Program Notes Edlis Neeson RENNIE HARRIS Fri, Aug 23, 7:30 pm Theater LIFTED Sat, Aug 24, 2 pm SUMMER 2019 CONTEMPORARY ART ART CONTEMPORARY CHICAGO MUSEUM OFMUSEUM FROM THE CURATOR Celebrate In the gospel of Rennie Harris, “Movement is how we worship life. It always has been.” That worship comes in many forms—like the interconnected histories of house and gospel black music—which shape how people socialize, learn, and find acceptance together. Or by sharing in the work and artistry of making a performance come to life onstage. Rennie creativity is building up a cross-country community, including Chicago performers like Angel Anderson, Jeremy Taylor, and singers from MOSAIC Soul. And this week they rehearsed with music and broke bread with artists and the generous congregation at historic black Catholic church St. Benedict the African, and connected with students through the Illinois Department and of Juvenile Justice. All the while, they shared the creative forms, the uniquely remixed story, and the celebratory vibes of Rennie’s vision. dance that LIFTED continues our series of August per- formances that speak to and about Chicago, transform familiar music and dance, and alter our expectations of the experiences black transform performance can create. All four artists’ works are along different stages of development—some sharing ideas for the first time, some well- seasoned after touring the country, like Rennie’s. expecta– The breadth of how black artists make per- formance is integral to how we all support art that conscientiously engages with this city’s artists, histories, and ideas. tions. Tara Aisha Willis Cover, clockwise from left: Rennie Harris, LIFTED. Photo: Nikki Carrara; Dahlak Brathwaite, Try/Step/Trip. Photo: Associate Curator, Performance & Public Practice Joan Osato; still from video of Ben LaMar Gay at Trans Musicales de Rennes 2018. Courtesy of the artist. SUPPORT FOR NEW WORKS INITIATIVE Rennie Harris ABOUT THE WORK Lead support for the LIFTED MCA New Works Initiative is provided by Elizabeth A. Liebman. The running time for LIFTED is 90 minutes with ACT ONE one intermission. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SCENE 1 GOD’S HOUSE SUPPORT FOR THIS MCA PROJECT ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Choreographer, Director, Lorenzo Rennie Harris Deep gratitude to Music “Praise Him” by Raphael Xavier Yolanda Cesta Cursach and Writer for her early support of this New Works Initiative project and Lighting Designer Bob Steineck Dancers Katia Cruz, Joshua Culbreath, Phillip her curatorial work to Cuttino, Tatiana Desardouin, Richard bring it to fruition. Musical Composer Raphael Xavier and Special thanks to Father Darrin M. Ross Evans, Mai Lê Hô Johnson, Emily Jones and the entire congregation of St. Pietruszka, Joshua Polk, Andrew Ramsey, Benedict the African Set Designer Ben Levine for the warm welcome; Yuko Tanaka, and Marcus Tucker to Phillip Armstrong and Mosaic Soul for Carpenter David Knepper your open eagerness; and to Michael Byrd of Vocals Local Choir the Illinois Youth Projections and Visual Designer David Dowling Center Chicago and Heidi Mueller of the Illinois Department of Company Manager Rodney Hill ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Juvenile Justice. SCENE 2: TESTIMONY Choir Director Joshua Sommerville Touring Choir Alonzo Chadwick, Phinizea Chadwick, Music “Turn My Life Around” by Darrin Ross Trenelle Doyle, and Simone Jordan Dancers Katia Cruz, Joshua Culbreath, Local Choir Vocalists from St. Benedict the African Catholic Church and MOSAIC Soul, led Phillip Cuttino, Tatiana Desardouin, by Phillip Armstrong Richard Evans, Mai Lê Hô Johnson, Emily Pietruszka, Joshua Polk, Narrator and Poet Wadud Ahmad Andrew Ramsey, and Marcus Tucker ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PLAYERS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SCENE 3 GET DOWN Joshua Joshua Culbreath Rev CJ Carl Robinson Jr. Aunt Tah-tah Tatiana Desardouin Music “Dance Sucka,” edited and mixed Uncle Jip Phillip Cuttino Jr. by Darrin Ross Big Poppa Rodney Mason Ushers and Homies THE HOODLOCKERS Dancers Joshua Culbreath, Richard Evans, ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Joshua Polk, Andrew Ramsey, and DANCERS Marcus Tucker Rennie Harris Katia Cruz, Joshua Culbreath, Phillip Puremovement American Cuttino Jr., Puremovement Tatiana ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Street Dance Theater Desardouin, Mai Lê Hô Johnson, and SCENE 4 DOUBT & DOLO (RHPM) Emily Pietruszka; and Associate Dancers Shira Math and Yuko Tanaka Music “I Need You Now” by Smokie Norful THE HOODLOCKERS Richard Evans; Associate Dancers Joshua Polk, Andrew Ramsey, and Marcus Tucker Dancer Joshua Culbreath Also featuring Chicago artists Angel Anderson and Jeremy Taylor Vocals Carl Robinson Jr. INTERMISSION SUPPORT FOR THE ABOUT THE WORK RELATED PROGRAMS ARTISTS Special thanks to the MCA, Laura Faure, Bates College, ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Philadanco, Community ACT TWO Education Center, and ASL-INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE WITH AUDIO Jamie Merwin for their –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– constant support of the DESCRIPTION work and vision of Rennie SCENE 5 GET DOWN OR LAY DOWN Sat, Aug 24, 2 pm Harris Puremovement. Rennie Harris’s LIFTED was made possible by Music “Lost & Turnt Out” by Darrin Ross the New England –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, OPEN REHEARSAL & COMMUNITY DINNER with lead funding from Dancers Katia Cruz, Joshua Culbreath, Phillip the Doris Duke Charitable Wed, Aug 21 Foundation and Cuttino, Tatiana Desardouin, Richard The Andrew W. Mellon Evans, Mai Lê Hô Johnson, Rodney Rehearsal director and performer Joshua Culbreath, Foundation. Mason, Emily Pietruszka, Joshua Polk, Choir Director Joshua Sommerville, and Company Manager Andrew Ramsey, Yuko Tanaka, and Rodney Hill enacted the performance’s notions of community Marcus Tucker building and celebration by engaging in fellowship with local black communities and cultures in a shared –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– dinner and discussion with congregation members and other SCENE 6 SUNDAY Chicago-based artists at St. Benedict the African, located in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago’s South Side, Music “Amazing Grace,” written by after opening their rehearsals to church members to observe. John Newton ST. BENEDICT THE AFRICAN is one of very few Catholic Dancers Full Ensemble churches to serve a predominately African American community in Chicago. The church was designed by the Vocals Joshua Sommerville with Choir renowned architectural firm Belli & Belli and features impressive sculpted-wood and stained-glass ornamentation. Duet Alonzo and Phinizea Chadwick The church is also home to an impressive collection of religious art, including wood sculptures and paintings commissioned for the space to reflect black spirituality. The MCA is honored to include members of the St. Benedict choir in this performance of LIFTED. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PRE-SHOW–– TALK WITH THE ILLINOIS YOUTH CENTER Sat,––– Aug 24 ––– As––– part of the MCA’s commitment to the idea that art can interact––– with civic efforts, and through an ongoing rela- tionship––– with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice’s Youth––– Centers, members of the LIFTED creative team met with––– a group of incarcerated youth prior to the perfor- mance––– to give them a behind-the-scenes look at how the performance––– comes together. ––– ––– ––– ––– ––– ––– PHINIZEA CHADWICK (Touring judged competitions, including the ABOUT THE ARTISTS choir) was born and raised in Pura Calle Festival in Lima, Who’s Portland, Oregon. She is married to That Lady in Italy, Urban Steady RENNIE HARRIS (Choreographer/ ANGEL ANDERSON (Local dance Alonzo Chadwick and together they Groove in France, ReprezentYourself Director/Writer) was born and cast) was born in Ann Arbor, have three beautiful daughters, in Switzerland, Flavourama in raised in an African American Michigan, and raised in the south Zae’lyn (8), Zamirah (7), and Zuri Austria, and Ladies of Hip-Hop in community in North Philadelphia. In suburbs of Chicago. She began (1), and another bundle of joy due in Detroit and Philadelphia. She is 1992 Harris founded Rennie Harris dancing at the FieldCrest School of November. cofounder of Continuum, the first Puremovement American Street Performing Arts, which has led to hip-hop company in Switzerland, Dance Theater (RHPM), a street her pursuing a career in dance. She KATIA CRUZ (RHPM dancer) started and of Le Centre Hip-Hop, a hip-hop dance company dedicated to is currently a fourth-year student at dancing salsa at the age of nine dance school in Geneva. She is a preserving and disseminating the University of Illinois at Urbana- with Barbara Capaldi at the Atrium member of JAIA nonprofit, founder hip-hop culture. Celebrating twenty- Champaign where she is exploring Dance Studio in Pennsauken, New of the hip-hop theater dance five years of street dance theater, street dance styles and pursuing a Jersey. Two years later she started company Passion Fruit Dance Harris’s first evening-length work, dual degree in psychology and training in hip-hop dance with Company, a core member of RHPM, Rome & Jewels, remains the longest dance. Marcus Tucker, cofounder of Face Da and teaches hip-hop and house at touring hip-hop dance theater work Phlave Entertainment, and India EXPG NYC. in American history, with three PHILLIP ARMSTRONG (Local choir Hyman, also of