MICHAEL J LOVE
INTERDISCIPLINARY TAP DANCE ARTIST
The AURALVISUAL MIXTAPE Collection Part II:
The
AURALVISUAL MIXTAPE
COLLECTION
Part II:
DOPE FIT!
by Michael J. Love
The AURALVISUAL MIXTAPE Collection is Michael J. Love's triptych of live interdisciplinary rhythm tap dance pieces that revel in Blackness by way of a vibrant mixing, sampling, looping, remixing, and high-affect juxtaposition
of sounds, media, and performance.
The series includes Part I: GON' HEAD AND PUT YOUR RECORDS ON! as well as
Part II: DOPE FIT! and Part III: (RHY)PISTEMOLOGY! (OR, TO KNOW THROUGH THE RHYTHM)
LINER NOTES//
Love, Jones, and an ensemble of Black artists, thinkers, and collaborators pair movement, rhythm, music, text, and voice with a distinct millennial hip-hop sensibility to create and live in their own metaphysical Black utopia. The piece, driven by rhythm tap and contemporary dance, reclaims the Black cultural archive and enlivens spirited visions of futurity through a queer and feminist lens. The AURALVISUAL MIXTAPE Collection, Part II: DOPE FIT! is performed entirely to live-mixed and looped tap dance, body percussion, and triggered drum sample compositions.
The development of DOPE FIT! began during a week-long workshop in August 2018, made possible by The Cohen New Works Festival Go! Grant.
The AURALVISUAL MIXTAPE Collection, Part II: DOPE FIT! is approximately seventy minutes in length.
TRACKLIST//
In the spirit of the throwback Black music curation and vocal/ performance methodology of mixtape-making, DOPE FIT! is an auralvisual mixtape comprised of 7 tracks. Live performance is merged with original projections by mixed media artist Cindy Elizabeth and transmedia artist Aryel R. Jackson. All of the music in the world of DOPE FIT! is live-composed by way of looping/ sampling stations and other technology.
1.LIFT EV'RY VOICE Breathing in, exhaling, meditating on legacy through song. 2.TELL THEM Continuing to breathe, making assertions, organizing sounds into rhythms. Exploring possibility through call and response. 3.UNEARTH Stacking rhythms and giving them shape. Holding space together and holding space for each other. Pursing reclamation through repetition.
4.SUGAR Employing dialogic methodologies of our recent past as we examine our current relationship to materials our families were enslaved to harvest. 5.UNSUBMERGE Continuing to breathe and experimenting with stillness. Creating shapes and phrases out of natural rhythms. Revisiting our effort to reclaim through repetition. 6.DISCIPLES Defining beauty for ourselves.
7.RISE Combining methods and engaging in them all simultaneously. Indulging in hope through our continued breathing.
CREDITS//
As presented in full
in September 2019:
Written by Michael J. Love
Choreographed and Directed by Kaitlyn B. Jones and Michael J. Love
Lyrics by Faith Hillis
Vocal Coaching by Ari Monts
Dramaturgy by siri gurudev, Faith A. Hillis, and Ari Monts
Featuring Sydnie Brown, Deja Criston, Faith Hillis,
Mykaela Johnson, Kaitlyn B. Jones, Michael J. Love,
Indya McKnight, Toni Neal, Myrah Porter,
Azari Sumbler, and Khorii Tinson
"UNEARTH"
Video by Aryel René Jackson
"SUGAR"
Original text by Sydnie Brown, Amaya Coleman, Deja Criston,
Faith Hillis, Indya McKnight,
Amariah K. Williams, and Kennedy Woodard
Additional text by Kaitlyn B. Jones
"DISCIPLES"
A video shot and edited by Cindy Elizabeth
Featuring Christina Blake, Alex Cunningham, Sophie Monegro,
Dominique Scott, and Tiana Wilson
Produced by ARCOS Dance and presented during
ARCOS presents Michael J. Love:
Two Weekends of Tap at The Carver
Austin, TX
Friday, September 20
Saturday, September 21
and Sunday, September 22
2019
As premiered in
work-in-progress format
at The Cohen New Works Festival
in April 2019:
Written by Michael J. Love
Choreographed and Directed by Kaitlyn B. Jones and Michael J. Love
Lyrics by Faith Hillis
Projection Design by Aryel René Jackson
Vocal Coaching by Ari Monts
Dramaturgy by siri gurudev, Faith A. Hillis, and Ari Monts
Featuring Jayla Ball, Sydnie Brown, Amaya Coleman, Deja Criston,
Faith Hillis, Matthew James, Michael J. Love, Toni Neal,
Indya McKnight, Myrah Porter, Azari Sumbler, Khorii Tinson,
and Kennedy Woodard
Amariah K. Williams, Production Stage Manager
Myrah Porter, Rehearsal Assistant
"DISCIPLES"
Filmed and Edited by Cindy Elizabeth
Featuring Christina Blake, Alex Cunningham, Sophie Monegro,
Dominique Scott, and Tiana Wilson
"SUGAR"
Text by Sydnie Brown, Amaya Coleman, Deja Criston,
Faith Hillis, Indya McKnight,
Amariah K. Williams, and Kennedy Woodard
Premiered/ Programmed at
The Cohen New Works Festival
Austin, TX
Monday, April 15
and Tuesday, April 16
2019