"Where has your spirit been all night ?"
"In Africa"
"Oh you walk ?"
Omeros, Chapter 30, stanza 1 You Walk ? : the title of the ballet is inspired by the poem Omeros, written by Nobel Literature prize-winner, Derek Walcott. Although draws much from a variety of historical facts, ideological conflicts, political tragedies, fortuitous ironies and significant inventions, the performance tries to remain outside the arena of polemic. Its theme instead, is the coming together of colonizing and colonized cultures. Its historical starting point is the conquest of the New World by the Spaniards, which led to the destruction of indigenous cultures and the arrival en masse of slaves from Africa. The thread is the arrival on the scene and the activities of the Jesuit musician, Domenico Zipoli (1688-1726) who composed baroque music, notably a legendary San Ignacio which integrates the vocal art of the local native people ( this earned him the nickname, "Orpheus of the Indians"). The music selected for this performance, with Mozart, John Cage etc. tells a sort of tale. You Walk ? begins with what might be described as music that is indigenous to primaeval peoples (South African, Mediaeval Europeans, Amazonian Indians), and goes on to a music of interacting cultures (San Ignacio de Zipoli) before making way for Portuguese Fado sung live by Misia, chain-gang songs from Texas and blue grass blues, revealing more personal quests for an identity and for self-assertion instead of political or historical directions. The evening ends in a cappella, a choir singing a contemporary Brazilian song written in Gregorian style. You walk ? was commissioned from Bill T. Jones by the City of Bologna (Italy), the European City of Culture in 2000, and is a poetic response to the question that asks what will be the future of Latin cultures in the world. This work was first performed in Iowa City in the United States in March 2000 and in Bologna in May 2000. It then toured the world. Since then, it became possible for Misia to join the production and the performance at Avignon, adapted especially for open air and the Cour d'Honneur of the Palais des Papes, is the one that was danced and sung in Porto (Portugal) in January 2001, The European City of Culture this year.
Distribution
choreography Bill T. Jones
With : Germaul Barnes, Alexandra Beller, Stefanie Batten Bland, Eric Bradley, Catherine Cabeen, Christian Canciani, Ayo Janeen Jackson, Daniel Russel Kubert,
Mallcom Low, Toshiko Oiwa
Fado : Misia (Portugal)
Jose Manuel Neto : Portuguese guitar
Carlos Manuel Proença : guitar
Daniel Pinto : double bass
Manuel Rocha : violin
Ricardo Dias : piano accordion
Lighting : Robert Wierzel
Sound : Gregory Bain
Projections : Paul Kaiser
Costumes : Alberto Gelli and La Perla
Stage design : Bjorn G. Amelan
Assistant choreographer Janel Wong (Small House, Dream Speak)
Dance consultant (Your Wore the Horizon) : Valerie Williams
Production
You Walk ? est une commande de : Bologna 2000, capitale européenne de la culture – Nueva Scena-Arena del Sole – Teatro Stabile di Bologna
Coproduction : Hancher Auditorium/University of Iowa (Dr Gerald and Sandra Eskin) ; Lincoln Center Festival ; National Dance Project ; National Endowment pour les arts ; Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival ; Whitebird et Porto 2001, Capitale européenne de la Culture
You Walk ? a été développé au : Pepsico Theatre of the Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, State University of New York, et partiellement au Aaron Davis Hall sous les auspices de Aaron Davis Hall Partnership Program
Les répétitions ont eu lieu en partie au : Joyce SoHo sous les auspices de Harkness Space Grant Program
Avec le soutien du : National Dance Project, du New England Foundation for the Arts, et l'aide de National Endowment for the Arts, de Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, de Andrew W. Mellon Foundation et de Philip Morris Companies Inc. Software par Discreet Edit and 3-D Studio Max. Hardware par Compaq Professional Workstations ; Matrox digital video solutions
La Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company est subventionnée par : la Andrew W. Mallon Foundation et le Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest for Leading Dance Compagnies. Elle remercie l'ensemble des sociétés qui la soutienne et l'association The Friends of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company