Ancient Futures 1
May 1996
An international season of black contemporary dance from USA, Jamaica and the UK.
L’Acadco Jamaica
Forces of Nature USA
IRIE! dance theatre UK
Rude Girls Party
1995/96
The temple of women is located in a small village far away from the city. Each of the women possesses special qualities by which they are named – Strength, Purpose, Pain & Passion. They have the guardian of the music, to protect the music and stop it from being used to cause harm. We witness their adventure and share their experiences as they endeavour to protect their gifts from being tainted by the cruel realities of life. We journey with them through joy, anguish, hope and madness.
Choreography Beverley Glean & The Company
Poems Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze
Music Zozo, Jubal
Costumes Usuela Bomshell
Dancers Ayo Jones, Bolaji Badejo, Christy Adesina & Sharon Sterne
BMW
1994/95
For many years BMW (‘black man’s wagon’) has been associated in the black community with black men on wheels. IRIE! has designed it’s very own 94/95 Model, registration IRIE! 10. History has shown black men being forced to walk with hunched shoulders bowed heads and shortened stride. BMW (Black Men Walking) looks at how we as a people have progressed to date.
Choreography Beverley Glean
Music arranged/ KM Bass Production Team
Composed by
Dancers David Sutton, Curtis Agard & Hughie Donegan
The Burial of Miss lady
1994/95
Miss lady is an archetypal bad woman of her village, not liking anybody, especially girl children. Yet no one ever knows all of someone else’s story. It’s one hour to midnight. Miss Lady dead, but she ain’t gone – at least not yet. Spirits roam and question as the story of her life is told at, ‘The Burial of Miss Lady’.
Script Merle Collins
Choreographer Beverley Glean
Music Arranged &
Composed by Dominique Legendre
Singers Jax Williams & Jacqui Maxwell
Musicians Ellison McDaniel Arttison (cellist) Zozo Shuaibu & Tony Reid
Dancers Sharon Sterne & Dalh
Story Behind the Song
1993/94
An exciting blend of music, dance, games, songs and riddles. We follow the story of Yam, a young girl suddenly thrown into a mystical journey of self-discovery and the importance of her own cultural heritage, as it relates to her life in modern day Britain.
Choreography H Patten
Sound & Lighting Matt Shadder & Steve
Costume Design H Patten
Music – Drummers Zozo Shuaibu, Gary, Tafari, Tony Reid
Dancers The company – (MICHAEL SPAULDING, DAVID SUTTON, SHARON STERNE, ANNETTE CROOKS, JULET CODLIN, ELEANOR AYODELE JONES, FITZGERALD ‘CURTIS’ AGARD & PRINCE ‘DAN’ MORGAN)
AGBARA
1992/93
The piece looks at the intoxication of power and the way it has been used and misused in Black societies. ‘AGBARA’ (a Yoruba word meaning power), is itself a very powerful dance evoking the potency of African drumming and dance.
Choreography Peter Badejo
Costumes Marcia Morgan
Music- Drummers Zozo Shuaibu, David Oladunni, Tafari, Tony Reid
Dancers The company – (HUGHIE DONEGAN, OPAL SCOTT, RAYMOND WILKS, MICHAEL SPAULDING, SHARON MATHURIN, LATI, TYRONE CARROLL)
The Black Spirit
1992/93
Freedom Suite
Explores different themes and aspects of freedom, transformation, exhilaration, pain and joy, spontaneous expression and impressions. Continuing to develop the fusion of the IRIE!’s style the work will take the audience on a journey of awareness.
Choreography Albie Ollivierre & Raymond Wilks
Dancers Sharon Sterne, Latifat Saka, Opal Scott, Tyrone Carroll and Hughie Donegan