Afro/Solo/Man

A multi-disciplinary mediation exploring the identities of individual Black men relating to provocative themes like origins, nourishment, heritage, nature, sexuality and technology in the 21st century.  It is a bio-mythography that uses multi-media, dance and storytelling to engage the audience in the personal journeys of two men who questions and investigates the memory, life, death and connection to their ancestors.  This work lies at the nexus of environmental justice, the degradation of the Black family identity, and the government’s role in agricultural and media production. Ultimately, the omnipresence of the men’s mothers slip through time and space in unexpected ways, guiding the men in very different directions. These are not stories of Black men that we think we know. We challenge assumptions, provoke rethinking and are unafraid to take on all of our demons around race, gender, sexuality and “brotherhood”. 

Credits

Video: Forgiveness: The Indispensable Truth promo (Orlando Z Hunter, Jr)

Video: Give Way promo (Ricarrdo Valentine)

Music credits - Acid Blues, Burning Spears, Fountain Hues, Uncle Bill Ray, Laura Mvula, Death, Sizzla, Moses Sumney, LIFE (movie), Michael Smith, Tanzania farm workers, The Abyssinians, Burger King Commercial 1974

Costume credit - Brother(hood) Dance! & Tennille Nakimuli McMillian

Choreographers/ Directors - Orlando Z Hunter, Jr & Ricarrdo Valentine

Dancers: Orlando Zane Hunter Jr, Ricarrdo Valentine 

Musician/ Actor: Jibri Acid Blues St.Vil

Dramaturge: Nadine George-Graves

Text by:Nadine George-Graves, Orlando Zane Hunter, Jr,  Jibri Acid Blues St.Vil, and Ricarrdo Valentine

2020 NY Dance and Performance, The Bessies Honoree for Outstanding Production & Outstanding Visual Design

Afro/Solo/Man was developed in part during a BRIClab Residency at BRIC (Brooklyn, NY)

Afro/Solo/Man was developed in part with assistance from 2015/16 Dancing While Black Fellowship

This work is funded in part by the Maine Humanities Council and Maine Arts Commission as a part of the 2016 Arts & Humanities Grant Program.