Chelsea residents Anna Myer and Jay Paris announced this week that they will show their dance performance in Boston next month, and have received a national grant to take the thought-provoking show on the road to Baltimore and New York City.
‘Invisible: Imprints of Racism’ will show for four dates at the Semel Theatre in the Emerson/Tufte Performance and Production Center on March 3, 4, 10 and 11 at 8 p.m. In addition, the duo has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to take the show on tour to Baltimore and New York.
‘Invisible: Imprints of Racism’ is an hour-long piece that explores the embedded psychosocial and racial challenges that permeate life in America. This deeply thoughtful and multidimensional production features nine dancers who mesh their various styles of movement, creating a kinesthetic language influenced by the upbeat energy of Hip Hop and Krump with the alignments of modern dance. Merged with this dynamic group of dancers is a trio of Boston’s top poets whose stories weave simultaneously alongside the movement. The work is followed by a facilitated discussion with the audience, led by Quentin James, an expert on the subject and a trained mediator/facilitator. We want to inspire viewers to think deeply about the challenges of racism but also our shared humanity. Eight of the professional cast members are people of color. The diversity of our company is what drives us to work collaboratively, incorporating the emotionally complex stories that the performance articulates.
‘Invisible: Imprints of Racism’ is the latest work by beheard.world whose mission is to use
film, performing arts and advocacy campaigns to give people and communities transformative ways to be seen and heard. Beheard.world’s creative team of Anna Myer and Jay Paris began working on the piece 18 months ago because of the company’s strong racial diversity and interest in delving into one of the country’s most important and difficult issues. It is the latest of a series of pieces that have given voice to Boston’s inner city and beyond. Although Myer and Paris’s creations have been featured on numerous stages in Boston and New York City, each piece has also been staged on fully lit, inner city basketball courts where high art is rarely presented. Much of their work includes live orchestras and original scores by Boston composers.
The performances of ‘Invisible: Imprints of Racism’ at the Semel Theater marks the piece’s first showing on a Boston stage. It will be followed by performances throughout the region, as well as New York City and Baltimore.
Tickets are $35 and $25 for students and Boston Dance Alliance members. Tickets are available for (617) 824-8000.