“Technically stunning and emotionally raw.” (Reggie Wilson) —New York Times Magazine
“Choreographers like Ouamba . . . refute any assigned third world identity, claiming their rightful place on stage as contemporary artists.” —The Dance Insider
Delving deeply into the vocal sounds, movement, and visual and emotional landscapes of African American and African culture, The Good Dance unearths strong connections between America’s Mississippi River delta and Central Africa’s Congo River basin. A landmark three-year collaboration, this Walker-commissioned world premiere links American dance/theater-maker Reggie Wilson and his Brooklyn-based Fist & Heel Performance Group with Congolese contemporary dance creator Andréya Ouamba and his award-winning Senegal-based Compagnie 1er Temps Danse. Receiving nearly universal critical acclaim in recent years, Wilson makes work that is “infectiously joyous . . . [where] the sacred and the secular inform each other, and dance and music become a single art based on pulse and breath” (Village Voice).
Walker Commission