Juan Antonio Rivera

This art performance is about social justice in the 21st century, bringing to light the reality that our society now lives with police brutality. Many of my family members have had to have the “police” talk, “hoodie” talk, or “walking-out-late-at-night” talk with their teenagers, warning them that because of the color of their skin they will be seen as dangerous. This is a world where teenagers cannot be themselves and grow up at their own pace. Rather, society prohibits a naturally safe environment for them to grow up without fear.

People of our generation are experiencing a phenomenon unlike any other. In the age of handheld technology, there are more and more frequent accounts of police brutality being publicized all over social networks. What began with the devastating events of the Rodney King incident has become commonplace for our generation of artists. As a collective of artists, we want to tell a narrative of our feelings about the past, present, and future of growing up in this American dystopia.

Themes:
Dance, Ballet, Poetry, Surrealist space, Nightmares, Afro-futurism, Outrage, Embodiment, Introspection, Healing, Reconnecting, Community, Contemplation, Empathy, Compassion, Rebellion, Activation, Awareness, Awakening, the Future is Female, and the Future is Mixed.
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Featuring music by:

Elliot Cook Carter, Jr. (b. December 11, 1908-d. November 5, 2012) was an American composer who was a two time Pulitzer Prize winner. He was the son of Elliot Carter, Sr., a wealthy lace importer, and the former Florence Chambers. As a teenager, he received musical encouragement from another American composer and insurance salesman, Charles Ives. Ives, in fact, sold insurance to the Carter family. In the 1930s he studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and then returned back to the United States. He originally had works that were more neoclassical in flavor, but his style shifted to emphasize rhythmic complexity and atonality. His works include all types of instrumentation such as orchestral, chamber music, solo instrumental, and vocal works.

05:50 “Esprit rude, esprit doux” by Elliott Carter
Juan A. Rivera, flute
Ernesto Cruz, clarinet

32:35 “Enchanted Preludes” by Elliott Carter
Juan Antonio Rivera, flute
Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, cello

Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMR (an Italian knighthood title) (b. October 24, 1925-d. May 27, 2003) was an Italian composer. Born in Oneglia, he was taught piano by his father and grandfather, who were both organists. During World War II, he was conscripted into the army but injured his hand learning how to work a gun. Following the war, Berio studied under Giulio Cesare Paribeni and Giorgio Federico Ghedini at the Milan Conservatory. Unfortunately, Berio could not continue to study piano performance due to his hand injury, so he decided to concentrate his musical efforts on composition. He was known for his experimental work as well as his pioneering work in electronic music. In fact, Berio is credited with the first electroacoustic composition in the history of western music made with
voice and elaboration of the voice with technological means.

20:40 “Sequenza I” by Luciano Berio
Juan A. Rivera, flute
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Part 1

Our Composition begins with “THE CYCLE,” which is told in two sections comprised of poetry, videography, choreography, acting, costumes, and contemporary music from Elliot Carter’s “Esprit rude, esprit doux” for flute and clarinet.

Part 2

To begin our tribute to the female victims of police brutality, “Say My Name” is a call to feel the pain of these losses through diction and enunciation of these women’s birth names. The soloists explore the life of being a victim, a survivor, a mother, a grandmother, a daughter.

Part 3

In the third section, we decided to focus on the victims’ families and their need for healing. We consider this our healing section. In “At your last,” we express the hope that the victims had a final exhilarating moment of feeling loved by another person, whether it was their mother, husband, daughter, or grandmother. That although the world was crushing them, they still have that powerful memory of love. Being loved.

Part 4

The piece culminates in a scene where newly turned humanoids have solved the human dilemma of prejudice. Our society cannot hide its shameful past trespasses by encaging, imprisoning our family of color. The deluge, the chaos, wake up. Improvisation erupts.

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Created & Directed by
Juan A. Rivera

Choreography by
Angelica Mondol-Viana, Joye Forrest, & Elizabeth Geocaris

Poetry by
Jamila Reddy & Taireikca Glover

Videography by
Sarah Van Sciver

Video editing by
Sarah Van Sciver

Costume design by
Beryl Brachman

Dance Soloist
Matthew Kuang, Joye Forrest, Elizabeth Geocaris, Ellen Edwards-Siess, & Angelica Mondol-Viana

Dance Ensemble
Ellen Edwards-Siess, Joye Forrest, Elizabeth Geocaris, Matthew Kuang, & Angelica Mondol-Viana

Future-Beings acted by
Dionna Daniel & Henita Tello

Public Awareness Actors/Walkers/Crowds acted by
Diana Cioffari-MacPhee, Ruth Odukoya, Natalie Perez, & Jordan Terrel

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