Performance Series •
Zest Collective: Afro Blue
November 3, 2024
•
7:00 pm
Artistic Director
Gentry Isaiah George
Presented by
Miami Light Project
City of Miami Beach
Miami Beach Bandshell
Rhythm Foundation
Co-Founder / Artistic Director
Gentry Isaiah George
Rehearsal Assistants
Deja Darbonne
Nicole Pedraza
Alexandra Werble
Ballet Mistress
Kenia Luz Garcia Cabrera
Costume Mistress
Alexandra Yaya
Dancers
Ryan Charles-Marc
Gianna Ciavatto
Deja Darbonne
Nicole Pedraza
Carlos Realegeno
Sierra Taylor
Jhonatan Valdes
Alexandra Werble
Olivia Yaya
THE COMPANY
Harmonizing biography, social history, music, and performance, Gentry George’s Zest Collective celebrates the resilience and brilliance of musical pioneers. Founded in 2013, our mission is to promote diversity through the transformative arts of song, film, and dance.
Notable projects include Afro Blue, commissioned by the Miami Light Project for Here & Now 2023 and performed at the Miami Theater Center; choreography for The Juneteenth Experience, in collaboration with Hued Songs at the Miami Beach Bandshell; Piano Slam 14, with Dranoff 2 Piano and the Adrienne Arsht Center; and Roots & Rhythms, our premier educational enrichment program commissioned by the Miami-Dade Arts & Education Collective.
Website: www.zestcollective.org
Instagram: @zestcollective
SYNOPSIS
In celebration of Zest Collective’s 11th anniversary, this program features a collection of complementary works that showcase the rich heritage of African American music. The selections highlight a diverse repertoire that honors this milestone and reflects the collective’s enduring commitment to artistic excellence.
This program was made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor, and the Board of County Commissioners.
PROGRAM
BONECA DE PIXE (2023) Gentry Isaiah George w/ Zest Collective
Choreography: Gentry Isaiah Geroge
Music: Josephine Baker
Costumes: Gentry Isaiah George
Dancers: Deja Darbonne, Olivia Yaya, & Alexandra Werble
‘Boneca De Pixe’ is an excerpt from ‘Blue Skies – The Josephine Baker Ballet,’ which premiered at New World School of the Arts.
MOONLIGHT (2015)
Choreography: Gentry Isaiah George
Music: Ella Fitzgerald
Costumes: Haydee Morales & Maria Morales
Dancers: Nicole Pedraza & Carlos Realegeno
BROWN GIRL (2021)
Choreography: Gentry Isaiah George
Music: Margarert Bonds, Malcolm J. Merriweather, & Ashley Jackson Costumes: Gentry Isaiah George
Dancer: Ryan Charles-Marc
‘Brown Girl’ is an excerpt from ‘Corpus,’ commissioned by the Peter London Global Dance company and originally performed in 2021 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
MABAYEKE (2022)
Choreography: Gentry Isaiah Geroge
Music: Harry Belafonte
Costumes: Gentry Isaiah George
Dancer: Carlos Realegeno
Balm in Gilead
Choreography: Gentry Isaiah George
Music: Jessye Norman & Dalton Baldwin
Costumes: Alexandra Yaya
Dancers: Gianna Ciavatto & Ryan Charles-Marc
R-E-S-P-E-C-T (2019)
Choreography: Gentry Isaiah George
Music: Aretha Franklin
Costumes: Gentry Isaiah George
Dancers: Sierra Taylor, Nicole Pedraza, Olivia Yaya, Alexandra Werble, & Deja Darbonne
AFRO BLUE (2023)
Choreography: Gentry Isaiah George w/ Zest Collective
Music: Abbey Lincoln and Mongo Santamaria
Costumes: Gentry Isaiah George, Armando Brydson & Alexandra Yaya Lighting Designer: Apon Nichols
Dancers: Gianna Ciavatto, Ryan Charles-Marc, Gianna Ciavatto, Deja Darbonne, Nicole Pedraza, Rafael Carlos Realegeno, Sierra Taylor, Jhonatan Valdes, Alexandra Werble, & Olivia Yaya
‘Afro Blue’ was commissioned and produced by Miami Light Project for Here & Now 2023. The work was created with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
Afro Blue performance receives support from the City of Miami Beach Department of Tourism and Cultural Development, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council and the Miami Beach Mayor and City Commissioners. This performance is presented free to the public as part of the Rhythm Foundation and City of Miami Beach’s Arts in the Parks series.
About Miami Light Project
Founded in 1989, Miami Light Project is a not-for-profit cultural organization, which commissions and presents artists from all over the world and throughout Miami. We support the vanguard in contemporary performance – dance, music, theater and multimedia artists who are internationally recognized for risk-taking innovation, technical virtuosity and thought-provoking content. Our programmatic vision has led the way in establishing Miami as an internationally recognized center for art and culture, with a vibrant locally based artistic community. Miami Light Project’s artistic programs focus on issues of relevance to our community within the context of an evolving global field of art and culture.
About Rhythm Foundation
We are a non-profit cultural organization, a leading presenter of international music in the US. We create shared cultural experiences that build and strengthen the diverse communities of South Florida through the presentation of live music. We believe: International cultural exchange injects empathy and positivity into the global conversation; Sustainable practices are possible in event productions; and Miami is a global city home to world-class artists.
About Miami Beach Bandshell
The Miami Beach Bandshell, managed by the Rhythm Foundation for the City of Miami Beach, welcomed more than 70,000 people to 140+ public concerts, festivals and special events last year. In addition to shows by top international touring bands, we feature programs throughout the year for children, free concerts to the public, and several platforms to support locally based artists. We are proud to be a Cultural Anchor for the City of Miami Beach, and a part of our community’s arts ecosystem.
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