Wylliams / Henry
Contemporary Dance Company
http://www.wylliams-henry.org

September 2008 White Recital Hall

View Slide Show: September 2008

Fall Season 2008 September 11th - 7:30pm, 12th at 8pm - White Recital Hall Performing Arts Center 4949 Cherry St. Kansas City, MO 64110 Map
Tickets (were): $24, $18 & $15 (Student & Seniors)
For more information and tickets call (816) 235-6222 - tickets online

Jerome (Nuney) Stigler, Karah Abiog and Winston Brown in Joy by Milton Myers
Jerome (Nuney) Stigler, Karah Abiog and Winston Brown in "Joy" by Milton Myers


The Program (in performance order)

Joy
Choreography: Milton Myers
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
Costume Design: Milton Myers
Dancers: Karah Abiog, Winston Brown, Holly DeWitt, Tracey Franklin, Torens Johnson, Nijawwon Matthes, Katie Metzger, Caroline Monnerat, Jerome Stigler, Kaely Tieri

Letters Never Sent
Choreography: Erika Randall
Music: Sonnerie de St. Genevieve du Mont-d-Paris by Marin Marais
Costume Design: Erika Randall
Dancers: Chloe Abel, Holly DeWitt, Tracey Franklin, Carolina Monnerat, Kaely Tieri

The Passage
Choreography: DeeAnna Hiett
Restaging Assistant: Winston Brown
Music: VAS and Mickey Hart
Costume Design: Gerard Alexander
Costume Construction: Laura Powell
Dancers: Karah Abiog, Winston Brown, Torens Johnson, Jerome Stigler

To Have and To Hold
Choreography: Shapiro and Smith
Music Commissioned score by Scott Killian
Costume Design: Shapiro & Smith
Costume Construction: Laura Powell
Dancers: Winston Brown, Holly DeWitt, Torens Johnson, Carolina Monnerat, Jerome Stigler, Kaely Tieri

Angelitos Negros
Choreography: Donald McKayle
Music: Manuael Alvarez Maciste
Lyrics: Andres Eloy Blanco
Costume Design: Lea Vivante
Dancer: Karah Abiog
Premiered in 1972 by the Inner City Repertory Dance Company of Los Angeles as part of Donald McKayle's dance suite, "Songs of the Disinhereted."
This work was sponsored by the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation

The City - (Premiere: 1988; Excerpts: Sections 1, 2 & 5)
Explorers the often painful tensions of comings and goings;
meetings and partings;
loves won and lost.
http://www.jmtw.org

Choreographer: Jennifer Muller
Revival Assistants: John Brooks with Tracy Ray Kofford
Original Music: David Van Tieghem
Original Costume Design: William Katz
Costume Design Reconstruction: Kathy Bradford, Barbara England Williams, Gayla Voss
Original Lighting Design: Ken Tabachnick
Dancers: Karah Abiog, Winston Brown, Holly DeWitt, Tracey Franklin, Torens Johnson, Nijawwon Matthews, Carolina Monnerat, Christopher Page, Jerome Stigler, Kaely Tieri


DeeAnna Hiett while directing in-studio rehearsal for City by Jennifer Muller

This will be the first Wylliams/Henry show I can remember in which DeeAnna Hiett was not one of the dancers. She was injured in the last show (May 2008, torn meniscus - a knee injury). Instead she is rehearsal director for this concert.

DeeAnna Hiett directing in-studio rehearsal for City by Jennifer Muller

Directing in-studio rehearsal for "City" by Jennifer Muller.


Nijawwon Matthews in City by Jennifer Muller - Wylliams/Henry Dance 11 Sept 2008 fall concert
Nijawwon Matthews in City by Jennifer Muller

Jerome Stiglar and Torens Johnson in To Have And To Hold by Shapiro and Smith 11 Sept 2008 in Wylliams/Henry fall concert
Jerome Stiglar and Torens Johnson in To Have And To Hold by Shapiro and Smith


Jerome Stiglar in To Have And To Hold by Shapiro and Smith
Jerome Stiglar in To Have And To Hold by Shapiro and Smith

Carolina Monnerat in Joy by Milton Myers - 10 Sept 2008 Wyllilams/Henry fall concert
Carolina Monnerat in Joy by Milton Myers

Carolina Monnerat in Joy by Milton Myers - 10 Sept 2008 Wyllilams/Henry fall concert
Carolina Monnerat in Joy by Milton Myers

The Passage by DeeAnna Hiett - (L-R) Nijawwon Matthews, Kara Abiog (being lifted), Winston Brown, Torens Johnson 10 Sept 2008 Wylliams/Henry fall concert
The Passage by DeeAnna Hiett - (L-R) Nijawwon Matthews, Kara Abiog (being lifted), Winston Brown, Torens Johnson


Expanded notes on "Angelitos Negros"

Karah Abiog in Angelitos Negros by Donald McKayle dancing with Wylliams/Henry for the Fall 2008 concert 11, 12 septembre
Karah Abiog in "Angelitos Negros" by Donald McKayle

Karah Abiog in Angelitos Negros by Donald McKayle dancing with Wylliams/Henry for the Fall 2008 concert 11, 12 septembre

Click here for a more extensive treatment of "Angelitos Negros"

Timeline (in brief) for Angelitos Negros

This poem was very famous in Latin American inspiring song and music.As you attend the program it is nice to know some of the story, the context of the piece. Angelitos Negros dealt with race relations and asks where are the black angels in the cathedral, will you, painters, not paint black angels? It was, and is, well known and widely performed.

(Note: These are in order by date. The order does not always reflect direct development from each last one.)

  • Poem: Date early 40s by Andres Eloy Blanco - Venezualan (mixed race)
  • Voice Performances (distribution): Berta Singerman (Argentinian actor)
  • Set to Music: 1946 Manuel Alvarez Maciste (Mexican actor / singer)
  • Recording (Spain) 1947 Antonio Machin (black Cuban singer): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4VPCoslZ3Y
  • Movie of the name with this song: Mexico, 1948 - Director Joselito Rodríguez - Actor/Singer Pedro Infante plays a father who sings it to his small daughter, born darker than her parents
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8V-EkTeX7U&NR=1
    US recording 1953 Eartha Kitt:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPyQfGah3Vc
    (medley, A.N. is about 2 minutes into it)
  • US recording 1969 Roberta Flack from her "First Take" album
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rENrH20GAPk
  • Movie, (remake?) 1970 with Joselito Rodriquez
  • Television series (telenovela, Mexico) 1970 Writer: Joselito Rodríguez
  • Donald McKayle choreographs "Angelitos Negros": 1972

Lines for the song are taken from the poem by Andres Eloy Blanco and other lines added. For the full poem and a line comparison with the lyrics see the more extensive treatment of this piece.

Painter born in my native land with the foreign brush
Painter that continues the course of all the painters of old
Even though the Virgin may be White, paint little Black angels for me
For they too go to heaven
Painter indeed you paint with love!
Why do you deprecate those of your color,
If you know that in heaven God also loves them?
Painter of saints in the alcoves, if you have a soul in your body
Why have you forgotten those of Black color in your paintings?
Every time you paint a church you paint beautiful little angels
But never have you remembered to paint a black angel.

The same en Español (line by line) - Lines for the song

Pintor nacido en mi tierra con el pincel extranjero
Pintor que sigues el rumbo De tantos pintores viejos.
Aunque la virgen sea blanca Píntame angelitos negros Que
también se van al cielo
( Todos los negritos buenos - line not in the translation above)
Pintor que pintas con amor
Por qué Desprecias su color
Si sabes que en el cielo también los quiere Dios?
Pintor de santos de alcobas si tienes alma en el cuerpo
Por qué Al pintar en tus cuadros te olvidaste De los negros?
Siempre pintas iglesias pintas angelitos bellos
Pero nunca te acordaste de pintar un ángel negro.




City by Jennifer Muller: L-R: Nuney (Jerome Stigler), Carol Monerrat and Kaely Tieri
"City" by Jennifer Muller: L-R: Nuney (Jerome Stigler), Carol Monerrat and Kaely Tieri

Jerome Stigler in City by Jennifer Muller
Jerome Stigler in City by Jennifer Muller

Joy by Milton Myers: (L-R) Carolina Monerrat, Nijawwon Matthews, Holly DeWitt, Winston Brown
Joy by Milton Myers: (L-R) Carolina Monerrat, Nijawwon Matthews, Holly DeWitt, Winston Brown

Letters Never Sent by Erika Randall - Tracey Franklin (front) and Chloe Abel
Letters Never Sent by Erika Randall - Tracey Franklin (front) and Chloe Abel

The Passage by DeeAnna Hiett - Karah Abiog (top) and (L-R) Nijawwon Matthews, Winston Brown, Torens Johnson
The Passage by DeeAnna Hiett - Karah Abiog (top) and (L-R) Nijawwon Matthews, Winston Brown, Torens Johnson

Studio practice for City by Jennifer Muller: Kaely Tieri and Torens Johnson
Studio practice for City by Jennifer Muller: Kaely Tieri and Torens Johnson

Studio practice for City by Jennifer Muller: Kaely Tieri (Front) and Torens Johnson
Studio practice for City by Jennifer Muller: Kaely Tieri (Front) and Torens Johnson


Artistic Director
Mary Pat Henry
Company Co-Founder
Leni Wylliams
Assistant Director
Paula Weber
Rehearsal Director
DeeAnna Hiett
Admin. Assistant
Jered Solace

The Company
Karah Abiog
Winston Dynamite Brown
Holly DeWitt
Tracey Franklin
Torens Johnson
Nijawwon Matthews
Carolina Monnerat
Jerome Stigler
Kaely Tieri
DeeAnna Hiett was unable to perform for this season due to injury in the May 2008 program

Apprentices
Chloe Abel
Katie Metzger
Christopher Page

Crew

Lighting Designer
Rocco DiSanti
Light Board Operator
David Diaz
Master Electrician
SeifAllah Cristobal
Sound
Cody Hill
Stage Manager
Erin Taylor

Tech Crew
Katie Metzger
Myesha McGriff
Asha Singh
Rachel Crawford
Kristen Feldman
Skyler Taylor

Development Consultant
Paul Lerner
Media Consultant
Kathy Harris
Marketing Consultant
Lorna Dempster
Graphic Design
Mark Ringenberg
Photography
Michael Manley and Mike Strong
Website
Arthur Pemberton
Program Design
Erin Benda

Board of Directors
Carol B. Bayer Chairman
Caroline FrenchVice-Chairman
Carolyn Cameron Secretary
Stephen White Treasury
Erin Benda
Kyle Danner
David Donovan
Mary Pat Henry
Carolyn Holtman
Robert Leipold
Bernie Levine
Michael Shook
Advisory Board
Penny Chappell
Elizabeth Danforth
SuEllen Fried
Anthony Galvan, Jr.
Jeannine Glore
Janine Mutchnick
Barbara Rafael
Judith Roth

www.wylliams-henry.org

 



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Wylliams/Henry links on this site
To their website - www.wylliams-henry.org

Specific Pieces

Otis Redding
Angelitos Negros

At New Dance Partners JCCC

Sept 2022
Sept 2021
Sept 2019
Sept 2018
Sept 2017
At Dance/USA June 2017
Sept 2015
Sept 2014

Jacob's Pillow

Last rehearsal
before going - 18 July 2018

Company Concerts

2021 October
2019 October
2018 October
2017 October
2016 September
2016 June
2015 September Cyprus Ave
2015 May
2014 September
2014 May
2013 September
2012 September
Back On Cyprus Avenue - 22 Oct 2011
2011 September
2011 May
24, 25 Sept 2010 - On Cyprus Avenue
3 Sept 2010 Crossroads
2010 May
2010 March
2009 September
2009 May
2008 September
2008 May
2007 September
2006 September
2006 May
2005 September
2005 May