-
Artworks
Antoine Hunter
Kiss Louder, 2015Video
Choreographer, Music, Costume Designer: Antoine Hunter Performers: Urban Jazz Dance Company
Dedication: To all Deaf who wasn't allowed to be Deaf
____
Visual Description
Two dancers embrace on a stage with a black backdrop. One dancer wears her hair in a ponytail and has on a black and white plaid dress. The other dancer is Antoine Hunter, a black indigenous deaf dancer and choreographer. His torso is bear and he is wearing black slacks. The two hold each other and perform a series of repeating hugging style movements. The dancer in the dress backs away and performs her own choreography as Antoine signs in American Sign Language. The two dancers embrace again and perform choreography in tandem with movements that incorporate traditional ballet and modern dance. The dancers separate again and Antoine signs in ASL while verbally narrating the words “push” “pull” “stop” and “go.” The dancer in the dress moves to his narration and speeds up as the pace of his words increase. The dancers engage the audience in signing the words and the sounds of many hand gestures are heard from the audience. The two dancers continue a dynamic choreography with sweeping arm motions and turns. Another dancer enters at stage right, wearing a backless black dress carrying a bench to sit and dance on and three more dancers wearing shades of black, white and gray enter at stage left as classical style piano music with drums starts to play. Each dancer performs their own choreography as two more dancers enter stage right. The dancers perform in three groups on stage in different formations, breaking off into different groups and dancing as Antoine looks on and signs at stage left. A group of three dancers perform the same choreography in a circle formation as Anotione moves across the stage and continues to sign. The group of four dancers in the background move to center stage and pause while standing. The other dancers join them and the group dances together in unison. Antoine walks off stage as the group continues to dance and then moves backwards disappearing off stage. The dancer in the plaid dress is left on an empty stage and performs dramatic arm movements as the lights fade to black.Further images
