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Urban Bush Women (UBW)[1], founded in 1984 byJawole Willa Jo Zollar, is aBrooklyn,New York-based non-profit dance company and professional African-American women's dance company. The ensemble performschoreography by Zollar and several other choreographers, often with a focus on the experiences of women ofAfrican descent.[2]
Urban Bush Women aims to engage with artists, activists, audiences, and communities through performances, artist development, education, and community engagement.[3]
UBW has performed throughout theUnited States, as well asAsia,Australia,Canada,Germany,South America,Europe andSenegal (in collaboration withGermaine Acogny and her all-male Compagnie JANT-BI).
Performances in the USA includeJacob's Pillow, Spoleto USA,National Black Arts Festival, Dance Umbrella UK, andLincoln Center. The company's repertory consists of 33 works choreographed by Zollar including ambitious collaborations with jazz artistDavid Murray; poetsLaurie Carlos andCarl Hancock Rux; directors Steve Kent and Elizabeth Herron; and the National Song and Dance Company of Mozambique (supported by The Ford Foundation's Africa Exchange Program).
Programs run by the centre include the Summer Leadership Institute (SLI), BOLD (Builders, Organizers & Leaders through Dance) and the Choreographic Center Initiative.UBW affects the overall ecology of the arts by promoting artistic legacies; projecting the voices of the under-heard and people of color; bringing attention to and addressing issues of equity in the dance field and throughout the United States; and by providing platforms and serving as a conduit for experimental art makers.
| Year | Name |
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| 2016 | SCAT! |
| 2015 | Walking With ‘Trane Side A & B |
| 2014 |
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| 2010 |
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| 2009 |
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| 1995 |
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The company has been commissioned by presenters nationwide, and includes among its honors aNew York Dance and Performance Award (“Bessie”); theCapezio Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance; and two 2004Doris Duke Awards for New Work from the American Dance Festival. In March 2010, UBW toured South America as part of DanceMotion USA, a cultural diplomacy initiative spearheaded by the U.S. Department of State'sBureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and theBrooklyn Academy of Music.[4]
In 2016, the company was awarded the Dance/USA Honor Award.[5] The company received the Bessie Lifetime Achievement in Dance Award in 2017.[6]
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