Podcasts about Dayton Contemporary Dance Company

Today's episode is the weekly News Roundup for May 6, 2022. In this episode I go over the results of the recent statewide and local elections, talk about what may happen to women's right to an abortion in Ohio if the Supreme Court does indeed overturn Roe v. Wade, cover a new restaurant/grocery store coming to downtown Dayton, and preview things happening next week and later this month. A complete transcript for this episode is available at discoverdaytonpodcast.com!   Transcript: Hello and welcome to the Discover Dayton podcast, the show that's all about the Gem City's past, present, and future. I'm Arch Grieve and I'm your host, and today's episode is the weekly news roundup for May 5th, 2022. There's a lot that happened last week, including local and statewide elections, an increase in the likelihood that Ohio will no longer permit abortions to take place, a new restaurant and grocery store coming to downtown Dayton, and lots of things to do next week and throughout this month. You won't want to miss this episode, so stay tuned.    Well, the first of what will likely be two Ohio primaries took place this past Tuesday, and former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley won the Democratic primary race for Ohio Governor with 65% of the vote, while Mike Dewine won the Republican primary with 48%. The two face off now head to head in the general election later this year on November 8th, with Whaley already becoming the first woman of a major party in Ohio to earn the nomination for governor. In the Secretary of State Race, current Secretary Frank LaRose won the Republican primary, and he will face Democrat Chelsea Clark, who was unopposed. In the race for Ohio's next US Senator Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan won the Democratic primary with close to 70% of the vote, while author JD Vance won the Republican primary with a plurality of about 32%. Morgan Harper, who came on this show recently, received about 18% of the vote in the Democratic primary. Moving closer to home, Dayton blogger David Esrati won the Democratic primary by a plurality with about 31% of the electorate, defeating Baxter Stapleton, who also appeared on the show recently. Esrati will face off against Mike Turner, who ran unopposed in the primary race. Also locally the one candidate who appeared on this show and won was Angelina Jackson, who will now face Judge Robert Hanseman in the fall in the race to be Montgomery County's Common Pleas Court Judge. Jordan Wortham won the Republican primary race for Montgomery County Commissioner, beating Rennes Bowers by just .2%. Board of Elections workers noted that turnout was low, with just 21% of eligible voters actually going to the polls.    The City of Dayton is utilizing a new strategy to try to increase the amount of affordable housing in the city, which a local nonprofit estimated will need an additional 3,800 new rental units and 4,600 new units for sale by 2026. Recently, the city put together a roundtable for community stakeholders, which the city hopes will put forward recommendations on how to increase the supply of housing in the area while also preserving existing housing. The committee is expected to provide recommendations on things like how to preserve and expand its housing supply, where to put new housing, how to improve code enforcement, and how best the city can use its resources to help alleviate the problem. The process, which began in March, is expected to last between six to nine months.   Dayton Police are urging drivers to slow down in the wake of a deadly crash that killed four people in Dayton this past Sunday at North Gettysburg St. and James Avenue. The driver of the car is reported to have lost control and slammed into a phone pole. Police say that this is part of a spike in reckless driving accidents in Dayton compared to this time last year, which includes 14 fatal crashes this year so far, an increase of 75% from last year during the same time.    The City of Dayton has also been in the news recently for its new street parking app, which can be found at 1,300 parking spaces downtown already. The city claims that the app helps them manage parking more efficiently through what City Manager Shelley Dickstein calls a “single, centralized system.” The city also says that the app is more convenient for people visiting the downtown area, as they can now extend their parking sessions without having to return to the meter and get alerts when their time is about to expire. The Parking Pass system is available through your app store, although you can still pay with change or a credit card (in some locations) as well.    Marijuana advocates are upset at state lawmakers, who they have accused in a recent court filing of trying to circumvent the state statute process and keep their ballot measure off the ballot in November. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol filed suit against the state in Franklin County recently, arguing that state officials are illegally trying to keep their marijuana legalization bill off the ballot because Republican party leaders are opposed to recreational marijuana's legalization. The ballot measure would allow Ohioans over the age of 21 to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana as well as be able to grown their own plants at home. The controversy is over whether or not the coalition got their ballot measure submitted and approved in time for it to be eligible.    Also happening at the state level, abortion rights advocates are concerned about the recent Supreme Court decision that's been leaked recently at the federal level because Ohio legislators have two bills that have been called “trigger bans,” which will go into effect in Ohio in the event that the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, which seems all but certain to do later this year after a draft opinion written by Justice Alito was leaked recently. The bills are Ohio Senate Bill 123 and Ohio House Bill 598. Here in Dayton a rally for reproductive rights was held on Tuesday, with some participants dressed as characters from the Handmaid's Tale, the Hulu series about a dystopian future where authoritarian religious conservatives take over the American government.     The popular downtown Dayton coffee shop, Third Perk, will be opening a restaurant in West Dayton that will feature southern-style cooking. The new location would have carry-out service, and owner Juanita Darden is applying to receive $50,000 from the city's West Dayton Development Trust Fund to get the project started, in addition to the $200,000 that Third Perk will be investing. The restaurant would open on the site of an old restaurant at 3907 W. Third St.    Another restaurant that is opening even sooner and coming to downtown Dayton is Tony and Pete's Grocery and Cold Cuts, which is expected to open later this month in Dayton's Fire Blocks District. The store will have a small curated grocery section, which will include things like milk and eggs and beer and wine. There will also be a sandwich counter where people can order cold and hot sandwiches, salads, and sides.    If you're downtown this weekend on Saturday or Sunday in the UD area just know that restaurants and other places may be busy as UD holds its graduation services over the course of the two days. They have a new record number of undergraduates earning degrees at 1,655, and over 2,000 students will be awarded degrees in total.    A local filmmaker, Collin Brazie, is going to be premiering his new movie “Foxhole,” which is told from the perspective of five soldiers from three different wars, including the American Civil War, World War I, and the Iraq War. Brazie earned his MFA in film production and cinematography and specializes in narrative, documentary, and branded content. The premier will take place tomorrow, Saturday, May 7, at The Neon at 4:00pm. Ticket prices are $10.50 and can be purchased at the box office or neonmovies.com.   And now, here are some things to do next week and over the course of the remainder of this month:   Mariah Ivey, Thomas Ellison, and Siri Imani will be performing tonight, Friday May 6th, at the PNC Arts Annex. They are the organizers of the program Broken English: Dayton, and are partnering with visual artists Zuri Ali and Jamaal Durr for the pre-show, which will feature cocktails and artwork by the two artists. The cost to attend is $25 to $35 and tickets can be purchased at daytonlive.org.   If you're looking for an event for the whole family tonight, check out the Passport to MetroParks program going on tonight from 6:00 to 9:00pm at RiverScape MetroPark on Monument Ave. The event features live music, food trucks, family activities, and more. There will be prizes for those who complete their stamp passports by visiting all of the vendor booths, and the grand prize tonight is a $1,500 Huffy Motiric Adult Electric Folding Bike. Learn more at MetroParks.org.    Also tonight, May 6th, Black Violin will be performing at the Schuster Center at 7:30pm. Wil B and Kev Marcus are the duo members and their music blends classical with world music, R&B, and pop into a unique and amazing sound. Tickets range in price from $30 to $50 and can be purchased at daytonlive.org.    Just yesterday three art exhibitions opened up at the Contemporary Dayton. Those include Beverly Fishman's exhibition, “Cure,” George Rush's “Assisted Living,” and Mary Reid Kelley's and Patrick Kelley's “Night Kitchen.” You can see the art for free at the Contemporary's Dayton Arcade location now through July 22nd.    You may have heard of the band KISS. Well they'll be performing as part of their “End of the Road Tour” Thursday, May 12 at the Nutter Center. Tickets are still available starting out at $100. Visit nuttercenter.com for ticket information.    On Friday, May 13th, at 8:00pm, Rhapsody-N-Soul Georgia Me, who is known as the Queen of the Spoken Word, will be headlining an evening of poetry at the Dayton Arcade alongside Daytonians Ralph Farley and Leroy Bean, who will also be performing that evening. Find out more at arcadedayton.com.    The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company is hosting its annual gala this month entitled “Solstice: Mahogany Night,” on Saturday, May 14th. The event will feature a special dance program, food, cocktails, and more. The event will take place at the Marriott at the University of Dayton, and ticket prices range from $175 to $300.    On May 15th you can see young performers from the Dayton Ballet School at the Victoria Theater, where over 100 young performers will be performing “Alice in Wonderland.” The cost to attend is just $20, and tickets can be purchased at daytonlive.org.   On Thursday, May 19th at the PNC Arts Annex you can see the play “Friend Art,” by Sofia Alvarez, which looks at what happens when romantic entanglements and personal aspirations intertwine. The cost to attend is $22 and the play is recommended only for those who are 18 or older.    May 20th is National Bike to Work Day, and now is the time to get organized for the Fiver River MetroParks Bike to Work Day celebration and pancake breakfast as there are group challenges for the team with the most riders, the team with the most miles commuted, and more. The first 500 riders to register and check-in at the event receive a gift, and you can pre-register now online at MetroParks.org. The event takes place from 7:00-9:00am at the RiverScape Metro Park on Monument Ave. and features a free pancake breakfast, live music, a bike expo, and more, so hopefully I'll see you there!   Sideshow, one of the Dayton Yellow Cab's annual shows, is coming back this month on May 20th and 21st, after taking several years off due to Covid-19. This year performers will include Far From Eden, Tino, Nautical Theme, Snake Oil Revival, and more. Ticket information is available at yellowcabtavern.com.   TheatreLab Dayton will be ending its first season since rebranding from Dare 2 Defy Productions with the show “Something Rotten!” The show takes place at the Victoria Theatre on May 21st and 22nd and the cost to attend ranges from $18 to $63. You can purchase tickets at theatrelabdayton.org or daytonlive.org.    The Dayton Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra will be performing the show “Epic Opera” on May 21st and 22nd, which is a program that includes works by composers like Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, and more. The shows will take place at the Schuster Center and ticket prices range from $32 to $100. Visit daytonlive.org for tickets.   Carillon Historical Park hosts its annual “Party in the Park” event, AKA Fleurs de Fete, on my birthday, May 22nd, from 1:00-4:00pm. The event features over 200 wine samplings and food from local eateries, in addition to live music. Pre-sale tickets are $70 and you must be 21 or older to purchase tickets.    Traveling performers will be in town towards the end of the month to perform “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” at the Schuster Center from May 26th through the 28th. Tickets range in price from $29 to $89 and can be purchased at daytonlive.org.    Starting Friday, May 27th, the Dayton Theatre Guild will be performing “The Old Man and the Old Moon,” which will be directed by Jeff Sams. The show will run through June 12th. Tickets are $21 for adults, $19 for seniors, and $14 for students. Visit daytontheatreguild.org for tickets.   Standup comedian, actor, and TV show host, Donnell Rawlings, will perform at Wiley's later this month on May 27th and 28th. Tickets go for $45 and can be purchased online at wileyscomedy.com.    And of course, this Sunday is Mother's Day, so I just want to wish a Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there, including mine, and let you know that there are a number of restaurants doing specials for Mother's Day, including Jollity, Salar, Dublin Pub, Bar and Bistro at Top of the Market, and the Amber Rose.    That's it for this week's news roundup episode, and if you enjoyed this episode please be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. As a reminder, there is now merch on the podcast's website, and I recently started offering a new service for local organizations where I will come and do Dayton-themed trivia for your employees or members, so if you're interested reach out at discoverdaytonpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the transcripts for this news roundup episode in the show notes on my website, discoverdaytonpodcast.com. Thanks as always for listening, and stay funky, Dayton.

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Kia Smith, founding Executive Artistic Director at the South Chicago Dance Theatre. Kia, a Chicago native, trained at various notable Chicago institutions such as Story Catchers Theatre, ETA Creative Arts Foundation, Hyde Park School of Dance, and the Joel Hall Dancers and Center. Her training launched her into national and international tours, including runs with the Lula Washington Dance Theatre and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. And, of course, she has a wide variety of dance credits with Chicago-based dance companies. Considering her extremely accomplished career, Kia has ample room to boast; however, her drive to succeed isn’t about self-glory but is, rather, about revitalizing communities through the arts. For nearly two decades, Kia has been using her art to bridge gaps between history, cultures, and people groups through movement. On the podcast, Smith discusses how her life’s ambitions are now being met through her dance company, not only on the south side of Chicago but also nationally and even internationally.    Moving Quotes: "I don't think there's anything that sets me apart [from other entrepreneurs]. I just follow through. I'm not anything special — we all have the ability to create and execute a dream. I just follow through." "When it comes to 'success,' you never really get there. I mean... I have a 75-year vision for South Chicago Dance Company."   Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed: 3:17: Kia talks about her dance company — South Chicago Dance Theatre — and the three pillars that her company stands on. 5:51: Kia discusses South Chicago Dance’s cultural diplomacy program, where her company has partnered with a company in South Korea to produce a new work. 9:20: Kia speaks to her relationship with the Chicago Urban League and her work in the Chicago African American community through that organization. 11:54: Smith explains what she believes is the “x factor” that has made her successful in her entrepreneurial endeavors. 13:03: Smith describes her company’s mentorship program and how that program quantifies success. 15:40: Kia discusses how “success” is different for every individual person and can address both short- and long-term goals. 19:44: Smith, whose business has been thriving in the pandemic era, sheds some light on how her company has had to adjust to the “new normal.” 22:18: Kia retells her own dance journey and how she knew from a young age that she wanted to run her own dance company. 24:38: Kia shares some thoughts around why she believes there are so few women leaders in the dance world and how we can all work to curb this trend. 26:42: Kia looks to the future and shares what’s next for the South Chicago Dance Theatre.   Bullet List of Resources –  Kia Smith LinkedIn On Company Website   South Chicago Dance Theatre Company Website Facebook Instagram

Incoming Northwest Heritage Centrum resident, Alice Gosti, invites Bebe Miller to have a conversation about dance, movement, and the context of their practices in the current moment. The two choreographers discover overlapping formative pedagogies and talk through the spatial experiences of zoom, intimacy and vulnerability in their bodies of work, the cultivation of collaboration and play, and the multiple influences of place, language, and connections with people. Listening to this conversation is a dance for the mind and offers new ways to think about how we move through the world. Alice Gosti is an Italian-American choreographer, hybrid performance artist, curator and architect of experiences. Alongside her company members, she has been working in public spaces and exploring unconventional performances since 2013. Gosti’s work uses the world, landscapes, and pre-existing architectures as stages. Recent productions include How to become a partisan (Velocity Dance Center, 2015) and Material Deviance in Contemporary American Culture (On the Boards, 2018). Gosti’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, commissions and residencies including being a recipient of the 2012 Vilcek Creative Promise in Dance Award, the 2012 ImPulsTanz danceWEB scholarship, a 2013 Bossak/Heilbron Award, part of the 2015 inaugural Intiman Theatre Emerging Artist Program as a Director, a 2015 Artist Trust GAP Grant, a 2015 and 2017 Seattle Office of Arts and Culture Award, a 2017 Artist Trust Fellowship, a 2016 NEFA National Dance Project Production and Touring Grant and, the inaugural Italian Council Grant from the Italian Government. In 2013 she founded the Yellow Fish // Epic Durational Performance Festival, the world’s only festival dedicated to durational performance. Gosti is also a recipient of Centrum’s Northwest Heritage Residency program in 2020. Bebe Miller first performed her work at NYC’s Dance Theater Workshop in 1978. Her choreography has been commissioned by Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Oregon Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet, Philadanco, the UK’s Phoenix Dance Company and a host of colleges and universities. Since its forming in 1985 

One of Ro Nita Hawes-Saunders’ earliest memories is watching her 4-foot 11-inch tall mother rise up set a racist teacher straight. Her youth as the daughter of local civil rights workers included seeing crosses burned in her family’s front yard and being told she wasn’t welcome in her neighborhood and that the KKK was going to get her. Despite that and the challenges she fast afterwards — a ten year battle to get launch her former radio station included — Hawes-Saunders says she remains an optimist. Had Happened Was podcast host Amelia Robinson walked down memory lane with the local radio pioneer for a lively episode of the podcast filled with laughter and the advice Hawes-Saunders, now the CEO of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, said helped transform her from a naive girl to a strong woman.

In the 13th installment of "Offstage and Unbound," The Music Center's President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with Dwight Rhoden, founding artistic director and resident choreographer of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Rhoden has established a remarkably wide-ranging career, earning distinction from The New York Times as “one of the most sought out choreographers of the day.” A native of Dayton, Ohio who began dancing at age 17, Rhoden has performed with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal and as a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In 1994, Rhoden and legendary dancer Desmond Richardson founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Together they have brought their unique brand of contemporary dance to the world for nearly two decades. Complexions Contemporary Ballet returns to The Music Center on April 20, 21 and 22, 2018 with StarDust, a dance tribute to David Bowie. Tickets on sale now.

Shawn Rawls discusses 3 ways to engage with your patrons to increase sales. Shawn talks about how he does this through his newsletter, with the help of his dancers, and his honorary committee. Shawn grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and studied martial arts and street dance from a young age. At sixteen, he attended the Cleveland School of the Arts and began dancing with Youth At Risk Dancing and the Urban Dance Collective. These youth company experiences provided him with training from Paul Taylor, Pilobolus, and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. In 2010, Shawn graduated with a B. F. A. in performance and choreography from Belhaven University. Shawn is now a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer in New York City. He trained at Broadway Dance Center, Steps, Peridance, and with artists like Mia Michaels from So You Think You Can Dance. Shawn has performed with over a dozen dance companies throughout the United States and abroad. As a freelance choreographer for more than seven years, he recently won the first round of the NYC XYZ choreography competition and placed runner up in the final round. Shawn's choreography has been featured in Dancing Wheels and the Roxey Ballet. Shawn is the founder and artistic director of Emotions Physical Theatre, a dance company that performs in New York and around the United States. Show Notes: Emotions Physical Theatre - http://emotionsphysicaltheatre.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/emotionsphysicaltheatre/ Email - emotionsphysicaltheatre@gmail.com - Download our free marketing resources at https://wellattended.com/resources

A collaboration between Wright State University and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company is exposing the country to both dance programs. Select Wright State dancers perform with DCDC2, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s repertory-training ensemble. Those students receive scholarship support to train with both Wright State’s dance program and DCDC2. DCDC2 also regularly performs in the Wright State Dance Ensemble’s spring concert. “The partnership between Wright State and DCDC has helped me grow as an artist because I’m able to pull from two separate organizations,” said Alexis Brtiford, a Wright State alumna who performed with DCDC. Britford was the female lead in DCDC’s Bessie Award-winning performance of “Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder,” which the company performed at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. 2016 Wright State graduate Elizabeth Ramsey recently joined DCDC’s first company in July. “It’s my dream and I’m so happy every day,” she said. “It’s a wonderful thing to see the dance majors being successful, whether they enter DCDC or Broadway. We have a lot of people working musical theatre, yet they take the same ballet and modern classes that train those DCDC dancers. It’s very humbling,” said Teressa Wylie, professor of dance at Wright State.

Curtiss' first brush with the stage was at the age of 10, and years later the acting bug was in full force when Curtiss landed the lead role in his high school performance of Carousel with the Muse Machine. This experience led to countless high school plays, a career at the famed Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and a full scholarship to Mount View Theatre School in London England, where he truly honed his craft with some of the greatest acting minds of the english theatre. After completion of his studies he headed to New York City and has not looked back ... Curtiss’ resume boasts two Broadway shows, countless guest stars on such shows as House of Cards, The Good Wife, Person of Interest, Law & Order, the Sopranos, and Rescue Me ... just to name a few ... Curtiss is also a commercial favorite. He has also worked with some of the biggest Hollywood names in the business: Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Andy Garcia, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sir Ben Kingsley, Richard Gere, Tim Roth, the late Sydney Pollack and the great Martin Scorsese. Visit www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP…WyjLebAdv3YGXdfoF to view Curtiss' latest project, COUNSELOR. HOW THEY DID IT is produced in partnership with Pregame Magazine. Our theme music is by Girls Like Bass. Podcastsuccessactor Released by: Darbi Worley

Darbi talks with actor Curtiss Cook. Curtiss' first brush with the stage was at the age of 10, and years later the acting bug was in full force when Curtiss landed the lead role in his high school performance of Carousel with the Muse Machine. This experience led to countless high school plays, a career at the famed Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and a full scholarship to Mount View Theatre School in London England, where he truly honed his craft with some of the greatest acting minds of the english theatre. After completion of his studies he headed to New York City and has not looked back ... Curtiss’ resume boasts two Broadway shows, countless guest stars on such shows as House of Cards, The Good Wife, Person of Interest, Law & Order, the Sopranos, and Rescue Me ... just to name a few ... Curtiss is also a commercial favorite. He has also worked with some of the biggest Hollywood names in the business: Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Andy Garcia, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sir Ben Kingsley, Richard Gere, Tim Roth, the late Sydney Pollack and the great Martin Scorsese. Visit https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPCrvyN_DZgxI8faWyjLebAdv3YGXdfoF to view Curtiss' latest project, COUNSELOR. HOW THEY DID IT is produced in partnership with Pregame Magazine. Our theme music is by Girls Like Bass.

Paintings, artifacts and dancing were on display in the Wright State Student Union during the Bolinga Black Art Expo. Sponsored by the Bolinga Black Cultural Resources Center, the expo was one of many Black History Month events taking place at Wright State University. The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company wooed onlookers with performances about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and African American churches. A dozen DCDC dancers performed, including Alexis Britford, a 2009 Wright State performing arts graduate. “I looked up and got a huge grin because it’s exciting to see other people be excited about what your passionate about,” says Britford. For a list of Black History Month events at Wright State visit wright.edu/bolinga.

When I think of the name “Billy Wilson” certain things come to mind immediately. I think of his sparkling career as director and choreographer of “Bubbling Brown Sugar” on Broadway. I am still stunned by his ability to shift from Broadway and back again so readily into making master works for the concert dance stage – Wilson’s works are in the repertory today of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Philadanco (Philadelphia Dance Company) and the Dance Theater of Harlem. I am all warm inside when I remember seeing the lush, rhythmic and striking choreography he created to the music of Dizzy Gillespie for his last work of concert dance, “The Winter in Lisbon” (1992.)  A tour de force, Wilson was a passionate and celebrated dancer during his time as a soloist with the Dutch National Ballet and was later founder of the Dance Theater of Boston. For me, Billy Wilson is one of those names in dance history that is all too often reduced to a footnote that obfuscates his career and contributions to dance at home and abroad.  I am thrilled that his daughter, Alexis Wilson, has stepped up and out to ensure that her father’s legacy survives, all while sharing her own voice and lived experiences with deep integrity. Alexis Wilson’s touching and deeply personal book Not So Black and White (Tree Spirit Publishing, 2012) goes well beyond the commonly known information about her father’s life and work to reveal her experience growing up as the daughter of this dance genius. This book is her memoir, which is at once both a loving homage to her father, a meditation on her life as the biracial daughter of Wilson and a Dutch ballerina (Sonja van Beers) and a narrative that strives for reconciliation of the contradictions that shaped Alexis’s life. Abandoned by her mother at the age of 11, moving through the worlds of ballet and Broadway and navigating her life journey with her father and his chosen life partner (Chip Garnett) are just a taste of what shaped Alexis’s experiences. An accomplished dancer, author, mother and more, Alexis Wilson does what she did not have to do in this book: she pours herself onto the page so that others might have a lens through which to know who her father was beyond the footlights and a look at how race, class, art, love and pain intertwine to create a stunning portrait of her life. This work is at once deeply personal and relevant to the history of 20th century American dance. With a foreword by actor Blair Underwood, Not So Black and White is not to be missed. Today, Alexis Wilson makes her home in Columbus, OH with her two daughters and her husband, Byron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I think of the name “Billy Wilson” certain things come to mind immediately. I think of his sparkling career as director and choreographer of “Bubbling Brown Sugar” on Broadway. I am still stunned by his ability to shift from Broadway and back again so readily into making master works for the concert dance stage – Wilson’s works are in the repertory today of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Philadanco (Philadelphia Dance Company) and the Dance Theater of Harlem. I am all warm inside when I remember seeing the lush, rhythmic and striking choreography he created to the music of Dizzy Gillespie for his last work of concert dance, “The Winter in Lisbon” (1992.)  A tour de force, Wilson was a passionate and celebrated dancer during his time as a soloist with the Dutch National Ballet and was later founder of the Dance Theater of Boston. For me, Billy Wilson is one of those names in dance history that is all too often reduced to a footnote that obfuscates his career and contributions to dance at home and abroad.  I am thrilled that his daughter, Alexis Wilson, has stepped up and out to ensure that her father’s legacy survives, all while sharing her own voice and lived experiences with deep integrity. Alexis Wilson’s touching and deeply personal book Not So Black and White (Tree Spirit Publishing, 2012) goes well beyond the commonly known information about her father’s life and work to reveal her experience growing up as the daughter of this dance genius. This book is her memoir, which is at once both a loving homage to her father, a meditation on her life as the biracial daughter of Wilson and a Dutch ballerina (Sonja van Beers) and a narrative that strives for reconciliation of the contradictions that shaped Alexis’s life. Abandoned by her mother at the age of 11, moving through the worlds of ballet and Broadway and navigating her life journey with her father and his chosen life partner (Chip Garnett) are just a taste of what shaped Alexis’s experiences. An accomplished dancer, author, mother and more, Alexis Wilson does what she did not have to do in this book: she pours herself onto the page so that others might have a lens through which to know who her father was beyond the footlights and a look at how race, class, art, love and pain intertwine to create a stunning portrait of her life. This work is at once deeply personal and relevant to the history of 20th century American dance. With a foreword by actor Blair Underwood, Not So Black and White is not to be missed. Today, Alexis Wilson makes her home in Columbus, OH with her two daughters and her husband, Byron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I think of the name “Billy Wilson” certain things come to mind immediately. I think of his sparkling career as director and choreographer of “Bubbling Brown Sugar” on Broadway. I am still stunned by his ability to shift from Broadway and back again so readily into making master works for the concert dance stage – Wilson’s works are in the repertory today of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Philadanco (Philadelphia Dance Company) and the Dance Theater of Harlem. I am all warm inside when I remember seeing the lush, rhythmic and striking choreography he created to the music of Dizzy Gillespie for his last work of concert dance, “The Winter in Lisbon” (1992.)  A tour de force, Wilson was a passionate and celebrated dancer during his time as a soloist with the Dutch National Ballet and was later founder of the Dance Theater of Boston. For me, Billy Wilson is one of those names in dance history that is all too often reduced to a footnote that obfuscates his career and contributions to dance at home and abroad.  I am thrilled that his daughter, Alexis Wilson, has stepped up and out to ensure that her father’s legacy survives, all while sharing her own voice and lived experiences with deep integrity. Alexis Wilson’s touching and deeply personal book Not So Black and White (Tree Spirit Publishing, 2012) goes well beyond the commonly known information about her father’s life and work to reveal her experience growing up as the daughter of this dance genius. This book is her memoir, which is at once both a loving homage to her father, a meditation on her life as the biracial daughter of Wilson and a Dutch ballerina (Sonja van Beers) and a narrative that strives for reconciliation of the contradictions that shaped Alexis’s life. Abandoned by her mother at the age of 11, moving through the worlds of ballet and Broadway and navigating her life journey with her father and his chosen life partner (Chip Garnett) are just a taste of what shaped Alexis’s experiences. An accomplished dancer, author, mother and more, Alexis Wilson does what she did not have to do in this book: she pours herself onto the page so that others might have a lens through which to know who her father was beyond the footlights and a look at how race, class, art, love and pain intertwine to create a stunning portrait of her life. This work is at once deeply personal and relevant to the history of 20th century American dance. With a foreword by actor Blair Underwood, Not So Black and White is not to be missed. Today, Alexis Wilson makes her home in Columbus, OH with her two daughters and her husband, Byron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I think of the name “Billy Wilson” certain things come to mind immediately. I think of his sparkling career as director and choreographer of “Bubbling Brown Sugar” on Broadway. I am still stunned by his ability to shift from Broadway and back again so readily into making master works for the concert dance stage – Wilson's works are in the repertory today of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Philadanco (Philadelphia Dance Company) and the Dance Theater of Harlem. I am all warm inside when I remember seeing the lush, rhythmic and striking choreography he created to the music of Dizzy Gillespie for his last work of concert dance, “The Winter in Lisbon” (1992.)  A tour de force, Wilson was a passionate and celebrated dancer during his time as a soloist with the Dutch National Ballet and was later founder of the Dance Theater of Boston. For me, Billy Wilson is one of those names in dance history that is all too often reduced to a footnote that obfuscates his career and contributions to dance at home and abroad.  I am thrilled that his daughter, Alexis Wilson, has stepped up and out to ensure that her father's legacy survives, all while sharing her own voice and lived experiences with deep integrity. Alexis Wilson's touching and deeply personal book Not So Black and White (Tree Spirit Publishing, 2012) goes well beyond the commonly known information about her father's life and work to reveal her experience growing up as the daughter of this dance genius. This book is her memoir, which is at once both a loving homage to her father, a meditation on her life as the biracial daughter of Wilson and a Dutch ballerina (Sonja van Beers) and a narrative that strives for reconciliation of the contradictions that shaped Alexis's life. Abandoned by her mother at the age of 11, moving through the worlds of ballet and Broadway and navigating her life journey with her father and his chosen life partner (Chip Garnett) are just a taste of what shaped Alexis's experiences. An accomplished dancer, author, mother and more, Alexis Wilson does what she did not have to do in this book: she pours herself onto the page so that others might have a lens through which to know who her father was beyond the footlights and a look at how race, class, art, love and pain intertwine to create a stunning portrait of her life. This work is at once deeply personal and relevant to the history of 20th century American dance. With a foreword by actor Blair Underwood, Not So Black and White is not to be missed. Today, Alexis Wilson makes her home in Columbus, OH with her two daughters and her husband, Byron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies