Black Bouquet

African American choreography blooms in city parks and theaters

Comments (0) By Elizabeth Zimmer Tuesday, Aug 17 1999

Making "subtle changes."

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Ronald K. Brown, 34 Trained: with Jennifer Muller, Mary Anthony, Bessie Schönberg, Ann Carlson, Judith Jamison. Choreographs for: his own Evidence Dance Company, and other ensembles here and abroad, collecting many awards and fellowships. Collaborates extensively with musicians, artists, writers, and other choreographers. Performs with: Evidence. Artistic strength: From his own remarkably mobile torso he's derived a movement style that literally wrenches the heart while addressing the needs of the spirit. Appearing next: His new Ode to Ellington will be performed by Philadanco at Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center, Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m.; his own troupe performs at the Joyce Theater next month.

Reggie Wilson, 31 Trained: assistant- directed Godspell in high school; at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Styles himself a "lay anthropologist," researching the roots of black religious customs in the American South, the Caribbean, and Africa. Choreographs for: his own Fist and Heel Performance Group; advises African Creative Gender Works, a group of "multisexual African-born people now residing in New York"; works with groups in Trinidad and Zimbabwe. Performed with: Ohad Naharin before injuring his knee; now does storytelling and vocal work with Fist and Heel. Artistic strength: his ability to pull together contradictory realities. Is building an articulate personal movement vocabulary. Has done extensive fieldwork, drawing on traditional music and dance, to create performance art that explores powerful religious and emotional material. Appearing next: In QOQODA, at Dance Theater Workshop's Carnival Series, August 31 and September 1, 9, 10, 18, and 19. Additional reporting by Gus Solomons jr