PROGRAM
Reflect On: Male Choreographers

Fri-Sat, May 12-23, 2023 @ 8pm
on the Broadwater Mainstage

Created by James MahKween
Assistant Director - Thomas Davis
Videography/Photography - Justin Edmonson

Show Order:

1) "Addicted"
Choreographed by James MahKween
Dancer: Thomas Davis

2) "Talayne's Tale"
Choreographed by James MahKween
Dancers: Ajah Muhammad, Malcolm Dunbar, Jennifer Bulger

3) "The Revolutionary Act"
Choreographed by Christopher Frazier
Dancers: Thomas Davis & Christopher Frazier

Quote that inspired the piece: "The State (a euphemism for white people) has never been concerned with the welfare of Black people. It is not a matter of whether racism is intentional or unintentional. We die 'by accident' daily and the State is a witness who documents that demise... The current expectation of the Black community that the State would enter and mitigate our problems is a recent one. Thirty years ago we would not have had that expectation. The State, composed of suburbanites and people who have gentrified our neighborhoods, doesn't give a damn about Black Gay men and IV drug users and it would be a fatal mistake if we were to relinquish our responsibility for AIDS in the Black community to such an external mechanism... Black men loving Black men is the revolutionary action of the 80s. So I say to you: What have you done for us lately?" -Joseph Beam

4) "The Loss of Purpose"
Choreographed & Performed by Santiago Rivera

5) "Brown Skin Girl"
Choreographed by Justin Edmonson
Dancers: Adronni Willis, Dinah Lee Burnside, LaTrice Postell, Venyesa

6) "Cycles"
Choreographed by Thomas Davis
Dancers: Thomas Davis & Daveione Williams

7) "Malcolm's Memories"
Choreographed by James MahKween
Dancer: Malcolm Dunbar

8) "The Misery of Moonlight" (Duet)
Choreographed by Santiago Rivera
Dancers: Alondra Zitaly Peréz & Santiago Rivera

9)"Cut"
Choreographed & Performed by Thomas Davis

Special Thanks

That's Entertainment for donating Marley
and the Ladder Up team

The MahKween Method

The MahKween Method was created in Los Angeles, California in 2016 by James MahKween. It was developed from all the training genres he has studied to express his style of movement, storytelling, and advocacy for things in life, which in time became a umbrella of different creative production based platforms of art. (e.g. dance, photography, videography, fashion, and more) - not just offering himself space to be artistic, but also developing and producing different artistic platforms. To allow other artists to share their gift for the arts!

CHOREOGRAPHERS

Thomas Davis

Thomas Davis (he/him/his) is a dancer and choreographer from Colorado. He got his BFA in dance from Amda college of the performing arts and is currently pursuing his MFA in screenwriting.

Justin Edmonson

Justin Edmonson (he/him/his) was born in Long Beach, CA. The start of his journey moved him very young through the states of Arizona, Texas and back to Arizona again. Coming from a family that is much influenced by music and the arts, this became the foundation of the artist he'd later become. It wasn't until seeing Cabrillo High School's award-winning dance team as a freshman when Justin made the decision to join the team; he graduated in 2007. While at Cabrillo, Justin learned there was more to dance than just Hip-Hop. He began to explore other genres and soon began to cultivate his interests and the art of choreography. Justin took his love for choreography a little bit more seriously while at Long Beach City College, getting to dance and choreograph for small events and shows. He has studied and performed Hip-Hop, Ballet, Modern, Jazz, African, Social Dances, Dunham Technique, and Horton Technique under the tutelage of Karen McDonald, Jennifer Waters, Keisha Clark-Booth, Chris Smith, Wendi Baity, Marie Hoffman, Erin Landry, Stephanie Powell, Carol Bristol-Henry, Troy Powell, Mike Espiranza, Tiffany Billings, Frit & Frat Fuller and Pat Taylor. Justin is currently dancing his 13th season with JazzAntiqua Music & Dance Ensemble (Pat Taylor) and has started his nonprofit foundation, XclusivMovement Foundation, which was conceived out of creating his dance company with high school friend Camille Bowen, in the fall of October 2012. When Justin isn't teaching dance he is working as a photographer and creative director with his business, XclusivTradez Inc.

Christopher Frazier

Christopher Frazier (he/him/his) is originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance Performance. Frazier has danced with Cleo Parker Robinson dance theatre, the musical Memphis, in a national commercial for H&R Block, toured Tel Aviv Israel with Kamasi Washington, Lula Washington Dance Theater, is an Emmy-mominated dancer in a documentary, and is an internationally published model. Frazier took his career global with Impact Conservatory Dance Company teaching orphans and children with HIV in Kenya, Africa. Frazier was the Dance Double for the character of Otis in Hulu's Chippendales TV series. You have seen Frazier in season 3 of Legendary on HBO Max. Today you can find Frazier in the The Tale of The Lion King at Disneyland.

James MahKween

James MahKween (he/him/his) is from Atlanta, GA. He graduated with a BFA in Musical Theater from American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). After graduating, MahKween has been setting and reaching goals. He has performed with several artists and companies, including Lula Washington Dance Theatre, JazzAntiqua, Kouman Kele African Dance and Drum Company, and BrockusRed. Recently, he has been developing his own choreography. His choreography has been shown at NAACP ACT-SO 2014 & 2015, Highways Performance Space, DANCESCAPE, DanceSpot LA, Tri-Art Festival, Sol-Cal Dance Invitational, Carnival Choreographers Ball, and HHII Dance Festival. MahKween has also produced his own showcases: REFLECT and Love Inclinations.

Santiago Rivera

Santiago Rivera (he/him/his) is a dance educator and choreographer in the Southern California area and will complete his MFA in Dance at California State University, Long Beach this Spring. He started dancing and training in the competitive world when he was in eighth grade. In 2016 he received his B.A. in Drama and minor in Educational Studies from the University of California, Irvine. In 2021 he received his Certification in Dance Instruction from Orange Coast College and completed the 2020/2021 José Limón Technique Certification Training Program. His works focus on the amplification of closetted queer LatinX and BIPOC voices in "safe" dance spaces.