African American History Uncovered and Transformed: David Drake – An Enslaved Potters Tale
Program Notes
David Drake’s August 1857 couplet: I wonder where is all my relations/Friendship to all – and every nation drives the collective efforts of this project. Dave’s wondering about his relations under slavery is akin to our wondering about our ancestral links in 2013. Viscerally impacted by the horrors of slavery, Dave found a way to record his story. His pots and the poems he incised on them serve as partial missives to us. His I wonder couplet speaks specifically to us about our torn lineage as we strive collectively to piece it together. This project is a call and response creative cycle. Dave calls out as he looks for his people and we too look back to him to discover and recover our ancestral links. As artists and academics, we join artistic and scholarly forces to apply our wondering and to reply to Dave’s query. This project is our direct address to Dave: We are your relations. We feel compelled and driven to preserve and uphold your legacy. We are here.
Prelude:
Poem: Praise Dave
Music: Ralph Russell
Images: All Paintings
Field Cotton
Poetry – Field Cotton by Glenis Redmond
Music – Cotton Fields by Ralph Russell
Images: Edgefield, 1998 and other cotton plantation images
Choreography: Lynnette Overby
Dancers: Caitlin Green, Gita Miller, Danielle Smithson, Kaya Simonson, Blair Galiber, Tiana Sanders, Monique Bland, Aliyah Clay, Renee Rose, Audrey Wright, Elliot Ledford, Taylor Walker
Pretty Little Girl
Images: Dave the Potter, 1998
Music: Pretty Girl, by Ralph Russell
Choreography: Vincent Thomas
Dancers: Blair Galiber and Vincent Thomas
Sir Dave
Images: Sir Dave, 1998
Music: Dave the Potter by Ralph Russell
Choreography: Vincent Thomas
Dancer: Vincent Thomas
Market Day
Images: Dave’s Market, 1998 by Jonathan Green and Slave Market Scene
Music: Jubilee arranged by Ralph Russell
Choreography: Teresa Emmons
Dancers: Laura Sahd, Gita Miller, Tiana Sanders, Monique Bland, Aliyah Clay, Taylor Walker, Megan LaMotte, Andrea Clendanial, Caitlin Green, Renee Rose, Elliot Ledford
Dream of Freedom
Images: From Earth We Came, 1998 by Jonathan Green
Music: Amazing Grace by Jennifer Higdon, performed by The Serafin String Quartet
Choreography: Lynnette Overby
Dancers: Caitlin Green, Tiana Sanders, and Taylor Walker
Grave
Image: Earth to Earth
Music: From Earth Blues by Ralph Russell
Poetry: Grave
Choreography: Lynnette Overby
Dancer: Renee Rose
Shards
Images: Video – Shards/animation, pieces of pots
Music: Shards by Ralph Russell
Poetry- Slavery’s Slippery Touch by Gabrielle Foreman
Choreography: The Dancers, Directed by Lynnette Overby
Dancers: Audrey Wright, Megan LaMotte, Blair Galiber, Brielle Evangelista, Kaya Simonson
Vessels
Images: Three Vessels, 1998 by Jonathan Green
Music: Vessels
Choreography: Vincent Thomas
Dancers: Lauren Bonanno, Brielle Evangelista, Renee Rose, Eliot Ledford, Alfred Lance, Eli Latshaw
Post Lude:
Images: From prelude
Music: (prelude music)
Poetry: Carry Us by Glenis Redmond