9.29.08
Hip-Hop Theater Festival Performance: the break/s
Name of Event: the break/s
Organizer/Location: NYU CMEP, Hip-Hop Theater Festival—at the Skirball Center
Amount of Hours: 1.5
Before the meat of the performance, there was an MC who walked through the audience asking people questions such as “How do you feel about whites in hip-hop?,” “How do you feel about women in hip-hop?,” “How relevant is Thomas Jefferson to this presidential election?” This lasted for the first 10-15 minutes and a variety of people were “interviewed.” I thought it was an interesting way to start a program because it definitely began drawing people in and getting us thinking about what might be discussed as well as what our actual beliefs are.
The stage was set with a backdrop of screens displaying graffiti, as well as two DJs—one on either side of the stage. Throughout the performance the screens displayed images relevant to what was being addressed by the performer, Marc Bamuthi Joseph. The DJs also mixed in sound to which Joseph dances, or moves, while the audience watches the images and documentaries being projected on the screen. These segments are mixed into Joseph’s spoken word about his own personal journey through family and society.
Joseph references bell hooks, someone we have briefly mentioned in our classes this semester, and he asks the audience rhetorical questions such as: “What good is a black man in American if he’s stripped of his right to be?” He says in the beginning that his baby’s half Chinese and his girlfriend’s White—what kind of reactions does that elicit from people? He claims that he has gotten “so close to the edge it’s like death.”
These are just some of the blunt statements Marc Bamuthi Joseph incorporates into his piece. His presentation, through the music, slideshow/documentaries, as well as his spoken word and movement, are extremely unique and really opened my eyes up to another realm of performance. Though he “throws” thoughts at you that really make you think and reflect, he provides evidence, so to speak, through the documentaries and interview clips he shares with the audience.
As a future teacher I certainly gained insight into the strength of multidisciplinary methods of teaching students. There is such power and emotion in spoken word that really has the ability to captivate one’s audience while providing the artist a chance to open up to his audience. I also was reminded of the importance of keeping an open mind when working with students and how essential it is to not pre-judge anyone or assume you know about them, until you actually spend time hearing their story. Lastly, this performance really touched on a variety of topics that seem to be central to our course and I am looking forward to gaining a new perspective.
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2 comments:
That sounds awesome! The classroom I'm student teaching in this semester does not use music or dance at all, which is a huge leap from PS3 last semester with my guitar-playing CT and endless dance performances. I wish I could incorporate more music into the classroom, and your post makes me think of using it to do storytelling and poetry, two things I had never really associated with music. Thanks for your post on this great event; I wish I could have gone!
I think that this Hip-hop workshop sounds really interesting. It is important to include dance and music into the classroom. Hip-Hop is something that the students can relate to and it will make it more fun for them to participate in it. Unfortunately like Katrina I have not had any music in any of my placements except for one of them. Your post told me a lot about the event. It sounded like fun.
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