World premiere debut at the Phillips Center

January 7, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The New York-based dance group, ” Urban Bush Women ” and the Senegalese-based “Compagnie Jant-Bi” join artistic forces for “Les écailles de la mémoire (The scales of memory).” The two dance companies have been working on the production since December 2005 and will present the world premiere at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan.17.

The inspiration for the collaboration came from the company’s two artistic directors, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (Urban Bush Women) and Germaine Acogny (Compagnie Jant-Bi). Both work from a perspective which “uses heightened emotions and magnifies humanity to define form and content,” explains Zollars. “It operates on the basis that there is no identity without community.”

The two companies first met in Senegal in December 2005 to start shaping the work. They met again when Compagnie Jant-Bi travelled to the United States for the New York premiere of their work, “Fagaala.” In June 2007 both companies travelled to the FSU campus in Tallahassee for more creative exploration. While there, they began to focus on three themes – resistance, memory and love – which are important to both cultures.

“Les écailles de la mémoire (The scales of memory)” explores these three themes while highlighting the visceral link between African-Americans and Africans. The piece also considers gender differences and delves into the chasm and similarities between the movement of dancers living in a Muslim country and dancers from a predominantly Christian tradition, of dancers linked by common ancestry but separated by history and geography, and of dancers who study both concert and vernacular dances forms. Since Acogny and Zollar also work in a dialogic manner, wherein specific personal and historical experiences of the cast of 14 will inevitably be included in the work.

Compagnie Jant-Bi was created in 1998 with dancers who had participated in the first professional workshop of the International Centre for Traditional and Contemporary African Dancers, L’Ecole des Sables in Toubab Dialaw, Senegal, under the artistic direction of Germaine Acogny. The company’s first production was “Le Coq es Mort,” by German choreographer Susann Linke and Israeli co-choreographer Avi Kaiswer. Choreographed for eight male dancers, “Le Coq es Mort” toured throughout Europe and North America including Theatre de la Ville in Paris, FIND in Montreal and Jacob’s Pillow and The Kennedy Center in the United States.

Germaine Acogny founded her first dance studio in 1968. Between 1977 and 1982 she was the director of Mudra Afrique (Dakar), created by Maurice Béjart and the president L.S. Senghor. In 1980 she wrote a book, “African Dance,” which has been translated into three different languages. After Mudra Afrique closed, Acogny moved to Brussels to work with Béjart’s company and organized international African dance workshops which had great success among the European audiences. Along with co-choreographer Kota Yamazaki, Acogny was recognized in 2007 with a New York Dance and Performance Award (A BESSIE) for their creation, “Fagaala,” a reflection on the Rwandan genocide.

Urban Bush Women was founded in 1984 by choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Urban Bush Women has performed extensively in New York City and has toured throughout the United States and to Asia, Australia, Europe and South America. Festival appearances include Jacob’s Pillow, Spoleto USA, National Black Arts Festival, Dance Umbrella UK and Lincoln Center Festival. The company has been commissioned by major presenters nationwide and counts among its honors a 1992 New York Dance and Performance Award (A BESSIE), the 1994 Capezio Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance and 1998 and 2004 Doris Duke Awards for New Work from the American Dance Festival.

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She earned a B.A. in dance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and an M.F.A. in dance from Florida State University. In addition to over 30 works for Urban Bush Women, Zollar has created dances for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Arizona, Philadanco, University of Maryland, University of Florida, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) and many others. Zollar was recognized in 2006 with a New York Dance and Performance Award (A BESSIE) for her choreography of “Walking with Pearl…Southern Diaries.”

“Les écailles de la mémoire (The scales of memory)” will make its world premiere at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are: $35, front orchestra and mezzanine; $30, mid-orchestra; $25, rear orchestra; and $20, balcony.

The project was funded in part by the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts, with lead funding from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional funding was provided by The Ford Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and JP Morgan Chase Foundation.

Tickets are available by calling the Phillips Center Box Office at 352-392-ARTS (2787) or 800-905-ARTS (toll-free within Florida) or by calling Ticketmaster at 904-353-3309 or toll free at 800-277-1700. Orders may also be faxed to 352-846-1562. Tickets are also available in person at the Phillips Center Box Office, University Box Office at the University of Florida Reitz Union and all Ticketmaster outlets; and on the web at www.ticketmaster.com. Cash, checks, Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Group tickets are also available.

The Phillips Center Box Office is open Monday – Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. and two hours prior to the performance. Performance dates, times and programs are subject to change.