Jane Franklin Dance at Mason Exhibitions Arlington
Mason Exhibitions Arlington presents Jane Franklin Dance, a performance in response to poetry and visual art by Bennie Herron on February 25, 2023.
The thirty-minute performance features works by choreographers Lauren DeVera, Jane Franklin, Robert J. Priore and Kevin White and is directed by Jane Franklin. Poetry, written and performed by Bennie Herron, is interspersed within segments of movement to drive the dance narrative through voice, rhythm and cadence. Dance and movement responds to the physical space of the gallery and in relationship to the paintings. There is an interconnection between movement, art and place as framed interactions reveal detail and circumstance.
“Bennie Herron’s creative output in poetry, painting, and social advocacy reflects on the often paradoxical conditions of being. His poetry presents a prismatic lens on his upbringing as a Black man, including close observations of the familial, interpersonal, and cultural forces that have shaped him. In these poems, the anecdotal may expand into ruminations on Biblical passages, or tales of the trials and joys of his adolescence may give way to fiery indictments of systemic problems such as racism, colonialism, and the perceptions of Black men in society. Herron’s verse style is informed in part by the socially conscious Hip Hop artists of the 1990s and poets of the Black Arts Movement of the late 1960s, among a myriad of other sources.” Mason Exhibitions
The free program will be repeated three times during the afternoon: 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm.
Jane Franklin Dance partners with music, media, visual artists and community participants. Jane Franklin Dance has been presented at multiple venues and festivals and internationally in Mexico. A recipient of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region Creative Communities Award, Jane has developed innovative and collaborative projects combining dancers with the round wall skateboarding community, with a life size kinetic sculpture, with the architecture of a specific site, with dogs & owners, and with interactive live video and sound for numerous public art projects.
Robert J. Priore founded his company PrioreDance in the fall of 2016. He is also very proud to be a founding member of Company | E, where he has had the honor of dancing works by Ohad Naharin, Andrea Miller, Sharon Eyal, Rachel Erdos, Roni Koresh, Marco Cantalupo and Thomas Noone. Robert continues to hone his craft while being the Choreographer-in-Residence for the CityDance Conservatory as well as an Ignite Artist.
Lauren DeVera is a distinguished thought leader in the dance community with performance and teaching credits including the Kennedy Center, The Howard Theatre, Dance Place DC, Culture Shock DC (alumni), World of Dance, Carnival, BET, and The CW Network. With a deep-rooted passion to bring people together, she began in 2010 as a leader, ambassador, and pioneer of KODACHROME VA, a community-based dance workshop series, by curating a selection of decorated teachers–locally and nationally.
Kevin White began dancing at age 14 at the Putney Summer Arts Program and trained at the Dance Institute of Washington throughout high school. He is trained in various dance styles including ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop and West African. Kevin studied modern dance as a minor at Kent State University, where he also led Legacy hip hop team. Post Grad Kevin has danced professionally for Taurus Broadhurst, Maverick Lemons, Dayo N Dance and The Black leaves project as assistant director. He has performed on many stages in the DC area including the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage and at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.
To learn more about this exciting collaboration, click here.