Damon Banks
Greetings dear Doo Bee Doo Bee Doo readers!
I hope you can come out and support my first grant supported multimedia piece. The piece features actor Curtis Shaw, performance artist/ choreographer/ dancer Francesca Harper and visual artist Randy “Wolf” Simon.
The live band: Graham Haynes (cornet/effects), Gwen Laster (violin, vocals), Manu Koch (keyboards), Rajeev Maddela (drums) and Damon Banks (bass).
More about RESISTANCE
Date: Saturday, November 21
Time: 8:00 PM
Where: at John Jay High School, 2012 Route 52 in Hopewell Junction, New York
Tickets: $10 at the door, $5 for students, seniors and in advance on jproscenium.org.
John Jay Proscenium, the John Jay High School Drama Association, in conjunction with The Rutigliano group and cabot andcompany (two nonprofit performing arts organizations in Beacon, New York), presents world-renowned musical artist Damon Banks’ jazz odyssey “RESISTANCE: a maroon story”.
This original music theatre work, with choreography by Alvin Ailey choreographer Francesca Harper and featuring projected visual art by Randy “The Wolf” Simon, examines what happens when an emotionally damaged Iraq war vet runs into the concrete jungle to escape his future and slams right into his past, discovering his descent from the maroons of Jamaica.
Through music, dance and visual projections Damon Banks and his collaborators tell the story of an African-American man named Justice who finds that the rules have changed upon coming back home to America after a particularly arduous tour of duty in the Middle East. A story resonant for many veterans trying to reintegrate into old lives after service, Justice finds himself under attack from old allies, this time on the battlefield of the business world. Filled with confusion and rage, Justice is at a loss until he is given the gift of his unknown roots as a child of the maroons of Jamaica. The maroons (from the word marronage or cimarrón, meaning “fugitive, runaway” and literally “living on mountaintops” were runaway slaves in the West Indies and the Americas who formed independent settlements together in the mountains and jungles. In Jamaica, the maroons successfully used guerilla warfare techniques to fend off all attempts by British colonists to recapture them for over 80 years, eventually guaranteeing their freedom.
Jazz composer and recording artist Damon Banks uses this framework to explore themes of victory through adversity and the value in understanding one’s lineage.
As a musical artist Banks has traveled the world, performing and recording with the likes of such artists as George Benson, The Neville Brothers and Peter Gabriel, and written songs on several artist albums including the Grammy nominated Miki Howard album “Three Wishes.” Says Damon, “I am thrilled to be able to present a piece that explores subject matter that continues to inspire and intrigue me. I am also fortunate to be able to collaborate with some very close friends who happen to be some of the most talented and innovative artists on the scene today.”
For “RESISTANCE” Damon is collaborating with noted dancer and choreographer Francesca Harper, who has danced with Dance Theater of Harlem, as principal for Ballett Frankfurt and in several Broadway productions, most notably “The Color Purple” and “Fosse.” She has choreographed for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and has begun working with performance that synthesizes dance, text, music and video in such venues as Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Rounding out the creative team is Randy “The Wolf” Simon, a visual artist and independent film maker who specializes in projects that cross cultures and explore different world views.
When approached by the presenters to participate in sponsoring the event at their venue, John Jay Proscenium leapt at the chance. In addition to offering the performance to the general public, John Jay students will be given opportunities to work behind the scenes on the show, spend time with the artists and learn about the maroon movement and the creation of multimedia performance in a master class.
The Rutigliano Group and cabot | andcompany have worked together on several projects both in and outside of Beacon, but this is their first presentation to the Fishkill and Hopewell Junction communities. “We’ve always looked at Beacon not just as an area within a certain city limits, but as a point on a map shedding light on the larger Hudson Valley teaming with both artists and audiences hungry for world class experiences” says Robert Rutigliano, President of The Rutigliano Group.
“We’re thrilled to be able to assist artists such as Damon and his team with the development of such an amazing project, while working with the great folk at John Jay to give students the opportunity to work up close and personal with these same artists. Our young people deserve the best learning environment we can give them, and this project is a great example of how partnership across the public and private spectrum can light up a region, literally and figuratively.”
cabot | andcompany performance collective supports visually stimulating performance projects that blur the lines between traditional areas and incorporate strong visual arts and puppetry. They are currently working with several artist teams creating original live performance and film projects. In addition to the three presenting groups, the project is also made possible (in part) through a grant from the Dutchess County Arts Council, administrator of public funds through NYSCA’s Decentralization Program.
For more information or to purchase tickets in advance, log on to jproscenium.org.
