Pillow Lab:
Brinae Ali
At Perles Family Studio: Dec 14
Event Dates
About
Brinae Ali
Developmental Residency | December 4-15, 2024
Showing | December 14, 2024
During her residency, tap dancer and choreographer Brinae Ali will develop The Baby Laurence Legacy Project. This archival and performance initiative investigates and celebrates the artistic genius of Donald “Baby Laurence” Jackson, a Baltimore-bred innovator whose impact on tap dance and jazz music is being redefined. This evening-length production aims to build a platform for sharing Laurence’s largely forgotten story with audiences by exploring the relationship between technology, tap dancing, and jazz music, featuring songs by Laurence such as “Baby at Birdland” and “Delilah’s Theme” reimagined with new arrangements and choreography. Through this work, Ali seeks to reveal how Laurence embodied the bebop aesthetic, reflecting a defiance of the white gaze and a self-referencing Black consciousness akin to the music of Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, and Charlie Parker.
Brinae Ali performed as part of the 2023 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, she is an interdisciplinary artist who believes in using the power of the arts to transform the conditions of the human spirit. Among her many roles as an educator and grassroots organizer, Ali has worked as the artistic director of Tapology, Inc., a youth based outreach program in Flint that believes in preserving the art of tap and jazz culture through education and performance.
Location
Perles Family Studio
Want to see the work? Jacob’s Pillow Members at the $500 level and above, as well as our College Partners, are invited to Jacob’s Pillow to attend an in-person showing by the artists at the end of the residency. Video livestreams may also be available for certain showings. This opportunity is offered by email invitation in advance of the event.
Already a Member or College Partner? RSVP links will be emailed to you directly at the email associated with your Membership or College Partnership. Have questions or want to attend via Zoom? Please email membership@jacobspillow.org or community@jacobspillow.org.
Please consider making a donation. Your contribution supports Jacob’s Pillow’s mission in dance creation, presentation, education, and preservation, and in harnessing the community-building power of dance.
Lead support for the Pillow Lab is provided by the Mellon Foundation
