See site-specific excerpts of Initiation– In Love Solidarity, a new work by Harvard Dance Center Fall '21 Artist-in-Residence Nailah Randall-Bellinger, followed by an interactive conversation with the artists at the Barker Center Courtyard. 

The work will be performed outdoors at the Barker Center Courtyard by dancers Imani Deal, Patricka James, Jenny Oliver, Jeryl Palan, and Toni S. Singleton. 

Accessibility: There will be limited chairs available for those who need to sit. Please email dance@fas.harvard.edu to reserve a chair or for any type of access needed for participation.

Initiation– In Love Solidarity, is a choreographic narrative exploring the embodiment of the Middle Passage, and the resilience and evolving identities of women in the African diaspora. A film component was created at historic sites in New England related to the transatlantic slave trade and emancipation. 

The work is an invitation to enter a dialogue on the journey of African diasporic people, as it connects to the whole of humanity, through reflection, reclamation, and regeneration, moving from trauma to resilience in love solidarity. The film and live performance will be presented in various formats alongside discussions this fall.

Randall-Bellinger is also visiting Fall ’21 TDM dance credit courses and The Hutchins Center for African & African American Research Fellowship Program.

Learn more about the project and programmed events on campus!

Supported through a commission by the Harvard University Committee on the Arts (HUCA). Additional support from Harvard Radcliffe Institute and the Presidential Initiative on Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery.