Urban Bush Women: Hair & Other Stories Set To Perform Friday As Part Of IGNITE @ the FORD!

By Darlene Donloe

Here’s a tip.  Don’t ever touch a black woman’s hair without permission. Ever!

There is something very special about a black woman’s hair. It’s revered, hated, misunderstood, envied, and mocked. It’s a conversation starter and a mystery to those of other hues.

In Good Hair, the documentary produced and narrated by Chris Rock, comedian Paul Mooney says” “If your hair is relaxed, white people are relaxed. If your hair is nappy, they are not happy.”

It’s interesting to navigate the history of myths surrounding black hair.

The power and notion of hair is explored at 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 30, at the Ford Theatres in Urban Bush Women: Hair & Other Stories, part of IGNITE @ the FORD!, a series comprised of world-renowned contemporary artists whose work is thought- provoking and reflects the world in which we live.

Hair & Other Stories explores disquieting perceptions of beauty, identity and race, and what constitutes the freedom to rise in extraordinary times, which is what they consider the urgent dialogue of the 21st Century.
 
Crafted from personal narratives from communities, kitchens, and living rooms, social media and YouTube, Hair & Other Stories creatively examines structural racism in society, and celebrates the persevering narrative of the African Diaspora in America.

Founded in 1984 by choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Urban Bush Women (UBW) is a company that seeks to bring the untold and under-told histories and stories of disenfranchised people to light through dance. They do this from a woman-centered perspective and as members of the African Diaspora community in order to create a more equitable balance of power in the dance world and beyond.

Throughout its 35 years, UBW has continued to use dance as both the message and the medium to bring together diverse audiences through innovative choreography, community collaboration and artistic leadership development.

Renee Taylor-Foles

I recently caught up with Renee Taylor-Foles, Urban Bush Women’s organizational advancement partner, to talk about the company’s upcoming performance.  In her role she looks at what opportunities will advance the company, i.e., fundraising, board relations, and marketing.

DD:  Talk about Hair & Other Stories.   Why was this experience chosen?

RTF: This is a beautiful work choreographed by Urban Bush Women Artistic Directors Chanon Judson-Johnson and Samantha Speis, and it really looks at how we look at our own image through different lenses, gender, race and how we look at ourselves and each other. We do this by looking through the lens of black women’s hair. We find it’s the entryway to have this important conversation in America right now. It incorporates dance, text, original music, song and also interacting with the audience. This is not an experience that is just observed. Everyone can participate in the conversation.

DD: Let's talk about the black woman in 2019. Who is she?

RTF: That question resides in each one of us. It’s saying this is a question we need to be asking ourselves. How are we seeing black women and are we making that definition for ourselves?

DD: Tell me why UBW is important?

RTF:  We have worked for 35 years to center the stories and histories of women. We do it as the women of the African Diaspora. This has always been our center putting forth these stories. People will see a familiar part of their culture and how they live their lives. It incorporates not just dance, but song and voices and text and theater.

DD:  What makes/keeps UBW relevant?

RTF:  The fact that we continue to have these conversations in communities. We are not closed off. A big part of Urban Bush Women is working in communities, what some call community engagement. We are not just on the concert stage. We meet with communities, we do community work where we have movement conversations. It’s open to people of all abilities, all levels and conversations around the work. We talk to the community about the work.  We have Hair Parties at restaurants, bars, anywhere. 

  

DD: What is a Hair Party?

RTF: A Hair Party is a movement conversation we have between company members and community members. Each company member has designed their own Hair Party. There will be a movement conversation - moving and speaking together around topics like black women’s hair, gender, and race. We do it in a way where people feel open to having those conversations.

DD:  For someone who has never seen the show – describe what they will see.

RTF: They will have an experience to be remembered. They are going to see beautiful choreography and hear original music sung live. The performers are absolutely amazing. They are going to see not just movement on the stage but movement and music. They will have audience participation. It’s not just sitting back and observing.

Urban Bush Women: Hair & Other Stories features new music compositions by The Illustrious Blacks (Manchildblack and Monstah Black) with stage direction by Raelle Myrick-Hodges, dramaturgy by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, costume design by DeeDee Gomes, projection design by Nicholas Hussong, lighting design by Xavier Pierce, and sound design by Everett Asis Saunders. The Company includes Chanon Judson, Courtney J. Cook, Du’Bois A’Keen, Samantha Speis, Stephanie Mas, and Tendayi Kuumba (* on leave), with guest performers Marjani Forté-Saunders and Kesha McKey.

Urban Bush Women: Hair & Other Stories, Ford Theatres, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA; August 30, 2019; 8 p.m.; $25, $35, and $50; Tickets are available online at FordTheatres.org and by phone (323) 461-3673. Proceeds from IGNITE @ the FORD! events benefit the Ford Theatre Foundation.