Between me and the other world is inspired by a quote from The Souls of Black Folk, the seminal work by W.E.B. DuBois. In this collection of historical and autobiographical essays, Dr. DuBois explores themes central to the African American experience including that of “double consciousness.” This refers to the internal conflict experienced by subjugated peoples when they must navigate their own authentic identity in addition to those identities projected by a society which stereotypes them as part of a strategy of social control.
The work is a dance installation exploring identity duality in four movements. Between me and the other world is performed in 30 minute cycles, repeated over a period of three hours. Audience members are encouraged to move around the periphery of the designated stage area to experience the performance from various vantage points.
The Souls of Black Folk was first published in 1903 and has never been out of print. It connects the dots between the experience of slavery and the subsequent ongoing struggle for Black people in the U.S. to achieve full equality. “Through history, the powers of single black men flash here and there like falling stars, and die sometimes before the world has rightly gauged their brightness.” The book is available as a free Audio book online at Archive.org.
Collaborators
Choreography and Direction: Joanna Haigood
Composer: Anthony Brown
Media Artist and Lighting Design: David Szlasa
Set Design: Sean Riley
Research Performing Artists
Robert Henry Johnson, Jetta Martin, Rashidi Omar, Raissa Simpson, Matthew Wickett
Subsequent Performing Artists
Lydia Clinton, Clarissa Dyas, Delvis Friñon, Erik Lee, Frankie Lee III, Latanya d. Tigner, Erica Wilson
Premiere Date
2013
Premiere Location
Zaccho Studio, San Francisco, CA
Subsequent Performance Dates & Locations
2017: Black Choreographers Festival at Dance Mission Theatre, San Francisco, CA
2017: ODC Theater’s Walking Distance Dance Festival, Joe Goode Annex, San Francisco, CA
2019: Zaccho Studio, San Francisco, CA
2020: Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington, MA, presented by Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival
Funders / Commissioners
Between me and the other world was made possible with generous support from The Surdna Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, San Francisco Grants for the Arts Hotel Tax Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Zellerbach Family Foundation, W.A. Gerbode Foundation, the Bayview Hunters Point Community Fund of the Tides Foundation, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts' YBCAway program. In 2017, Between me and the other world was presented by the Black Choreographers Festival with funding support from the African and African American Performing Arts Coalition.
Photo / Video Credits
Photography: Charlie Formenty, Amanda Boggs, Piro Patton and Greg Nesbit
All photographs, videos, and other materials on this website are owned by Zaccho Dance Theatre. All rights reserved.
Please contact Zaccho Dance Theatre at office@zaccho.org for permission to use and/or access additional materials not currently made available on this website.
