The texture of a body’s architecture The stature of a statue
The posture of too high standing pillars Too tall to hold
Buildings Built On Buildings Too Bold To Console
As Bold As Blood

BLACK VELVET is a celebration of the many textures, beauty, delicacy, and power within us. It is an art piece that aims to share and reflect on the colorfulness of blackness – especially in regards to black women- in a relationship of love, comradery, and compassion. This work researches and shares the sensibility of ideals, models, systems, and structures as a projection of self. The dealing within these structures of systems is to discover what is inside of us, between us and around us. To hopefully bridge the distances so that we can see and meet each other. Some systems must be broken, re imagined, in order to reconstruct. BLACK VELVET received the Audience Choice Award at the Stockholm Fringe Festival 2017.

Shamel Pitts is a performance artist, dancer, spoken word artist, and a teacher. Born In Brooklyn, NY, Shamel began his dance training at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and The Performing Arts. Simultaneously, he trained at The Ailey School (Official School of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater). Shamel received his BFA from The Juilliard School and was awarded The Martha Hill Award for Excellence in Dance. Upon graduating, He joined and performed with Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance. Shamel later moved to Montreal to dance with BJM_Danse (Formerly known as Les Ballets Jazz De Montreal). Later, he moved to Tel Aviv to join Batsheva Dance Company under the artistic direction of Ohad Naharin. Currently based in Tel Aviv, Shamel has been a collaborator for many artists including Alex Apt, Bobbi Jene Smith, and Billy Barry. He has been a pivotal figure in the city and nightlife events of the city of Tel Aviv. Shamel is a teacher of “Gaga”, the movement language created by Ohad Naharin (www.gagapeople.com). Shamel Pitts won the 2018 Princess Grace Award in Choreography. shamelpitts.com

Mirelle Martins, Brazilian performance artist and art producer. From Goiânia-GO. Bachelor in Social Communication at Universidade de Brasília on 2006. Did works as independent curator and executive producer in diverse art projects since 2010. Started research dance and performance on 2013. Has projects exhibited at SP-Arte (2016), Sesc-SP (2015), Museu da Lingua Portuguesa (2015) among others. Is producer and translator of GAGA.people.dancers movement language in Brazil since 2015. On 2016 started a dance creation partnership with Shamel Pitts, african american dancer. Currently touring with Black Velvet and in the creation process of Black Hole.

[Source: PR-info]

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