Black Artists in the Duke
Focusing specifically on some of the Black artists who performed in the Doris Duke Theatre during the thirty years before it was lost in a tragic fire, this playlist supplements the videos found in New in the Duke. It also complements other playlists celebrating dozens of Black artists in Black History, Black Voices, and More Black Voices. The work that Shamel Pitts was making in the Duke at the time of the fire can be seen in this YouTube video.
Next:
Urban Bush Women
Walking With 'Trane, 2019
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Samantha Speis choreographed this ode to jazz legend John Coltrane, a full-evening presentation in two contrasting acts.
Next:
PHILADANCO!
Enemy Behind the Gate, 2018
Although they had performed on numerous occasions in the Ted Shawn Theatre, this engagement marked Philadanco’s first time in the Doris Duke Theatre.
Next:
Paramodernities by Netta Yerushalmy
Revelations: The Afterlives of Slavery, A Response to Alvin Ailey’s "Revelations" (1960), 2018
Focusing on Alvin Ailey’s Revelations, this excerpt from Netta Yerushalmy’s Paramodernities prominently featured scholar Thomas DeFrantz.
Next:
Souleymane Badolo
Yimbégré, 2016
As demonstrated by the audience members seen here, this was one of many Duke presentation that took advantage of the unconventional seating options available in this flexible space.
Next:
Adam H. Weinert
"Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" from Four Dances Based on American Folk Music, 2016
The significance of a Black man performing this Ted Shawn dance set to an African American spiritual is explored in an online essay by Sydney Skybetter.
Next:
The Wondertwins
Broadway to Hip-Hop, 2014
Identical twins Billy and Bobby McClain brought down the house in their Pillow debut, part of an exclusive production known as Unreal Hip-Hop.
Next:
Kyle Abraham & Camille A. Brown
How We Process, 2011
This duet was created during a Pillow residency in the Duke and premiered as part of an exclusive presentation billed as Kyle and Camille.
Next:
Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble
Episode, 2010
Presented during the years when the main company of Dance Theatre of Harlem was on hiatus, this engagement by the DTH Ensemble heralded Virginia Johnson’s appointment as Director, a move which would eventually succeed in rejuvenating the entire institution.
Next:
David Roussève/REALITY
Saudade, 2009
Although David Roussève’s work had been performed in this same space thirteen years earlier by the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, this engagement marked his own company’s Pillow debut.
Next:
Jason Samuels Smith
A Song For My Father, 2009
Part of a relatively rare two-week season, this particular dance was a tribute to the pioneering dance figure Jo Jo Smith, who served as percussionist while his son took center stage.
Next:
Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company
Chapel/Chapter, 2008
Another example of a two-week Duke engagement, Chapel/Chapter also radically altered the performing space of the Duke with in-the-round seating and voluminous amounts of red fabric.
Next:
Bebe Miller Company
Landing/Place, 2007
Landing/Place concerns itself with the impact of the unfamiliar alongside the everyday, grappling with how the sense of self shifts as we experience change.
Next:
Reggie Wilson / Fist & Heel Performance Group
The Tale: Npinpee Nckutchie and the Tail of the Golden Dek, 2007
After two presentations on Inside/Out, Reggie Wilson’s company made its official Pillow debut with this encyclopedic exploration of vernacular dance styles, here narrated by Wilson himself.
Next:
Rennie Harris Puremovement
P-Funk, 2005
Rennie Harris brings his commanding presence to this high-energy full-company work, serving to both show off the talents of his younger company members and illustrate his role as their leader.
Next:
PARADIGM
It All, 2004
This Dwight Rhoden duet offers an opportunity to savor two legendary performers, Carmen de Lavallade and Gus Solomons jr.
Next:
Vincent Mantsoe
Barena, 2003
At home in both contemporary dance and in the traditions of his native South Africa, Vincent Mantsoe presented this solo on a program shared with the Danish dance soloist Kitt Johnson.
Next:
Salia nï Seydou
Figninto, 2002
Because they no longer perform together as a company, this footage of two leading dance figures hailing from Burkina Faso is all the more precious.
Next:
Urban Tap
Caravane, 2001
Known both as Tamango and as Herbin Van Cayseele, the founder and central figure of Urban Tap masterminded an intensely theatrical experience with live musicians and larger-than-life video projections.
Next:
Ralph Lemon Company
Killing Tulips, 1995
Just two months after the performance seen here, Ralph Lemon disbanded his company and shifted his attention to project-based work.
Explore Playlists
Les Guirivoires
Solo, 1993
The commanding presence of Rose Marie Guiraud in this solo demonstrates how she was able to establish herself as a major force in the artistic life of the Ivory Coast.