Speaker: Judith Jamison and members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
TED2019
Date: April 2019
Location: Vancouver, BC
Description from TED website:
“Dance can elevate our human experience beyond words,” says Judith Jamison, artistic director emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In between performances of excerpts from Alvin Ailey’s classic works “Revelations” and “Cry,” Jamison reflects on the enduring power of dance to transform history into art that thrills audiences around the world. (Performances by Solomon Dumas, Samantha Figgins, and Constance Stamatiou)
My Review / Notes / Thoughts
This is a totally different TED Talk from what I’ve ever watched before. To actually see demonstrated what the speaker is talking about is very powerful. Judith Jamison talks about civil rights, social justice, and the way that dance helps to communicate both the past and present, as well as the future hopes and dreams (and all done without violence).
I honestly believe this talk would be great in a variety of curriculum. Especially courses talking about civil rights and social justice. I also believe this is a very powerful video for those in the performing arts to watch. Students can watch this video and then have discussions, or perhaps write papers from this viewpoint.
Watch the video … let me know what you think. How would you incorporate this video into your curriculum? Can you see it being a jumping-off point for student engagement?
Until next time … live long, life-learner!