I hold the memory of BCM dear,
Sade Barnwell & Frankie Lee Peterson, III
not just because of the excitement and verve of community rallying around the festival that particular year, cheering on the eclectic array of works performed, and not just because I was one of the emerging choreographers who debuted on that stage, but because it was a time we thought of as a singular moment—the one time that BCM programmed only Bay Area choreographers for this renowned festival. I remember the synergy that was conjured, as well as what was catalyzed in that weekend of BCM. It was a pivotal happening that would reveal the need for all of us Black choreographers to create a coalition, keeping us connected and supporting each other going forward. As important and galvanizing as this moment was for all of us, I’ve come to realize that this memory reveals much more than a moment or weekend of BCM. That moment happened because of what inspired its founding producer, Dr. Halifu Osumare. In her book Dancing in Blackness: A Memoir, she writes: “Looking back, one run-out performance project was a turning point in my career: Dance Black America (1983). This was the first time that I had been part of a Black dance program that convened dance with humanities in a thorough way, and this fascinated me. It planted an internal seed that would eventually allow me to start my own com- prehensive black dance initiative by the end of the decade.”
BY LAURA ELAINE ELLIS
50
50 in dance WINTER 2025
WINTER 2025 in dance 51
In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
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