The lights carried the story just as equally as the dancers on the stage. Illuminating driven-struck movers in the space, the shadows illuminated also, as they told the more solemn side that was edging to be presented. Bodies as Site of Faith and Protest is a magnetizing work by Artistic Director of waheedworks, Tommie-Waheed Evans that attempts to embody the enduring fight of the United States Civil Rights Movement. A period of time so ingrained in our existence; stories, tales and representations at times feel overwhelming to re-submerge, but always fulfilling when a beautiful depiction is brought before us through mediums of art and artful narration that challenge our eyes and transport our consciousness. Dressed in all black atop the dark stage at the Joyce Theatre in lower Manhattan, the company came out stomping, singing and swaying rhythmically to their own sounds. As their vigorous voices absorbed the floorboards, they clapped along in unison. This set the tone of solidarity in the most violent somberness that the audience was preparing to witness for the following 60 minutes.
On a cold night, star Roderick Phifer stepped forward in rigor and strength warming our chests with his lucid presence. Arms rounded to a T, he reminded us of black beauty. Black beauty’s strength, black beauty’s gold, the black beauty that could have been, as we mourn exponentially, ones lost to the senselessness of our eternal plight. Roderick Phifer is a whirlwind of a force, spiraling in perfect turns, endless extensions and melting through the floor. The piece tells the story of Jimmie Jackson and his eventual murder. With the eluding harmonious and mournful sounds of the Latvian Radio Choir, this section of work effortlessly intertwines solos, duets and full company combinations. The section ends with the body of Jimmie Jackson being carried away atop the same bountifulness of the group's opening presence.
In the next section Song Aziza Tucker stuns us with her lines and her passion. The voices of Martha Bass and the Harold Smith Choir only intensify her moment. It was not hard to see what was felt in her soul as she fought on stage to inspire us through her solo, all while her kin lay motionless around her on the stage. These are moments that Tommie Waheed pierces the audience with through his perspective of storytelling the timeless fight of this era. Throughout this work, Tommie-Waheed Evans continually shows the absolute remarkable and divine beauty in bravery, in a world where love is truly hard to see. The dancers, even with their own distinctness, shared many things in common. A breathtaking power, immaculate technique, liquified roundedness in their arms, everlasting turns that beamed to the sky and a deafening melt with every drop to the floor absorbed by their meticulous level transitions. One dancer who, above all these shared qualities, remained defiant in this tale was Zoe Miller, as she stood out amongst the rest. Simultaneously adding her own uniqueness to the movements, it appeared there was nothing she could not do. With pristine technique, she graced the stage and it was hard for us to blink, let alone take our eyes away.
The third section brought us magical duets coupled with the magical voice of Aretha Franklin telling us to come together. Shortly after, we get our first glimpse of color in costume as the stage is lit with notes of red. Up until this point, the costuming has been uniquely black, which carried just over half of the show's full run-time. The power of seeing color on the stage with the power of their stomps as they marched with togetherness transported our feet to the historic time, each member bringing the strength of their steps. From moments of togetherness, the performers would trail off individually or in duets and tell the story of their contribution to the shared struggle. At times fast and rigorous, the choreography showed a generous fight unraveling. We saw the seriousness and sincerity in their eyes as they moved, then went right back to marching along with their brothers and sisters. This intentional aesthetic narration showed that this movement was not made up of collective void bodies but that it was made up of the pain, hope and faith of each individual, one by one. Tommie-Waheed Evans choreographed a movie that at times evoked much emotion as we visually witnessed the dancers fight against resistance and get back up every time, yet again reminding us of the strength we hold as people. It seems Bodies as Site of Faith and Protest was gifted to us for Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, as the show came in perfect timing for his annual celebration or rather, it was gifted as a thoughtful welcoming into Black History month.
In a musically slow-building and colorful final section. Tommie-Waheed Evans ends with augmenting instrumentation illustrating masterfully integrated duets, sentiments rising and solidarity at its epitome. With thoughtful floorplans and beautiful transitions the show carried along a constant fight and reminded us to persevere. We shall overcome is the ringing theme of this work uncovered by the ranging voices of the company themselves as well as the work Tommie-Waheed Evans brought to the stage.
