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Thursday, December 8, 2016

In Context: CITIZEN





Choreographer Reggie Wilson returns to BAM with a brand new work inspired by African-American figures throughout history who chose not to leave their home country in spite of pervasive racism. CITIZEN is a dense and timely work, so to give you greater insight into the production, we’ve compiled resources below. Start with Wilson’s introduction, reading list, and our BAMblog piece for context, then explore the other links for a more in-depth experience. After you've attended the show, let us know what you thought by posting in the comments below and on social media using #ReggieWilson.

Program Notes

CITIZEN (PDF)

Read

Article
CITIZEN—A Note from Reggie Wilson (BAM blog)
An invitation from the creator to consider CITIZEN in the context of our political moment.

Article
CITIZEN—Being and Belonging (BAM blog)
Our BAMblog overview of key inspirations, influences, and historical references for Reggie Wilson’s CITIZEN.

Article
Wilson’s reading list for the piece, originally published on the website for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

Review
Queen of the Harlem renaissance (The Guardian)
A review of Wrapped in Rainbows, the Zora Neale Hurston biography Wilson cites as major inspiration.

Article
A Brooklyn Paper interview with Wilson highlighting his choreographic approach to the piece.

Watch & Listen

Photo Album
African American Photographs Assembled for 1900 Paris Exposition (Library of Congress)
Explore the images from W.E.B. DuBois’ historic exhibit in Paris, American Negro.

Now your turn...

What did you think? Tell us what's on your mind in the comments below and on social media using #ReggieWilson.

1 comment:

  1. My wife and I enjoyed Citizen. All the dancers were very good. It was fascinating to watch their various movements (with and without music), such as running (including backwards), repetitive movements, and staring into the audience. The videos were also very effective and were well integrated into the program. One minor complaint is that the angle of the side screens could have been angled better to allow those sitting on the side rows to get a better view of the videos.

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