On Saturday, April 12, at 7 p.m. Lawrence University’s Department of Dance hosted its last Dance Series Performance of the academic year in Esch + Hurvis. The guest artist was the company bkSOUL, which merges “movement, poetry, and live music to center on issues of social justice and communities of color through a Hip Hop framework.” The group was founded by Dr. grace shinhae jun, and performed at Lawrence University back in 2016.
While everything in the Dance Department is done collaboratively, this performance made that collaboration especially visible. Dr. grace visited Appleton for a few days in January and staged the Hip Hop work with a group of Lawrence students. They then rehearsed on their own up until close to the performance date. In addition to the dancing and moving, there was spoken word poetry, vocals, and cello. Some of the performers were faculty from the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, and others were from the bkSOUL company.
The event itself lasted over an hour, weaving in and out of movement, music, and poetry, sometimes with all three happening at once. While this may sound overwhelming, it didn’t feel like it. Each art form was in conversation with the other, and each person seemed to be expressing their own individuality while also being a part of a collective.
For those who weren’t there, it’s worth taking a moment to talk about the costuming. The student dancers shone brightly in bold colors, ranging throughout the entire rainbow. Dr. grace and Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Margaret Sunghe Paek matched in muted purple, which blended with the darker colors worn by the musicians and poet.
Now onto the performance itself! It began with the student dancers, who brought joy and heart into the dance space through their bright, sparkling movement. There were moments that read like solos, and others where they were all moving in sync in traditional choreography. After their opening dance, there was a collage of spoken word poetry by poet Ant Black. His words detailed social justice, Black history and experience. The words were often in conversation with the music, which included eerie and heartbreaking singing and sensual yet playful cello.
I’ve mentioned Dr. grace, but another prominent figure in the performance was bkSOUL dancer Keomi. She told a multitude of stories, not only with her movement but with her face and eyes as well. I had the privilege of attending a dance workshop with bkSOUL earlier that day, and the energy she brought into the room was electric and full of sunshine.
As anyone who has witnessed a performance in Esch + Hurvis knows, it’s a big space to fill up and yet full it was. In true collaborative community, the Dean of the Conservatory Brian Pertl was there, and even got to grace the stage for a moment. At the end of the performance, the performers received a well-deserved standing ovation. They then hosted a Q&A session with the audience. It was clear from the emotions in the room – both onstage and off – that this performance was more than simply a show. It was an experience, and as Ant Black said, a practice of “liberation.”
Enough from me…I wanted to include some words from the student performers themselves. When asked “What about dance at Lawrence feels radical to you?” junior Billy Greene said “It’s about being with your body — trusting your gut, yes, but also turning an ear to other’s intuitions. You tangle your stories with fellow movers’. Collaboration in our program is a beautiful risk that allows you to find yourself by being with — again and again.”
Sophomore Maddy Tracy said “The dance department at Lawrence is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. It’s unapologetic, radical love — for yourself, for each other, and for movement. Lawrence has made me view dance through a new lens. I think a lot of dance programs teach students how to dance for the industry, but Lawrence has taught me how to dance for me. Margaret, [Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance] Mauriah [Donegan Kraker], and the entire dance department embody what it means to be real — and have made me want to be my realest self, too.”
Both Greene and Tracy also talked about the power of friendship and connection as something they will take with them. Tracy acknowledged that “seeing the connection that Dr. grace has with Margaret has really ingrained the importance of dance community within me,” and Greene voiced that they are “folding this into [their] own lineage, now knowing these spectacular movers.”
If you missed this life-changing and world-changing performance and want to know more about bkSOUL and their practice of radical self-love, check out their website http://www.bksoul.org/home. Or, if you want to experience this dance community for yourself, sign up for a dance class with either Margaret or Mauriah. I promise you it’s worth it! Dance really will save the world.