Wideman/Davis Dance in “The Bends of Life”

Alabama native and international choreographer, Thaddeus Davis has created a production that shows the struggle and perseverance of an African American couple through some of the most difficult times in America. The Bends of Life follows two characters from slavery to sharecropping, receiving the right to vote after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech in Gees Bend, Alabama and the creation of functional quilts by southern black women being sold as art. The piece chronicles some aspects of history while engulfing contemporary elements to pay homage to the quilters of Gees Bend, Alabama.


Directed by Patdro Harris (Helen Hays award recipient and acclaimed choreographer of Broadway’s Raisin in the Sun), The Bends of Life is performed by Thaddeus Davis, Tanya Wideman-Davis Ronald McCall and Diane L. Parker. Light Design by Jack Mehler.

A testament to human courage and beauty in the face of adversity, “The Bends of Life” represents not just the women of Gees Bend but their quilting sisters across the country. The piece chronicles some aspects of history while engulfing contemporary elements to pay homage to the quilters of Gees Bend, Alabama.

Thaddeus Davis, “one of the most exciting movement imaginations I have seen in years” (Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times) is no stranger to Austin audiences. His work "Let the fools stand in line" was performed by Ballet Austin in 2005 and Davis won Top Honors and the Judges Prize in Ballet Austin’s New American Talent/Dance Competition last year. His work can also be seen on Ballet Austin II and he continues to work with BA on The Monologue Project which will continue in area schools later this year.

This project is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and private contributions.

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