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Ayodele Casel, Rennie Harris Puremovement, and Ronald K. Brown’s EVIDENCE, A Dance Company

Max Roach 100 

Preperformance conversation with Richard Colton and Kit Fitzgerald

A group of dancers wearing red and blue costumes point to the right.

Celebrate iconic drummer, composer, and activist Max Roach with an evening of dance works made in tribute to this legendary jazz pioneer.

The Wex joins a nationwide centennial celebration of Roach, with one of many presentations across the country. Curated by Richard Colton and commissioned by the Joyce Theater, this special program brings artists together in conversation with Roach’s lasting legacy set to recordings of the late musician performing his greatest works.

Characterized by its Afro-Cuban percussion, the 1961 album Percussion Bitter Sweet becomes the soundscape for choreographer Ronald K. Brown and Arcell Cabuag’s latest work for dancers from EVIDENCE, A Dance Company, in their return to the Wex. In “The Dream/It’s Time,” Roach’s band joins a recording of Martin Luther King Jr. in an aspirational and urgent conversation, now amplified by the streetdance storytelling of Rennie Harris Puremovement. Ayodele Casel approaches her solo dance performance as a “trio,” adding her singular percussive improvisation to the free jazz duet by Roach and fellow jazz pioneer pianist Cecil Taylor. The program opens with Max Roach Live: Video Art by Kit Fitzgerald, a short film by video artist Kit Fitzgerald with footage from her decade-long collaboration with Roach, highlighting Roach's influence across artistic disciplines.

Join us for a preperformance conversation with Richard Colton and Kit Fitzgerald, from 6–6:30 PM. They will discuss their experiences working with Roach and in-depth thoughts on the curation of Max Roach 100.

IMAGE CAPTION
Ron K. Brown's EVIDENCE, A Dance Company, photo: Steven Pisano

"This is a fitting tribute and a hell of a show."
Brian Seibert, New York Times

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PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Doris Duke Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Wexner Family
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Mellon Foundation
Every Page Foundation
Ohio Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts
CampusParc
Nationwide Foundation
Ohio State’s Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme
The Columbus Foundation
Axium Packaging

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Ohio State Energy Partners
Ohio History Fund/Ohio History Connection
David Crane and Elizabeth Dang
Melissa Gilliam and William Grobman
Rebecca Perry Damsen and Ben Towle

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Ayodele Casel, Rennie Harris Puremovement, and Ronald K. Brown’s EVIDENCE, A Dance Company