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Mission
olive Dance Theatre, Inc. is an entity of the JaRaf Ventures conglomerate
whose mission is to incite social change through creativity and
the arts.
Founded
in May 2002 under the Artistic Direction of director, Jamie Merwin
and choreographer, Raphael Xavier. oDT, presents interdisciplinary
work steeped in and moving through African-American vernacular.
Our mission is to validate indigenous American Hip-hop dance forms,
specifically Breakin’, through the creation of new dance theatre
works and the performance of these works in the theatre domestically
and abroad. Also, to educate our audience and communities with this
form’s history and proper technique; and by doing so provide
an outlet, appreciation and future for artists and practitioners
of this dance. We mentor emerging artists with our own experience
and remain committed to the growth and development of our artistic
communities.
History
Past performances and residencies include: The CEC, DanceBoom! at
The Wilma Theater, The Philadelphia Fringe Festival, The ODUNDE
Festival, Dance House at The Drake and The Charter High School For
Architecture + Design, Point Breeze Performing Arts Center, Philadelphia,
PA, Mt. Lebanon School District, Pittsburgh, PA , The Duke on 42nd
Street, The 3rd and 4th Annual Hip-Hop Theater Festivals at P.S.
122, New York, NY , The Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans, LA
, The Kennedy Center, in Washington D.C., The University of Wisconsin,
Wausau, WI and in collaboration with Ko-Thi Dance Company at The
Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI and with Pepatián Bronx Artist
Collective at The Bronx Museum, Bronx, NY. The company made their
International debut in Kaunas, Lithuania at The 14th International
Festival of Modern Dance Lithuania in October 2004. The company
is a member of The Network of Ensemble Theaters, The Association
of Performing Arts Presenters, The International Association of
Blacks in Dance, Alternate ROOTS and a PennPAT—Pennsylvania
Performing Arts on Tour, Roster Company.
Artistic
statement
As
Hip-hop artists, we belong to a web of communities—African-American,
Urban, Hip-hop, Dance and Theatre. The community we are most commonly
identified to represent is Hip-hop. Hip-hop is a direct result of
the marriage of history and current human conditions and environment.
We belong to a community that is intrigued and sustained through
movement, music, style and social structures. The potential of Hip-hop
culture is greater than any one contemporary culture. Hip-hop is
a diverse collective that does not disclude any individual based
on race, color, nationality, language, class or any one characteristic.
When focused, Hip-hop has the power to unify a global culture.
This
form is equally important in our communities—plural. This
folk art supports an indigenous connection. As emerging artists
it is important for us to make work in Dance Theatre world; this
is the provision for our collective future. As dancers, choreographers,
directors, photographers, writers and musicians … Interdisciplinary
Artists; we believe that artistry is innate. We didn’t become
an artist, we already are. Our job is to push the envelope and challenge
the norm; the expectations of our own disciplines and instruments,
and therefore the scope of our peers and entire audience in a universal
direction—movement.
As
Artistic Directors, Raphael and Jamie, we are interdisciplinaries.
We are part of both—a continuum and a pendulum; our culture
is a continuum of American folk life that reaches back to African
and indigenous traditions, and suspended from a pendulum that swings
between commercial pop art, contemporary theatre and one dance evolution
of American folk life—Breakin’. As Artistic Directors
we have opposite and complimentary backgrounds; trained and self-taught,
Hip-Hop and Contemporary Dance/Theatre. The culture that we have
remained a part of and what we consciously pursued in training,
higher education and artistry did not collide until 4 years ago
when we began to collaborate. This merger presented a chance for
us to pursue the opportunities presented by a contemporary culture
and tradition: to explore, master and elevate the dance form of
Breakin’ to solid ground, beyond capital and commercial gain
into the realm of artistry. In May 2002 we founded a partnership:
olive Dance Theatre. We founded olive Dance Theatre to illuminate,
express and expand the folk art. So our influences are vast. We
believe in telling a story or an experience that we can relate to.
As we face the typical obstacle of trying to balance process vs.
product in our aesthetic we adhere to our agenda to—build
community through art making and art making through our community.
Artistic
Directors Bios
Jamie
Merwin
Artistic Director, as oDT’s , Co-Founder, she is equally committed
to the tradition of Breakin’ and the creation of Contemporary
Theatre. In 2005 Ms Merwin was a New Edge Artist in Residence at
The CEC in Philadelphia. Her work is supported by The Leeway Foundation,
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Dance Advance and The Community
Education Center. She holds a B.A. in Theatre and Dance with minors
in Criminal Justice and African-American Studies from Temple University.
She teaches at the Charter High School for Architecture + Design,
Philadelphia, The University of Pennsylvania, and at community and
cultural centers nationwide. She has worked with many Philadelphia
companies and organizations in many capacities from actor and director
to stage manager and administrator, including: Rennie Harris Puremovement,
The Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia Young Playwright’s
Festival, The CEC, Actin’ Up!, Eastern State Penitentiary
and The Pennsylvania Prison Society. Past projects include: Rapid
Transit…A Moving Kollage of African-American Writers and Closetlands,
adapted from the screenplay, and original works: OLIVE, tOy bOx,
real thing come and real thing go…, ToTM Rd. current projects
include: Urban Carnage, a book-in-progress published in the June,
2003 issue of Bike Magazine, and a new evening length work, “Brotherly
Love”.
Raphael
Xavier
Choreographer, has been committed to the art form of Breakin’
for over 20 years as a practitioner, teacher and historian. He is
a main source in the revitalization of the dance in Philadelphia
for the last 8 years. Raphael has been teaching Breakin’ in
Philadelphia since 1997. He has a wealth of first hand knowledge
of the forms history. He has been recognized by The Pennsylvania
Council on the Arts as a Master of this American Folk Tradition.
He first realized his choreographic skills in 1995, when asked by
the Brandywine School of Dance to be a guest choreographer for one
of the schools’ productions. In 1998 he became a core company
member of Rennie Harris PureMovement, a pioneering Hip-hop dance
company based in Philadelphia. He collaborated on the critically
acclaimed production “Rome & Jewels”, which won
a Bessie Award in 2001. He has received awards and funding from
he has been selected for The CEC’s New Edge Residency Program,
Institute of Cultural Partnerships, The PCA, Fellowship & Apprenticeship
in Folk and Traditional Arts, Dance Advance and The Independence
Foundation. He has taught his technique at many institutions; Cleo
Parker Robinson Dance International Summer Dance Institute in Denver,
CO, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Dance Projects,
Dance Place Washington DC, The International Festival of Modern
Dance in Kaunas, Lithuania and many more.
43
north wiota street . philadelphia, pa 19104
t: 215/386 1411 or 215/840 1350 . e: olivedance@comcast.net
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