A spokesperson for the Urban Bush Women describes their mission and history by saying "...Urban Bush Women burst onto the dance scene in 1984, with bold and exciting works that brought under-told stories to life through the art and vision of award-winning founder, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. The Urban Bush Women Company weaves contemporary dance, music, and text with the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African Diaspora.."
Fighting anti-racism through their art is not a side dish for Urban Bush Women, it is a main course, as this earlier Picture This Post review captures --
Because rewriting, or more accurately erasing, Black history is high on the agenda of those who are spearheading bigoted book banning, Picture This Post asked Urban Bush Women to add their thoughts to this conversation. Read what their spokeswomen have to say below.
"Urban Bush Women is very much concerned with antiracist organizing. In addition to being a concert dance company, we are a body of community organizers. We do this work because we believe that we can. Not we as Urban Bush Women but we as a human body. We believe that we can dismantle racism. We believe that we actually have the capacity to change the world" - Chanon Jusdon, Urban Bush Women Co-Artistic Director
“For me, what I’ve realized,” says Cook, “is that you’ve got to go beneath the surface of what is presented in the history, specifically with regards to Black people.” - Courtney J. Cook, Associate Artistic Director
“We need the stories that Black and Women+ of Color choreographers need to tell with, through, and because of our bodies. To tell these stories we need the critical infrastructures that producing support brings. I am so thankful for the funding and admin support to realize this dream. I want to be a part of changing the narrative of “making a way out of no way” (we know how to do that!) - Instead, let’s see what gets unleashed when we can pave a road of support and deepen the commitment to developing Black Women+ and People of Color into the field of producing. “The way” needs all of us!” — Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Founder & Chief Visioning Partner
For more information and performance schedules, visit the Urban Bush Women website.
