(Re)current Unrest is an evening-length immersive performance installation ‘ritual’ built on the sonic foundation of Steve Reich’s three earliest works: It’s Gonna Rain (parts 1 and 2), Come Out, and Pendulum. This work, created over a two-year development period, utilizes movement, media, and powerful imagery to meditate on the “American Dream” and Black nihilism, born of the current racially charged moment.
An investigation of legacy, authorship, and the history of Black art and protest through the lens of the erasure of the Africanist presence in Reich’s compositions, (Re)current Unrest explores the kinesthetic state of unrest—the condition of unease, discontent, and social disturbance. This physical state of agitation represents “staying woke.” To stay woke refers to an intangible level of awareness about community issues and social justice.
Special thanks to our program partners at The University of Utah School of Dance, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, and Salt Lake City Public Library. Support is also provided by New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) and National Performance Network (NPN).
This event is in conjunction with Black Refractions: Highlights from The Studio Museum in Harlem. The UMFA is proud to present Charles O. Anderson’s critically acclaimed dance theater project (Re)current Unrest—a meditation on the American Dream and Black.
