Urban Bush Women
T073384749
An all-female African-American sextet who blast into oblivion the idealistic image of shapeless female forms flouncing around the stage. The company is dynamic, spiritual, energetic and most inspiring, encapsulating the essence of Black womanhood. Their arresting blend of contemporary dance, ancient African dance and that of America's slaves won them the prestigious Capezio Dance Award for significant contributions to dance in the US in 1994.
Archive :: production:T073384749, dance or ballet:S01550301236, venue:V489
Self-Portrait/Batty Moves/Shelter
Self-Portrait - is a revealing glimpse into the creative process and includes text from Languid Libretto for Women In the Bush, a poem written for UBW by Carl Hancock Rux.
Batty Moves - directly confronts and triumphs over the objectification of the black female body (batty is a Jamaican patois term for 'the buff'). In traditional African dance, the breasts and buttocks are as, if not more, important than the arms, legs and torso. Defiant and celebratory,
Batty Moves challenges notions of physical attractiveness and appropriate movement.
Shelter - uses the powerful text of poets hattie gossett and Laurie Carlos as a starting point for delving into the fear, desperation and anger of homelessness.
