SEP 26—29, 2024
Emerson Paramount Center
Robert J. Orchard Stage
THU, SEP 26 – Opening Night Toast
Join us to raise a glass to the artists! Free for all ticket holders!
SAT, SEP 28 – Talk Back
Following the show, stay for a Talk Back with Dianne McIntyre and company members. Free for all ticket holders!
In an effort to reduce paper waste, we have stopped printing full show programs. Instead, we’ve created a small printed piece with the essentials that all audiences receive which then links to a complete digital program.
Dearest ArtsEmerson Friends,
Dianne McIntyre is a renowned choreographer and dancer with a career spanning five decades in dance, theatre, television, film and opera. Her practice is deeply personal and rooted in affinity for cultural histories, personal narratives and the way music and dance speak with one another. In her latest work, In the Same Tongue, dance and music feel alive and intertwined. The piece is powerfully multidisciplinary: music, dance, poetry, and stories from different points of her life are woven together – and we better understand ourselves and our relationship to one another.
At the center of McIntyre’s work is the enduring impact of the Black Arts Movement, brought to life with original music by celebrated composer Diedre Murray and the poetry of Obie-winning playwright Ntozake Shange. Under the direction and choreography of McIntyre, this skilled, expressive company of dancers and musicians, offers us a celebration of artistic joy by a living legend.
I’d like to offer my gratitude to our dear friends and longtime partners at Octopus Theatricals, particularly Adam Hyndman, for helping us share this piece with our audiences here in Boston. Deep appreciation as well to our patrons, particularly our supporters of the Gaining Ground Fund–which supports artists whose storytelling reflects the African Diasporic experience. ArtsEmerson is committed to uplifting stories, in every form, that deepen our connection and understanding of each other and we are incredibly thankful to Dianne McIntyre for sharing her story with us.
Sincerely,
Ronee Penoi
Interim Executive Director of the Office of the Arts and ArtsEmerson
Director of Artistic Programming
P.S. Speaking of the Gaining Ground Fund, we hope to see you at our annual World Alive! Celebration on Saturday, October 5th. We’ll be welcoming incredible new-to-ArtsEmerson artists that you won’t want to miss!
This project received a Travel Fund grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, made possible with funding from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation.
Dianne McIntyre (Choreographer / Director / Narrator)
Gerald Brazel (Music Director / Trumpet) Trumpeter, composer, recording artist and teacher, Gerald Brazel has become known to a growing audience for his versatility and smoothly crafted sounds. The winner of a coveted Grammy Award, which he received just ten years after his graduation in 1984 from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, Brazel performs and records in every possible medium, ranging from jazz and funk, to rap, Latin and classical music. He has performed with such artists and groups as the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Duke Ellington Orchestra under the Direction of Mercer Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Sade, Mongo Santamaria, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, the Manhattans, D’Angelo, Nat Adderley, John Hicks and Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers, with whom he has appeared in Malaysia at the Phillips International Jazz Festival and in Seattle, WA at Jazz Alley. He has played in North Africa, Switzerland and toured France with Jamaaladeen Tacuma’s “Groove Alla Turca “. As a member of the popular group, Lester Bowie’s Brass Fantasy, he completed many successful European Tours. Collaborating with Dianne McIntyre’s Dance Company, Brass Fantasy performed the “Invincible Flower” project in Williamstown, MA and Hartford, CT. Mr. Brazel has performed, recorded and toured the U.S., Europe, Brazil and Japan with the jazzy rap group Digable Planets. Their first recording together won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Live Performance by a Group or Duo. A native of St. Helena Island, South Carolina, Gerald Brazel toured throughout Europe with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. With The Lionel Hampton Orchestra, he performed for Queen Elizabeth II at Royal Albert Hall in London several times and at all the major Jazz Festivals in the U.S. Mr. Brazel has performed several times at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and in the films, “Malcolm X.” and “Pinero”. In New York, he has appeared at the Cotton Club with the Cotton Club All Stars, the Apollo Theater, the Jazz Standard and BAM.
Cleave Guyton Jr. (Woodwinds): Cleave Guyton is a professional musician who plays the Saxophones, Flutes and Clarinet. He has been fortunate to have worked with artists such as: Aretha Franklin, Abdullah Ibrahim, Joe Henderson, Stanley Turrentine, Nat Adderley, Abby Lincoln, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Jon Hendricks, The Ray Charles Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, The Count Basie Orchestra, The Cab Calloway Orchestra, Little Jimmy Scott, Maceo Parker, Spike Lee, Joe Williams, LateNight with Conan O’Brien, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Ronny Jordan, The Mingus Big Band, Cleo Laine, Chaka Khan, The Boys Choir of Harlem and many more.
Demetia Hopkins (Dancer) Demetia Hopkins is a performing artist and dance educator based in Central Virginia. She is a lecturer in dance at the University of Virginia and Co-Artistic Director of the Orange School of Performing Arts, where she received her early dance training under the direction of Ricardo Porter. Ms. Hopkins holds a Master of Fine Arts from Hollins University (2023) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Fordham University, where she graduated with honors in 2009 while a member of Ailey II. In 2010 she joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. During her six-year tenure in the company, she was honored to perform ballets by many prestigious choreographers from around the world. In 2019, Demetia made her Broadway debut in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” as Associate Choreographer, Dance Captain, and Principal Understudy for Dream Laurey. She was a member of Sleep No More at the McKittrick Hotel and currently assists performing arts pioneer Dianne McIntyre artistically and administratively. Highlighted as one of Dance Magazine's “Top 25 To Watch,” and honored as a recipient of a Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts, Demetia is proud to give back to the community that supported her formative years.
Ron Mahdi (Bass) Ron Mahdi is a bassist, recording artist, clinician and Professor at Berklee College of Music. He has performed with such artists as Chet Baker, Bill Pierce, Donald Brown, Kevin Eubanks, Jeff Watts, Roy Hargrove, James Williams, Milt Jackson, Lennie White, Art Farmer, George Coleman, Little Jimmy Scott, Kenwood Dennard, Ronnie Gill, Ralph Peterson Jr. and Stanley Jordan. He has toured Europe, Asia, Central America and the USA with Roy Haynes, Donald Byrd, Nnenna Freelon and Teodross Avery. He has recorded extensively, including recordings by Jay Branford, Consuelo Candelaria, Ron Gill, Louise Grasmere, Ferdinando Argenti, Daryl Lowery, Yoron Israel and Walter Beasley. His own recording will be released shortly.
Kyle H. Martin (Guest Dancer) originally from Montclair, NJ, began his dance training at Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts. He continued his training at The Ailey School where he graduated with honors from the certificate program. Kyle then went on to dance with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theaters second company Ailey II from 2017-2020. From there and on Mr. Martin went to perform works by Willam Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Alvin Ailey, Ohad Naharin, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Rena Butler, Jae Man Joo, Andrea Miller, Pascal Rioult, Matthew Rushing, Robert Battle, and many more. He has also been featured in Dance Magazine, Out Magazine, and a Tommy Hilfiger Campaign.
Christopher Page-Sanders (Dancer) Originally from St. Louis, MO, Christopher is the Founding\CO-Artistic Director of NU-World Danse Theatre. He received his formal training from the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) and the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri- Kansas City. As a performer, he has danced extensively with national\international dance companies such as the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Hannah Kahn Dance Company, and Owen/Cox Dance Group, to name a few. As a director and choreographer, Christopher has had the privilege to work with theatre companies such as COCAPresents, Lone Tree Arts Center, Metro Theatre Company, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis\Imaginary Theatre Company, Town Hall Arts Center, Vintage Theatre. “On the shoulders of my ancestors and mentors, I Dance!”
Brianna Rhodes (Dancer) Brianna Rhodes is an Ohio native and graduate of The Ohio State University Department of Dance. She formally danced as a fellow with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Currently, she is working as a freelance dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher throughout Columbus, Ohio. Alongside dance, she is a poet, a spokeswoman for Aunt Flow (a free feminine product company), a model, and a small film actress. As a teacher, Brianna is driven by the Black dance experience. She teaches children a fusion of Black dance styles along with their history as a catalyst for growth and expansion of the entire body, mind, and soul. Her dance talents span across concert, street, and commercial dance. Her professional career has taken her nationally and internationally to places like New York City, Bermuda, and Brazil. All around, Brianna create from the point of view of a young, Black, Queer artist, who serves as a vessel for all. She uses her art to provide healing, storytelling, and comfort especially in spaces where it is needed the most. Brianna is inspired by the African Proverb “Ubuntu” which serves as a reminder to help those who come after while remaining true to the ones before.
Kamryn Vaulx (Dancer) Kamryn Vaulx is a multifaceted dancer currently living in NYC, by way of Memphis, TN. She is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College where she earned a BFA in Dance with a concentration in Choreography. In Memphis, TN, Kamryn began her dance training at 3 years old. She has trained for years in styles such as jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, ballet, modern, West African, and flamenco. She is currently dancing with Project Tag New York, a contemporary company under the direction of Iraq native, Hussein Smko. She is also a part of other companies in NY such as SHINSA, under direction of Korean native, Bo Park, and LA based dance company, The Motus Company, under the direction of Portugal native, Diana Matos. Kamryn has worked with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Company. Kamryn has also had the opportunity to work with other choreographers such as Ronald K. Brown and Fredrick Earl Mosley. Kamryn has had the opportunity to perform on stages like AFRO PUNK and SummerStage Festival NYC with pop artist Rodney Chrome and also dances for Brazilian pop artist, Tatiana Lima. With her love for direction and choreography, she has presented original pieces such as Lost Then Found and Or•chard at Arts on Site. With her versatile dance background and curiosity for the art of creation, she aspires to share the intersections that are within dance styles and cultures while also connecting to her roots as she experiences the present and future.
Haley Day (Guest Dance Artist) Haley Day grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. After training for several years as a competitive gymnast, Haley started ballet at age 12. She attended college at the University of Missouri, Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance and graduated in 2013 with a BFA in Dance Performance with dual emphasis in ballet and modern techniques. After college, Haley moved to Boston and joined Urbanity Dance’s professional company in the fall of 2013. In addition to her work with Urbanity's professional company, Haley has collaborated and performed with Alexander Davis Dance, Jeremy Stewart, and MASARY.
Francesca Lage (Guest Dance Artist) Francesca Lage (she/her) is originally from Middleton, Massachusetts, she has been dancing since the age of two. During high school, she attended Northeast School of Ballet’s Conservatory program, performing works by Denise Cecere, Joseph Jefferies, and Jeremy Ruth Howes. Currently, Francesca is a dance major at Dean College. Before Dean, she studied at Marymount Manhattan College, where she performed works by Nancy Lushington. She has attended summer intensive programs at Burklyn Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Urbanity Dance, and American Dance Festival. During her time at American Dance Festival Francesca had the privilege of dancing in Dianne McIntyre's piece “In Tune” which was a part of the Footprints program.
Laila J. Franklin (Guest Dance Artist) Laila J. Franklin is a multidisciplinary dance artist based in Boston, MA. She has been commissioned by Brown University and The Boston Conservatory, and presented through Public Space One, Sideways Door Festival, School of Contemporary Dance and Thought, Brooklyn Art Haus, and Movement Research at The Judson Church. Her performance credits include: Miguel Gutierrez, Melinda Jean Myers, Michael Figueroa, and detritus dance. She is one of Dance Magazine’s 2024 “25 to Watch”. Laila holds an MFA from the University of Iowa, a BFA from The Boston Conservatory, and is a proud alumna of Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
Noli Rosen (Guest Dance Artist) Noli Rosen is a contemporary dancer raised & based in Greater Boston. She received her BA in Dance from Smith College, and currently dances for Eventual Dance Company and Cassie Wang, as well as performing in her own work exploring womanhood and jewishness. She is a proud part of the Social Justice Team at Midday Movement Series, where she helps design and facilitate curriculum for decentering whiteness in dance. Outside of the studio, Noli can be found at work as a traditional birth attendant. She believes that humans were made to dance.
