TONIGHT: A Message From Mx. Black Copper at the New Dance Alliance Performance Mix Festival
7pm at Abrons Arts Center
When: Thursday, June 6th at 7pm
Where: Abrons Arts Center
“A Message from Mx. Black Copper” is the initiating performance project of my Afro-futuristic world-building project, SATURN. Set in a not-too-distant future on an alternate timeline, the global oppression abolition project SATURN is near its completion and the promise of a utopia nears.
Though the Global Abolitionists for Human Design facilitate the dream for utopia embedded in the SATURN project, the governing body suppressed any mention of the Underground and their human trafficking economy to keep people believing that they are making progress towards utopia.
After experiencing years of traumatic abuse and oppression in the Underground and out of GAHD’s near omnipresent-eye, Mx. Black Copper attempted to end their life. While in limbo, they heard the call of their Black queer ancestors, headed their wisdom, and chose to live again. In their new resurrected life, Mx. Black Copper becomes a phoenix determined to liberate the Underground to actualize the true intentions of SATURN.
I'm just beginning to form words to communicate how Mx. Black Copper has been liberating me.
I needed a hero that looked like me, who went the darker depths than I, and chose to rise again to believe I could do the same.
Then, to bring them forward, through my body... that required so much shedding.
To live I needed to die.
There was no other way for me to access my rage, my sorrow.
I owe immense gratitude to my Punking & Waacking ancestors for creating the dance, my elders for passing it down, and my community for keeping this lifestyle alive.
It saved my life, and I wouldn't be here without you.
Thank you.
In honor of this A Message From Mx. Black Copper coming back to New York City where it was first performed in March 2023, I am putting the video of this performance up on my website to watch for 24 to 48 hours. Check it out before it goes back to SATURN.
There’s so much that I can only say through dance, though I stretch to find words to communicate more broadly. With everything that is going on in the world, I often meditate on the growing rate of suicide. Living is a choice. And, without running away from conversations about self-harm I’ve found that there’s wisdom to gain from those who’ve chosen to live when the choice to not was just as available.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
With love & care,
j.