spirit May'97), I
figure I know something of this amazing dance company's capability. NOT SO, not so at all.
Rather, there would appear to be an endless range for COBA, and I feel as If I'm only
beginning to understand.
This season's production of Eddison Lindsay's Danse Bele captivated me from start to
finish and filled me with a rush I will not soon forget. This "fuIl-length dance
theatre event traces the history of dance in Trinidad. As before, COBA co-founder
Charmaine Headley was a vision, this time playing the role of storyteller as well as
dancer. Without even a small intermission she guided us as the Yoruba slave traditions
were transformed into the indigenous dance of the Caribbean.
COBA is not afraid to demonstrate all of the various influences present throughout the
history of Trinidad. This includes, much to my surprise, costuming and movement from the
European masters' and mistresses' minuet. Picture the grace and subtlety of this stately
dance form combined with the colour and power of African rhythms, and you'll have the
tremendous finale of Danse Bele.
Ford Centre for the Performing Arts May 22 to 24
1997
Reviewed by Deirdre Kelly
COBA dancers keep African spirit alive
It is tempting to brand COBA, which stands for Collective of Black Artists Inc., an exotic
enterprise.
The Toronto based company, which is performing at the Ford Centre of the Performing Arts
through tonight, knows how to heat up the sanitised enclave of an uptown theatre with
elaborately decorated spectacles that burst with colour, song, drumming and vividly
rhythmic movement. The traditions stem from various points of the African Diaspora,
including Canada, which is occasionally represented in the two-hour program by
introspective, text-driven work.
But exotic isn't quite right. The word implies something distant and rare and ornamental,
an object to ogle, not fully experience. While definitely good-looking, COBA instead
encourages the audience to peer more closely at itself through a growing repertoire of
works that highlight social responsibility and the potential for social change.
Even if the spectator wants to lean back and admire, the sheer force of COBA's
instructional drive collapses complacency. This is a company that makes you sit up and
take notice for all the right reasons.
Four of the five works on the program that opened Thursday night were three world
premieres. They include Anne-Marie Hood's Some Bread is Brown, a childlike fantasia on a
racial theme that lacked a clear dramatic focus; Sweet Ensemble, a spirited performance of
Afro-Caribbean drums and chants; Bush Bath, a multimedia piece; and Hommage a Erzulie, by
guest choreographer Jeanguy Saintus of Haiti, part sacred dance, part abstract study, part
physical drama. Misa Criolla, Eddison B. Lindsay's seven-part liturgical work from 1996,
was per-formed by the COBA dancers with Toronto's Orpheus Choir.
Hommage a Erzulie was the most accomplished work of the evening. Here Saintus pays respect
to a female deity known as Erzulie, who lights the way to inner peace with the help of her
mate, Papa Legba. These divinities present themselves as full human beings (COBA Co
founders Charmaine Headley and Lindsay perform the parts) with ferocious energies and
sensuous charms. Their supplicants (Ayesatta Conteh, Anthony P. Guerra, Marlene Richardson
and Sharon Harvey) intensely and deliriously worship them.
Possessed by faith, they are also propelled by it. With lit candles, swirling lace shawls
and potions, they dramatize the ritualistic practices of their religion. Props aside, they
fill the surrounding space with virtuoso displays of balance, speed and muscle control.
Most of their movements are characterized by a spiralling line of beauty that constantly
invigorates the dance, giving it pulse and texture.
Where Saintus makes a vital connection between humans and the spiritual world, Headley
choreographs a work that draws attention to the fragmentation of contemporary urban life.
Bush Bath deftly combines video, pedestrian gesture, modern dance and spoken word for an
impressive but dismal portrait of a disintegrated society.
The text, written by Headley and confidently delivered by Kathryn Wellington and Anthony
C. Baptiste along with five other performers, has the feel of an inner-city sermon.
"Don't be in such a haste to blame another race," and 'Unite and be right, be
righteous to each other," are chanted repeatedly, like evangelical Incantations
inciting change.
While rough-hewn, the structure of the dance is a convincing metaphor for the feelings of
despair and hope that intermingle in the text. At the start, the dancers are scattered,
isolated, disjointed in their movements. At the end, they are encircled, united, moving
harmoniously as one.
GLOBE & MAIL
December 29 1998
By: Deirdre Kelly Dance
Critic CRITICS PICKS IN DANCE
It was a year of transition, with choreographers known for dancing in hobnailed boots
learning to tip-toe in pointe shoes and to swirl about in diaphanous fabrics. Heralding a
return to intimacy, couples dancing was big ---- witness the swing-dance revival, the
ballroom boom and the welcome rerun of Forever Tango. Old was definitely new again, as
seen in retrospective shows like Fosse: A celebration in Song and Dance.
This hankering for the past continued to fuel the trend for ethnic nostalgia shows.
Riverdance and Lord of the Dance were still going strong, and in their wake came a
Canadian version of the Celtic roots phenomenon, Needfire. Below, a list of the years
notable shows, in alphabetical order:
1. Serge Bennathan: C'est Beau Ca, la Vie!
2. Dominique Dumais: the weight of absence
3. Paul-André Fortier: La part des anges
4. Kimberley Glasco dancing in La Bayadère
5. Ginette Laurin: En Dedans
6. Eddison B. Lindsay: Danse Belé
7. Jose Navas: One night Only 3/3
8. Jean-Pierre Perreault: Les années de pélèrinage
9. Lata Pada: Yatra: An inner Journey
10. Gerry Trentham: Cathedral
SARACA PLUS
DuMaurier Theatre May 24, 25, 26 1996
By Susan Walker - Entertainment Reporter
Full spectrum moves fade out in places
Only the broadest of tastes in contemporary dance will find fulfilment in every aspect of
DanceWorks' Saraca Plus, at the du Maurier Theatre Centre through this afternoon at three.
The program shared by COBA (Collective of Black Artists) and Sylvie Bouchard packs in a
full spectrum of movement, from traditional African, to indigenous Caribbean, to modern,
post-modern and a few forms that remain nameless. Eddison B. Lindsay's Distant Voices, a
l994 work to the music of Dead Can Dance, and Saraca, another Lindsay piece from 1994, are
strong dances that sweep you along, with their bold statements, remarkable rhythms and
powerful fusion of traditional and contemporary. It's the "Plus" - or the
minus -in the program that calls for an entirely different perspective.
Bouchard collapsed two works into one to make The Balancing Act, a quintet of the same
name, and a solo, A Marée Bassé.
Performed by Kathleen Pritchard, David Danzon, Pascal Desrosiers, Gerald Michaud and Tara
Rosling, it opens arrestingly enough with four of the five dancers in white plaster masks.
A series of tableaux representing tentative romance, breakdown or hostility between
partners - part pantomime, part dance illustrates the title. A mannequin-like couple
periodically criss-crosses the stage, stopping to play a violent game of
scissors-paper-stone or shower themselves with confetti.
Odd, fragmentary images, interspersed between passages of purely abstract dance make for a
confusing piece that sometimes disintegrates into a bad night with performance artists.
Anne-Marie Hood, of COBA, makes an even more curious work in Arc(k), danced by Tanya
white. The dissonance of the cello music composed by Hood and played on stage is matched
by the deliberately disjointed choreography. White performs upon a painting, made by David
Duclos, and a box; created by Richard Cumberbatch. Weirdly acrobatic, full of hinged
movements and static, off-the-floor contortions, Arc(k) turns in on itself to frustrate
the viewer.
At the end of the program, Saraca brings back the welcome, all-of-a.piece choreography of
Eddison Lindsay Four singers, or chantuelles, three percussionists and seven dancers
dazzlingly costumed and turbaned in white perform a celebratory dance based on the
traditional styles of five African nations.
Drawing on the Yoruba rituals of thanksgiving and praise Lindsay adapts sacrament to the
modern stage, with an energy of a gospel group and the strength and conviction of an
Olympic athlete.
© COBA (Collective Of Black Artists) Inc
