Presented by the College of Liberal Arts in collaboration with The Black Intellectual Groundworks (B.I.G.)
STAY SANE, A Quarantine Dance Performance: Screening and Conversation with Creator AUSTYN RICH
Moderated by Prof. Rossen Ventzislavov
On Thursday, March 25th, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm.
On April 16, 2020, dancer/choreographer AUSTYN RICH staged an illegal outdoor performance in Los Angeles for a car-bound audience. Titled STAY SANE, the event was billed as a “Drive-In Performance Experience and Celebration in Response to the Death of the Proscenium.” Woodbury University’s own Prof. Rossen Ventzislavov helped organize the performance and wrote an account of the process, which was recently published in the journal Tripwire. On March 25, 2021, the CoLA-Verse event series and the Black Intellectual Groundworks will co-host a screening of “STAY SANE” and a conversation with the artist.
AUSTYN RICH is from Smyrna, Georgia. He has performed in works of d. Sabela grimes, Lula Washington, Ligia Lewis, William Forsythe and Bill T. Jones and filmed works of Solange Knowles and Julien Christian Lutz (Director X). He is currently working on a short-film set to premiere at the Dance Camera West’s Festival in 2022.
BACKGROUND MATERIALS TO PREPARE FOR THE DISCUSSION:
WATCH:
READ:
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
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Why is it urgent to make art in times of crisis?
- How does dance redefine public space?
- When do you know your work is ready to share with an audience?