MBDance showcases new work “Desire: A Sankofa Dream”
The Delaware Art Museum presents MBDance and the original performative work “Desire: A Sankofa Dream,” created and directed by celebrated choreographer Maria Bauman-Morales. There will be two show times, both presented at the Delaware College of Art and Design (600 N. Market St.) on Saturday November 13th at 7:30 and Sunday November 14th at 6:00 p.m.
“Desire” is a site responsive and interactive work designed as a healing performance-ritual built around Black Queer survival techniques developed long before the current pandemic but wholly relevant as individuals try to survive and thrive in this time of sickness, anger, isolation and insistence on improved ways of life.
“Imagination and choice-making are at the crux of this duet. Coming into the next phase of the pandemic, and always, it is imperative that we all get in touch with what we want, how to enact that, and how the boundaries and catalysts of other folks’ desires interact with our own wants. We are excited to bring this in-person, masked, immersive duet version of “Desire: A Sankofa Dream” to Wilmington so that we can practice choice-making together within the transcendent framework of art,” says Maria Bauman-Morales, executive and artistic director of MBDance.
“This performance piece will immerse attendees into the show itself. The audience (called witness/participant) will be seated throughout the performance space, which is itself an installation of lines and angles as two masked dancers weave in and out of the audience. “Desire” continues the tradition of the Delaware Art Museum to present new, dynamic works of art in multiple mediums.” says Dr. Jamē McCray, 2021 Delaware Division of the Arts Fellowship recipient in dance, and thought provocateur for this performance. Dr. McCray will lead a 30-minute discussion about the creative process behind “Desire” with MBDance Artistic Director Maria Baumann-Morales following Saturday’s performance.
For the safety of all audience members, those attending the performance must wear a mask and complete DCAD’s health screening form for contact tracing purposes upon arrival for the performance each evening.
This performance is made possible through a grant from the TD Charitable Foundation. This performance is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. This organization is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.
About the Delaware Art Museum
For over 100 years, the Museum has served as a primary arts and cultural institution in Delaware. It is alive with experiences, discoveries, and activities to connect people with art and with each other. Originally created in 1912 to honor the renowned illustrator and Wilmington-native, Howard Pyle, the Museum’s collection has grown to over 12,000 works of art in our building and sculpture garden. Also recognized for British Pre-Raphaelite art, the Museum is home to the most comprehensive Pre-Raphaelite collection on display outside of the United Kingdom, and a growing collection of significant contemporary art.
Under the leadership of our Board of Trustees, the Delaware Art Museum is implementing a comprehensive approach to community and civic engagement. This exciting new strategic direction requires that we increase our value and relevance to all audiences. Visit delart.org to for the latest exhibitions, programs, and performances or connect with us via social media.
About MBDance
Maria Bauman-Morales founded MBDance in 2009. MBDance creates honest and bold art from a sense of physical and emotional power, an insistence on equity, and a fascination with intimacy and relationship. In particular, MBDance centers the non-linear and linear stories and bodies of queer people of color onstage, using dance as the wheel whose spokes are multiple other genres including visual art, text, and song. www.desire.mbdance.net
About the Delaware College of Art and Design
In 1997, Pratt Institute and the Corcoran College of Art and Design came together in an innovative partnership that formed the bedrock of DCAD. With the support of two of America’s oldest and most distinguished arts colleges, DCAD blossomed into a lively institution offering students a cutting-edge spin on a prestigious art education. Now operating as an independent institution, DCAD provides one of the richest opportunities available in American art and design education today.
The vibrant history of Downtown Wilmington is deeply rooted in DCAD’s identity. The main building — which houses classrooms, administrative offices, and the Toni and Stuart B. Young Gallery — still boasts the original Art Deco detailing from its construction in 1932. The building, which once housed the Delmarva Power headquarters, features original metal detailing and unique facades. Preserving this piece of history is a testament to DCAD’s appreciation for fine arts, and it remains one of the most striking features of tbe campus. DCAD’s main building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: “Desire: A Sankofa Dream” performance by MBDance
WHEN: Saturday November 13th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday November 14th at 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Delaware College of Art and Design, 600 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE
COST: $15 per night, $25 both nights, Students: Free
INFO: delart.org
Media Contact: Amelia Wiggins, Director of Communications & Engagement | awiggins@delart.org