LAFAYETTE, La.—The world premiere of "The Conversation Series" is happening here in Lafayette.
This contemporary dance performance combines technology, interactive gaming, music, fashion and design to inspire courage, hope and a sense of community.
"Are you interested in community? Are you a dreamer? Do you have visions for the future? Have you been through hard times, and you're holding onto hope? This is a place to be in conversation because it is more than just a performance, it's an ongoing conversation."
That's from Helanius Wilkins, a national award-winning choreographer and dance artist, who is currently based in Boulder, CO, but is a native of Lafayette. As part of his process to create this performance, Wilkins held several community workshops to listen to people's stories. Another is being held at Basin Arts.
"That gathering is for any members of the community who want to come in and share, engage in the conversation with us around belonging, around being a resident of the--of Lafayette, Louisiana and, also, it's a space to reflect," Wilkins says.
The premiere performances are set for next week at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. Here's the trailer:
TRAILER: The Making of "The Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging” from Helanius Wilkins on Vimeo.
"If you love dance, then you should absolutely come to this show, but if you love music, if you love fashion, if you are a civic leader, if you're a community organizer, if you are a teacher, if you, you know, work in the public sector-- anyone that deals with people, which is really all of us--there is something for you on this stage and in this process," says Clare Cook, creative director of Basin Arts.
Each of the two nights is a full-length production featuring a pair of dancers, Wilkins and his creative partner, Brandon Welch, performing in duet. Using pressure sensors, laser technology and experimental techniques from gaming, the performers will extend their performance to engage the stage and their surroundings in an interactive and wholly unique performance.
Both nights will include special guest vocalist Erica Fox, Lafayette native, singer-songwriter.
This work is inspired by a walking practice where Wilkins walked—up to 16 miles a day—to unlearn fear, particularly the fear that separates many people from a true sense of belonging in their own community, a release about the performance states.
As a collaborative, immersive performance by two men with different racial and cultural backgrounds, this project explores the value of bodies of different appearances and experiences coexisting—sharing weight and responsibility, dancing to become better ancestors.
“The Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging” is a performance project that aims to confront and celebrate heritage, resilience, justice, and hope. This performance was developed during a two-week community engagement residency in 2022 hosted by Acadiana Center for the Arts and Basin Arts.
An earlier iteration of the project was named “Best of Denver 2022.”
The development of this performance has received support from several national foundations including New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, National Performance Network, the Boulder Office of Arts & Culture Public Arts Program, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Acadiana Center for the Arts, which is hosting its world premiere.
Each performance will be followed by a Q & A with the artist moderated by Clare Cook, Lafayette native and founder of Basin Arts.
For more information about the work, visit https://www.helaniusj.com/the-conversation-series
Performances will feature a section inspired by conversations with Lafayette residents during the summer of 2022, which included community programs and workshops with Acadiana Center for the Arts, Cité des Arts, Basin Arts, PARC Village, the McComb Veazey Community House, Move the Mindset, and Acadiana Queer Collective.
Wilkins, a native of Lafayette, is an award-winning choreographer, performance artist, innovator, and educator. He lived in Washington, D.C. for 18 years and founded EDGEWORKS Dance Theater, an all-male dance company of predominantly African American men that existed for 13 years (2001 – 2014). To date, Wilkins has choreographed and directed more than 60 works, which includes two critically-acclaimed musical productions for Washington, DC’s Studio Theater – “Passing Strange” (2010) and “POP!” (2011).
For ticket information click here for Thursday, and click here for Friday.
