International Festival of Arts & Ideas

Camille A. Brown’s "BLACK GIRL: LINGUISTIC PLAY" reveals the complexity of carving out a self-defined identity as a black female in American culture. In our society, black women are often only portrayed in terms of their strength, resiliency, or trauma. This work interrogates these narratives by representing a nuanced spectrum of black womanhood. Brown uses the rhythmic play of African-American dance including social dancing, double dutch, steppin’, tap, Juba, ring shout, and gesture as the to evoke childhood memories of self-discovery. New England tour partners will showcase this work alongside performances, context-building discussions and celebrations of self-determined cultural identity.