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A choreographer and dancer drawn to
contemporary social issues, Ray Sullivan feels a responsibility
to speak out against injustice on an international scale.
“Raising
awareness is the first step in inciting change,” says Sullivan,
the founding director of the Miami Contemporary Dance Company.
His latest choreography, Your Blood, My Blood: AIDS in Africa
Project, will make its debut tonight with a second show tomorrow
at the Colony Theatre in
Miami Beach.
“Very
much in the same way actors in Hollywood have recently helped
bring to light the genocide in Darfur, I believe that artists
from all different genres can help raise awareness about the
AIDS crisis in Africa,” continues Sullivan. The performance aims
to ensure that audience members leave with a heightened sense of
awareness of the search for a cure for the virus. Hopes are that
the show will get people talking about the largest present-day
public health issue and the role that the international
community can play.
Powerful
imagery, colorful and intricate costumes, sound bites of human
rights speeches, an inspiring soundtrack of African melodies
support nine dancers performing with an unrelenting intensity
during a two-act performance. Combining modern dance with
African movements creates a visually complex and stunning scene.
An active red ticker shown as the backdrop in the second act of
the show is meant to highlight the rapidly increasing numbers of
those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.
According to Sullivan, the disease now affects an estimated 29.4
million people in Africa, two-thirds of the globally reported
HIV/AIDS-related cases.
“I feel
very fortunate that my choreography attracts a core audience who
are a diverse mix of people, just like my dancers and the
subject matters I have chosen for my repertory of works.
Audiences are looking for art that goes beyond just
entertaining,” says Sullivan. Previous performances have tackled
topical subjects from domestic abuse (House Play), to the
9/11 tragedy (Signs of Life), to the natural disasters in
the Gulf Coast and Southeast Asia (Asiasong on Our Soil).
His dancers hail from Cuba, Haiti, Romania, California and
Argentina, among other places, and have training in a variety of
dance styles.
Sullivan
believes that the “heavy topic matter” this time around won’t
overwhelm theatergoers. “I never let myself fall into the common
trap of underestimating the intelligence of my audience,” says
the artistic director. “In this case, I have to believe that if
everyone were more aware of the urgency of the situation, the
number of people who care would greatly outweigh those who
don’t. I have to believe this.”
To learn
more visit www.aidsandafrica.com.
Your
Blood, My Blood: AIDS in Africa Project
will be performed at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 26, and Friday,
April 27, at the Colony Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach.
Admission is $25-$30. Call 305-538-2988 or visit
www.miamicontemporarydance.org. |
