AFROLOGICAL NEWSLETER: hope floats

AFRONAUTS! The last ten days have been harrowing, to say the least. Actually, let's make that 15. Amidst it all, you lovely, freakish wonderful artists have been giving it your all, no matter what. Let's not confuse this with going all Nero. No, this drive to create, to perform, is grounded in the belief that all that makes us human is at its best when we are surrounded, suffused in beauty. So I want to personally thank everyone who insisted that the show must go on. My body couldn't on more than one occasion. A hazard of the job, I suppose, when the job is to know more than you can possible do anything with. However, during these days of major transformation, precipitation, and annihilation, I have become clear that the job of an artist right now is not to witness but to manifest. This, fellow travelers is precisely why artistic production, research, expression and output is under such intense attack in the United States right now, why it is outlawed in Belarus, why it is under surveillance in Indonesia. This is also why it is integral to daily life in places like Brazil, Senegal, and Israel but channeled through official organs of the state. It is why it is in flight in Guinea once again, why it is being disappeared in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Syria and Palestine. It is also the core expression of the Jasmine Revolution in Egypt, the stupendous face off in Wisconsin and all the gatherings of people inspired by manifestation of change through the art of being human. Being love.

I know, I never do two paragraph intro to these newsletters, but there is a lot to ponder. This year Holi, Nowruz, the Equinox and a super moon all coincided. Nowruz is likely the inspiration for Easter, as it means "new light," and is associated with the return of spring. It is the Persian New Year. Holi is a festival of color in India. COLOR! People throw perfume and color and at each other and sing and dance, bathed in the rainbow. With the moon so superduper close to the earth and all these colorful festivals going on I was reminded of two things: 1) a scene from the Kurosawa film, Dreams, where the worst has happened and the nuclear meltdown has occurred--colored gas alerts people to the stages of their death; 2) Aida Wedo, the boa constrictor that holds up the world has a multicolored belly so when we look up and see the rainbow, we are looking at its belly. In death there is art; there is beauty in the transition. As Dr. Seuss said, "don't be sad that it is over, be glad that it happened." So here we are at metaphorical, political, epistemological, and if they bury those darn reactors soon, physical endings. We can no longer believe that having someone else, or a group of them, represent us is a viable way to conduct living. To profit is not human; to share is human, is the primary primate mandate. And yes, it is profitable to share, but we must begin thinking beyond humans, beyond animals, beyond plants; we must even share with microbial worlds. Not extraterrestrial but intercellular. In all of this, the drive to create is glorious and necessary, central to our very survival. Don't stop, git it, git it.

 

Afrolicious. Afrodelic. Afronautical. Afrologica. Fractal, improvisational, polemical, pedagogical, neurochemical, inspirational... that's the Logic of the Afro. Sign up, read up, be up. How big is your 'fro?

 

BLOWIN BACK DA 'FRO spring has sprung in the midst of a torrential downpour for us here in southern california at exactly the same time the nuclear plume from a beleaguered Japan was to reach us. Let's light it up! Let you "exceptionally low dose" of radiation be your super fuel. We are all mutants now. As Seth Godin said last week in his newsletter, "don't wait to get picked by someone, pick yourself." Werd.

 

The Garage, 975 Howard St. (Between 5th and 6th streets), San Francisco, CA Friday March 25 8pm – Saturday March 26, 2011 10pm

Tim Rubel Human Shakes performance

Tim Rubel and Rogelio Lopéz will show an excerpt from Tim Rubel Human Shakes' evening length work-in-progress, "Eroticize This!" The piece weaves the audience down a humorous path filled with erotic desire, exotic fantasy and fun at the beach.  The human desires for love and connection to others, are presented in direct relation to how queer individuals are eroticized and exoticized by a heteronormative public.

With New works by Harvey Rabbit and Kevin Seaman as well.

 

 

Dances Made to Order

 Here is a chance to get some swag by co-creating a dance for film with a choreographer and their dancers. http://dancesmadetoorder.com/41d1c3/ New Project of Kingsley Irons. Mr. d. Sabela Grimes is on the line up of he first round, looks verrrrrry interesting. Sign up. Voting begins April 1. Which kinda has me wonderin'…

 

 Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica 

SUNOH! TELL ME, SISTER, Friday & Saturday, 8 PM; Sunday 2 PM; April 1-3; $20 tix

 

Shaymyla wants you to come out and see how some diaspora artists get down over the 'net. The PostNatyam collective's latest work is meta: it's about how they make work being high powered, transnational globetrotting women.

 

 

The Alexandria Hotel,  501 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013 in the King Edward ballroom

Anatomy Riot #40

presented in partnership with the Blankenship Ballet at the Alexandria

Monday , April 11, 2011, 8:00pm; tickets $10 at the door ~ no reservations

"For April's 40th edition of Anatomy Riot, we are going old school and featuring choreographers over 40. Co-curated by Ilaan Egeland Mazzini and Lionel Popkin, the evening is designed to look where we are going, recognize where we are, and give props to where we've been."

featuring:

Rosanna Gamson, David Hurwith, Ilaan Egeland Mazzini, Lionel Popkin, Wendy Rogers, Susan Rose

 

Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE)

6522 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA Thursday Apr 14 7pm – 8:30pm

What Did I Do to Be So Black and...

“What Did I Do to Be So Black and…” is a surrealistic and satirical meditation on a controversial alternative lifestyle: blacks and gays in the Republican Party. This new interdisciplinary work will feature live performance and video by Paul Outlaw, as well as sculptural costume and prop pieces by Curt LeMieux. "What Did I Do to Be So Black and..." is the final performance of SO FUNNY IT HURTS, a four-night performances series about satire and the subconscious. This is the first show produced by NATIVE STRATEGIES, a new LA-focused performance art showcase and journal initiated by Brian Getnick, Zemula Barr and Molly Sullivan. The performance will be followed by a Q&A with Paul Outlaw, Curt Lemieux and other SO FUNNY IT HURTS participating artists.

For more information please go to
www.welcometolace.org "What Did I Do to Be So Black and..." is funded in part by an ARC grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation.

 

The Landmark

10850 WEST PICO BLVD, West Los Angeles, CA, Wednesday April 27 6:30pm – Saturday April 30, 2011 9:30pm

4th LOS ANGELES BRAZILIAN FILM FESTIVAL - LABRFF 2011

Celebrating its 4th anniversary, the Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival- LABRFF will take place at The Landmark in West Los Angeles from April 27th - May1st. 

LABRRF will showcase over 30 films from Brazil. The festival will offer free seminars, workshops and opportunity to network with a lot of Brazilian directors and producers. For more information please send an email to info@labrff.com TICKETS FOR THE OPENING NIGHT WILL BE ON SALE SOON. 

 

and finally, save the dates and get ready for a road trip all you rumberas/os! Fri May 13 8pm – Sat May 28, 2011 7th Annual CubaCaribe Festival

 

 

QUERIES

Dance Truck

Dance Truck needs a SOD Sponsor--that's right, 1500 square feet of sod.
It will be used at The Goat Farm Atlanta in a performance by choreographer Blake Beckham. It can then be re-purposed for someone's front yard, a mini golf course, or a dry patch in Piedmont Park....
Anyone have a lead?

itch

Call for submissions: In this year of the rabbit and itch's 5th anniversary, we offer up an invitation to talk about celebrations, new modes of protest and approaches to making a mark in the world. Let's bring back the soft, meandering clarity of our childhood minds as a force for re-conceiving the past, present and future. Dream us up a fable, a drawing, or share your research, first-hand experiences or future fantasies. Read complete call http://www.itchjournal.org/itch_dance_journal/thirteen.html

 

 

 

 

ONGOING CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Babacar is back for another installment of his ferocious Sunday (3/27) djembe class at Crenshaw Yoga and Dance, 5426 crenshaw blvd., Los Angeles, CA. $15 at the door. Advanced Senegalese, so you will know whether or not you can dance.

Economic Dance Relief with Alexandria Yalj -self producing performance artist with an MFA in choreography from CalArts. If she is not chasing the sun regardless of direction, she's probably diligently coordinating the next Collective Movement. Classes are $12 @ the Electric Lodge 1416 Electric Avenue Venice, CA 90291. Saturdays, 2:30 - 4:30 PM. Carpool!

 

Kati Hernandez, human volcano, is launching a 4 week Rueda de Casino intensive in Eagle Rock 4210 Panamint Street (on the corner of Eagle Rock Blvd.) Los Angeles, CA 90065 (gorgeous studio, btw) Saturdays March 26- April 16th, 11:00 am -1:00 pm; $20/door or $75 prepaid for the series. Pre-pay at any of Kati's classes or contact Kati @ happyhappykati@yahoo.com She will be joined by her dance partner Duane Wreen. This is too hot to miss.

 

In Chicago, my girl Meida McNeal brings it with a special series of talks, investigations, classes and performances (whew) called To Art & Profit. Next installment is at the Elastic Arts , 2830 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, March 20. http://toartandprofitpanelweek1-efbevent.eventbrite.com

Congolese dance class is back in So. Cal with Patrick Ssenjovu and Anna Scott! @ InFocus Wellness Institute, 719 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA; Fridays, 7:30 PM, by donation.

 

ACTION

The Department of Cultural Affairs keeps coming up for the chopping block. This time, before the battle even got going, Mayor Tony Toni Toné hastily wrote a letter of support stating that he had no plans to cut the DCA, that an independent review recommended it, but he stands by the Arts. So by all means, keep writing him and calling him to remind him that he said that as the budget process continues. We all know how fickle he can be. For info on how to take action on this and other important art policy issues in LA, please join Arts4LA. They rock.

OK, Dance for Democracy, or the Double D Movement is still rolling. I have personally avoided buying any new Lycra items and have received a few reports from friends that they too are foregoing new Lycra. Why are we doing this? Did you know that your Lycra purchases are helping to end your democracy? The Koch Brothers own the Lycra brand (along with many many others) and are channeling your money into the war chests of ill-prepared and government-hating Tea Party Members, most of whom have no idea what democracy means, let alone what the intent of the Koch Brothers truly is. We are being forced into a constitutional crisis and eventually, the end of our government. Why would you want to pay for that? So no more spiffy new Lycra fabrics--buying used is acceptable--but my research has revealed that Lululemon does not use Lycra in its products. Take that evil corporate conglomerate! Do you have a Double D story? Post it here: http://doubleddance.tumblr.com/ 

 

Lovely!

Wow. I could just stay asleep for days, but I don't own a TV (ba dum dum). Really, right now, it is tempting to crawl into the comfort of a good story that you are certain is fictional. Did you really sign up to be a character in a tragicomedy about environmental degradation; or an everyday hero in an epic about the human condition and the tendency to strive towards aspirations for success for the many? You decide, but you can't do that in front of the screens. get out your magic pens, AKA your feet, and write your new tale upon the skin of the earth, She's due a massive dance massage. 

 

in love, 

-Anna

Realistic Magical Negro Action Figures

Today on Uprising with Sonali Kohudkar, a guest (Clark Newhall) frothed at the mouth, expressing his anguish that we had "voted for Obama for a revolution and he is not delivering," or something equally emotional like that. They were discussing the merits of the Affordable Health Care Act. A bit later, looking through my Face Book newsfeed, a friend had posted a qoute from an editorial in the NYT. Here it is verbatim: "President Obama owes the democracy protesters being attacked in Egypt – and our own history and values – a much more forceful statement deploring the recent crackdown." NY Times

What followed that post were three vitriolic responses about Obama and his empty promises, our support of Mubarak because we are addicted to oil, and Obama's absence on the issue of Egypt. These characters, and many others in this particular circle of "friends" like to refer to people who support Obama as Obamatrons. You might think I am talking about a bunch of wild and red Tea Party Republicans, but I am not (but dont get me started on those friends of mine or the Black Power Traditional African religion folks). At least I think I am not. You see, these folks also routinely talk about fight the power, power to the people, listen to Patty Smith, support Wikileaks and 350.org. This is the radical left.

And just like the speaker on Uprising, they are childish racists, and don't even know it.

 

Mommy, I want a Magical Negro for Christmas!

We did in fact vote in a revolution with the presidency of Barack Obama. Who can forget people singing the sporting "goodbye" song as W. boarded that helicopter with a bewildered look on his face? Who can forget all the YOUTH turning out the vote among their friends? All the Independents swinging to the tune of the Democrats? The rebellious antics of Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show as their writers and actors made it known what they thought of the status quo? Shepard Fairey's theft of an AP photo turned into an iconic poster creating a visual for all our hope for said revolution? We had our uprising, we toppled a WAY of governing, but we did not hunker down and do the grinding work of dismantling the system of governance in order to secure a new pathway for meeting our obligations to each other as citizens of a nation state.

We revolted at our own revolution, balked at the idea that now begins the real work. Well, some of us knew better, but we could not get you guru-chasing fools to listen. When we tried to explain that if we did not send laws to Congress that dealt with the more egregious aspects of our system of laws and governance, Obama would be forced to compromise quite a bit to get things done, a majority of you said, "but W. did whatever he wanted." W. Bush should have also been impeached and sent to prison for life, or did you forget that part?

I am a bit snarky because I was hoping that it would not come back to race, that this time, it would actually be that Obama is a hack, and his party is full of strategists that are trying to play a long game to the detriment of the short. But alas, as the blame pours in and the vitriol continues from either side, ignorance seems to be the main culprit driving the divisive activities, well anti-activities. Sitting around pontificating on the internet is often the most active non-activity one can manifest. This ignorance is not only a clear inability to understand how many different "governments" our country has running at any given time on our own soil for the sake of organizational structures, the flow of capital, and the management of resources over time; it is also an ignorance of the power of black skin.

We are not going to be redeemed the Shawshank way. Bagger Vance is not going to help us improve our world dominance game. We will not be put in touch with the ghosts of our great presidents of the past so that we can come to some sort of national emotional healing and move forward into the best era our republic has ever known. Barack Obama is not a life-size Magical Negro action figure. He is a public servant who had the expectation, perhaps misplaced, that people would interact with him as if he were a person and not a super hero who does not obey the laws of physics.

 

Revolution of the Mutants

Globally, the uprising we launched here in the US in 2008 continues. The mid-term elections have shown that most people born after 1974 have no idea what "civics" are because they did not get to study it in school (or because they watched Ronald Reagan warp the concept for most of their young life) and thus were not psychologically prepared to continue to evolve the uprising into a stable, systemic change. People like me born in 1969 are mostly discovering that we are in sideways leadership positions, straddling the paradigm shift, bridging The Social Networked Gen with the takers and haters of the Free Speech movement (I just thought y'all should know that is how e experience y'all) while all we want to do is live on The Big Blue Marble in Space and play with our beloveds, where ever they are in the world. It falls to all of us, not just a carmel-colored super-eloquent basket-ball-playin statesman. Around the world, the unlikely candidate is being voted in with great hopes that their outsider perspective, their lack of contacts on the inside of the machine will be the saving grace of the people voting for them. But what a shame to throw our best talent and all our hopes into the belly of the beast! Time to tame the beast and put it out to pasture.

Youth uprisings occurring right now across the so-called Muslim world have just awakened to this fact in the last 48 hours: who cares if these 40 year-long autocratic states change "leaders" if corrupt constitutions and systems of surveillance remain in place? What does it matter if Obama had an immigrant father if ICE had a ten year strategic plan and a career technocrat in place when he was elected? Sustainable change is in the details and the temerity to identify the useless components of "tradition." Sometimes the legislation has to be junked. And if anyone should know this, it is the person in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties who has always had not enough of _________ while surrounded by visual clues that there is in fact plenty of IT for everyone. And these folks have invigorated all aspects of their societies; experience not age now drive people to the streets.  They are not having buyer's remorse; they are having that clarity that comes sometimes in the dressing room when you realize the latest fashion is all a ruse, a sham, and obviously not designed for a real body. They are feeling that stomach churn you get after you have agreed to do a performance for someone/thing/ group that is deserving, but you realize as soon as the agreement was struck, all the person wanted was a show, a trifling entertainment, not your art. It is that feeling you get when you walk into the room and you are the only "one" in a mass of "them."

 

Let the mutation of this uprising begin. Let the people understand that we must get back into our working groups on an issue by issue basis and avoid the pitfalls of departmentalization and disciplinary boundaries and come to our own rescue. It is time for us int he US to stop trying to turn everything into a viable, neatly packaged market and stop dividing ourselves by generation. We are all action figures. Some of us have gifts that feel almost like magic, but each one of us can make the impossible possible with the right effort applied at the right time to the right place, Magical Negro or not.