Kate Santini ’27
Chief News Editor
The Prior Performing Arts Center was delighted to host world renowned choreographer Camille A. Brown, and her team of professional dancers, for a performance of their original showcases Turf (2017) and I AM (2024). Holy Cross students and staff, along with members of the wider Worcester community, were invited to witness this one-of-a-kind show that celebrates African American culture and heritage through expressive choreography.
Throughout her career, Camille has worked with various contemporary dance companies and artists including Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, Rennie Harris, the Alvin American Dance Center, and more. Founded in 2006, Camille A. Brown & Dancers (CABD) takes inspiration from Camille’s past experiences working with African and musical theater styles of dance. Since its inception, the company has toured globally, performing in theaters such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Joyce Theater, and the Lincoln Center Out of Doors, and has performed at various festivals including the American Dance and Belfast festivals.
Over the years, CABD has received a considerable amount of praise. The Winsted Journal once wrote, “Camille A. Brown is a student of history and raconteur. Her dances tell stories of historical movements and of ordinary lives in a particular place in time…the effect is both dynamic and elegant.” In the same vein, the Times Union also wrote of Camille A. Brown saying, “Her style is a ‘jambalaya’ of sorts…incorporating her love of theater, books, films and music – from 1930s jazz to hip-hop – as well as history, current events and close observations of daily life.”
The showcase at the PAC was no different. The first act, Turf, followed two African American men as they navigated urban life together. The crowd watched enthusiastically, with hoots, hollers, and exclamations of shock, as the men danced their way through the trials and tribulations of city life. Parts of the act exuded a sense of playfulness, while other parts captured moments of sexual vulgarity, and others, moments of desperation and pain. Beyond offering a critique on city life, Turf aims to capture the essence of black masculinity in modern life.
This act was followed by a performance of I AM. Centered around themes of identity and cultural celebration, I AM is a lively showcase that fuses jazz music with hip-hop styles of dance. This act incorporated live orchestral renditions of iconic songs such as “Gypsy (La Da Dee) [Homeless] Women” by Crystal Waters and “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need To Get By” by Method Man ft. Mary J. Blige. Unlike the previous act, it featured an ensemble of eleven professional dancers, both male and female, who alternated moving on and off stage. According to the show’s program, I AM is a continuation of Camille’s “explorations of Black joy.” It incorporates “various dance genres of the African Diaspora” and “[conjures] new ways of being in this world” by imagining “a creative space for cultural liberation.”
Danielle Ford ‘27, Dance minor and member of the Holy Cross Dance Ensemble, commented that the showcase “was very inspirational” and found it remarkable that “Camille Brown was able to combine modern and hip-hop dance styles in a way that was cohesive and avoided appearing disjointed.”
Looking ahead, the PAC is eager to host more award-winning artists including violinist Johnny Gandelsman, who will be performing his show “This is America” on September 26th, along with best-selling poet and essayist, Aimee Nezhukumatahil, who will be visiting on October 3rd. The PAC hosts a diverse pool of artists who aim to inspire and entertain through a variety of art forms. The 2024-2025 schedule is packed with productions of all sorts, so be sure to stay tuned for emails and on-campus advertisements of upcoming performances. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy at the PAC.
Featured image courtesy of College of the Holy Cross
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