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SECTOR DEVELOPMENTS
OUR GLOBALLY CONNECTED VOICE
BY DENISE SAUNDERS THOMPSON IABD PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
What separates us continues to be dominant and essential to our survival – water.
WWW.IABDASSOCIATION.ORG
Water was often present during key moments in the Black experience whether here in the US or UK, and though much of our histories place us on the land, we often forget that many of our African societies resided near oceans, lakes, and rivers allowing us to weave the use of water into our spiritual practices, including dance. One will find that water holds a dual role in the history of Black culture and intellectual thought.
Denise Saunders Thompson © Omar Ingram
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company © Scott Robbins, Geek With A Lens
In one sense, water is an arena for resistance that liberates, nourishes, and sanctifies, but it has also been used to weaponize by degrading, poisoning, and ultimately, eliminating rebellious people. Water would throw off the scent of the dogs and at the same time, we would wade in the water of the Jordan River. The stories of survival are no different between us, and outside of physical distance, the challenges remain the same on both continents to this very day. The aesthetic expressions and themes of dances that continue to emerge from American and British artists within the African Diaspora keep us connected and working together in community on a global level.
