OUR SEASON OF ANNIVERSARIES CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF LIVE ARTS AND 40 YEARS OF THE BILL T. JONES/ARNIE ZANE COMPANY
Jaamil Olawale Kosoko Black Body Amnesia-Performance Reading and Book Launch FEB 27, 6PM Written by Jaamil Olawale Kosoko Directed by Jaamil Olawale Kosoko with Kara (KJ) Jenelle Dramaturgy by Dahlia Li Performed by Brian Aladesuyi (aka Maij), Nile Harris, jaamil olawale kosoko, Dahlia Li Music Composition by Everett Asis Saunders Lighting Design by Serena Wong Production Manager Shana Crawford Costumes by Jaamil Olawale Kosoko with Savonne Whitfield Makeup by Dede Sackey Run Time: 70 min Cover photo by Freddy Koh Presented as part of Carnegie Hall’s Afrofuturism - A Citywide Festival, February - March 2022
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FUNDING The creation of Black Body Amnesia (the performance reading) was commissioned by EMPAC / Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,Troy, NY. Additional support for the creation of Black Body Amnesia was received from the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University, Columbus, O.H.; Movement Research Artist-in-Residence Program; Dance/NYC Advancement Fund; and Media Arts Assistance Fund (MAAF), a regrant partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts. Black Body Amnesia: Poems and Other Speech Acts (the book) is published by Wendy’s Subway as part of their document series, an interdisciplinary publishing initiative that highlights work by timebased artists in printed form.
We acknowledge that New York Live Arts is located in Lenapehoking, the Lenape homeland. We offer our gratitude and care for its land and waters, and we acknowledge and pay respect to Lenape peoples, and to all Indigenous people, past, present and future, here and everywhere.
BIOGRAPHIES jaamil olawale kosoko (they/s/he/ including: Tanz im August jlov) is a multi-spirited Nigerian (Berlin), Moving in November American author, performance (Finland), Within Practice artist, and curator of Yoruba and (Sweden),TakeMeSomewhere Natchez descent originally from (UK), Brighton Festival (UK), Oslo Detroit, MI. In Fall 2020, they Teaterfestival (Norway), and were appointed the 3rd annual Zürich MOVES! (Switzerland), Alma Hawkins Visiting Chair in among others. Season 1 of the Department of World Arts their interview-based podcast, and Cultures/Dance at UCLA. American Chameleon, can be Additionally, they are a 2020 found on all podcast platforms. Pew Fellow in the Arts, 2019 Their book, Black Body Amnesia: NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow Poems & Other Speech Acts is in Choreography, 2019 NPN forthcoming in 2022. Additionally, Development Fund Awardee, they lecture regularly at Princeton 2019-21 Movement Research University, The University of the Artist in Residence, 2018-20 Live Arts Stockholm, and Exerce Master Feed Artist at New York Live Arts, at ICI-CCN in Montpellier, France. 2017-19 Princeton Arts Fellow, 2019 Connect with jaamil on IG at Red Bull Writing Fellow, 2018 NEFA jaamil_means_beauty NDP Production Grant recipient, 2017 MAP Fund recipient, and 2017 Brian Aladesuyi a.k.a. Maij, (he/ Cave Canem Poetry Fellow. Their him) was born in Atlanta, GA. He creative practice draws from began playing classical cello Black study and queer theories of at age 10 and studied music at the body, weaving together visual Indiana University Bloomington performance, lecture, ritual, and under the tutelage of Sharon spiritual practice. Robinson. Through self-study and motivation, he earned his Level II Their previous work Chameleon Sommelier Certification. In 2017, (The Living Installments) he moved to New York City where premiered virtually in April 2020. he spent time working in the fineSéancers (2017) and the Bessie dining restaurant industry. Maij nominated #negrophobia (2015), commonly hosts events, dinners, have toured internationally, and tasting seminars that not only appearing in major festivals include wine, but whisky, tequila,
rum and more. Going by ‘Black Maij’ he is a very passionate DJ whose main style of music is House. Multi-talented Maij is also an Astrologer and Tarot Reader. Nile Harris is a performer and director of live works of art. He has done a few things and hopes to do a few more. Kara (KJ) Jenelle (she/her) is a dance performer, choreographer and teaching artist bi-coastal between Los Angeles, CA and Atlanta, GA. She has worked as a performer and choreographer for artists such as Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Black Eyed Peas, Beyoncé, Jidenna Khalid, and Will Smith. Her choreography has been seen on BET, Black Girls Rock, NBC’s The Voice, Nike, Lifetime, Essence and more. She earned her MFA at UCLA as a Graduate Fellow from the Department of World Arts & Cultures/Dance. Her thesis work and dance film ÍYÁguration was selected for the Liberation Film festival hosted by SouthernCalifornia GrantMakers. She is the founder of Delta Chi Xi Honorary Dance Fraternity, Inc and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Dahlia Menghu Li (she/they) is an artist, writer, and doctoral
candidate at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of English with certificates from the Program in Cinema and Media Studies and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Her dissertation explores 20th and 21st-century experimental dance as it intersects with histories of diaspora, race, and theories of technological mediation. In addition to her scholarly writing, she is working on a series of nonfiction essays on the gendered afterlives of diasporas revolution and is a practicing dance artist who collaborates with Be Heintzman Hope, Jaamil Olawale Kosoko, Ogemdi Use, and Elisa Zuppini. Everett Saunders (he/him) is a Bessie award-winning and National Dance Project grant winner sonic artist. With numerous scores for theater and film, Saunders is one of the most sought-after talents in the industry. A real soundphile, his approach to film and theater is not only supported by his musicality, but also his understanding of the distinct nuances of film and theater. With an uncanny knack for entering the minds and creative processes of directors, choreographers, and producers, Saunders’ work enhances any project he’s involved in.
Shana Crawford (she/her) entangles herself in dance and performance across New York City as a dance artist, lighting designer, production manager, and educator. Her work creates structures for acts of togetherness and celebration. She collaborates with Jessie Young, Juliana May, Jaamil Olawale Kosoko, Laurie Berg, Madeline Bst, Stephanie Acosta, and Yanan You, among others. You can find her at the Chocolate Factory Theater, LMCC’s River to River Festival and AUNTS. Shana has a degree in dance and mathematics from Bennington College. Shana orchestrates the Sometimes Together group and her work has been shared in NYC, MN, VT, HA, PA, MA, Italy and Spain. See more at sortofhere.com.
Serena Wong is a Brooklyn-based freelance lighting designer for theater and dance. Her designs have been seen at the State Theater at Lincoln Center, Fall For Dance at City Center, Danspace, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Most recently she has designed for choreographers Gemma Bond, Caleb Teacher, Leonardo Sandoval, and Jaamil Olawale Kosoko. She enjoys biking, baking, and pottery.
Raphael Xavier The Musician & The Mover MAR 3-5, 730PM
New York Live Arts Theater
Utilizing Jazz as a backdrop, this original work features 4 seasoned Jazz musicians and 3 movers, highlighting the traditions of freestyle and improvisation of both forms: Breaking and Jazz.
LIVE ARTS CONTRIBUTORS New York Live Arts is deeply grateful to all the individuals listed below for their vital gifts to New York Live Arts over the last year: $500,000 and higher Anonymous Slobodan Randjelović & Jon Stryker $100,000-$499,999 Eleanor Friedman Ruth & Stephen Hendel Alex Katz Foundation Ellen M. Poss Jane Bovingdon Semel & Terry Semel / Semel Charitable Foundation $50,000 - $99,999 Anonymous Lorraine Gallard & Richard Levy Suzanne Karpas $25,000 - $49,999 Anonymous Patricia Blanchet / Ed Bradley Family Foundation David Dechman & Michel Mercure Zoe Eskin Adam Flatto Helen & Peter Haje Alexes Hazen James C. Hormel & Michael P. Nguyen in memory of Linda Grass Shapiro Charla Jones Amy Newman & Bud Shulman Barbara & Alan D. Marks Randy Polumbo / Plant Construction Matthew Putman Alanna Rutherford Starry Night Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation Diana Wege / Wege Foundation $10,000 - $24,999 Colleen Keegan Julie Orlando Andrea Rosen Ruby Shang Nina & Gabriel Stricker Leslie Weinberger
$5,000 - $9,999 Deborah Hellman & Derek Brown Paula Cooper & Jack Macrae Caroline & Paul Cronson Claire Danes & Hugh Dancy Anne Delaney Agnes Gund Bill T. Jones & Bjorn Amelan Jeffrey B. & Wendy Liszt Robert Longo Deborah Ronnen Melissa Schiff Soros Cindy Sherman Temple St. Clair & Paul Engler Kristalina & Jack Taylor Williams Family Foundation $1,000 - $4,999 Jody & John Arnhold | Arnhold Foundation Anonymous The Angelson Family Foundation Jonathan J. Cohen Charitable Fund Jeannie Colbert Kim Cullen Emily Dalton Joan Davidson Lil & Jim DeMarse Dobkin Family Foundation Margaret Doyle John Fitzgibbon Mimi Garrard Judith & Steven Gluckstern Michael & Deborah Goldberg Thomas & Barbara Gottschalk Jeanine Heriveaux Jenny Holzer Otho Kerr Spike Lee Nancy Meyer & Marc Weiss Susan Micari Meridee Moore & Kevin King Thomas Nichols & Daniel Chadburn Mark O’Donnell Deborah Pines Rita Salzman The Susan Stein Shiva Foundation Catharine R. Stimpson Megumi & Bruce Williams Timothy Wu & Eric Murphy
$500 - $999 Arthur Aviles Timothy Benning The Marshall Frankel Foundation Sharon Gerstel Tom Hennes Lauren Hutton Olivia Katz Kenneth Machlin Wayne Norbeck John Sansone Deborah Swiderski Gifts and commitments between 7/1/2020-6/30/2021 Support for New York Live Arts is provided by the Arnhold Foundation, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ed Bradley Family Foundation, The Brant Foundation, Inc., Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation for the Arts, Dance/ NYC, Ford Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, Harkness Foundation for Dance, Marta Heflin Foundation, Alex Katz Foundation, Lambent Foundation, Alice Lawrence Foundation, Samuel M. Levy Family Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, National Performance Network, New England Foundation for the Arts, NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund in the New York Community Trust, The Poss Family Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Jerome Robbins Foundation, The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, San Francisco Foundation The Semel Charitable Foundation, Scherman Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Tides Foundation Corporate support for New York Live Arts includes Con Edison, Google, Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Public support for New York Live Arts is from Humanities New York, National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Correction, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts.
STAFF & BOARD Artistic Leadership
Executive Leadership
Board of Directors
Bill T. Jones Artistic Director
Kim Cullen Executive Director & CEO
Stephen Hendel Co-Chair
Janet Wong Associate Artistic Director
Ali Burke Chief of Staff
Richard H. Levy Co-Chair
Programming, Producing & Engagement
Development
Helen Haje Vice Chair
Dave Archuletta Chief Development Officer
Slobodan RandjeloviĆ Vice Chair
Erin Baskin Institutional Giving Manager
Alan Marks Treasurer
Candystore Development Assistant
Alanna Rutherford Secretary
Kyle Maude Producing Director Hannah Emerson Producer Veronica Falborn Producer Production Hillery Makatura Director of Production Grady Shea Technical Director Chanel Pinnock Production Manager Megan Dechaine Production Stage Manager Creative Director Bjorn G. Amelan Community Engagement & Education Bianca Bailey Community Engagement & Education Manager Communications Tyler Ashley Director of Communications Hannah Seiden Communications Coordinator Liliana Dirks-Goodman Graphic Designer Pentagram Pro-Bono Branding
Hans Rasch Institutional Giving Assistant Finance Nupur Dey Director of Finance Manathus Dey Finance Associate Operations Gregory English Operations Manager Aneudy Pilier Paulino Custodial Coordinator Adalid Nunez-Mendoza Custodial Assistant Human Resources ADP TotalSource Legal Services Lowenstein Sandler, PC Pro-Bono Counsel Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company Barrington Hinds, Dean Michael Husted, Jada Jenai, Shane Larson, s. Lumbert, Danielle Marshall, Nayaa Opong, Marie Paspe, Jacoby Pruitt, Huiwang Zhang
Bill T. Jones Artistic Director Ex-Officio Kim Cullen Chief Executive Officer Ex-Officio Bjorn Amelan Willard Ahdritz Sarah Arison Aimee Meredith Cox LaToya Ruby Frazier Charla Jones Colleen Keegan Darnell L. Moore Amy Newman Randy Polumbo Ellen M. Poss Matthew Putman Jane Bovingdon Semel Ruby Shang Catharine R. Stimpson Diana Wege Board Emeritus Derek Brown Terence Dougherty Eleanor Friedman Advisory Council Margaret Doyle, Chair Alberta Arthurs
Randjelović/Stryker Resident Commissioned Artist
Beverly D’Anne Lisa Frigand
Faye Driscoll
Jenette Kahn Susan Micari Alton Murray Lorraine Gallard Lois Greenfield Martha Sherman
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