May 2–11, 2019
1801 W. Diamond St.
Starting from 3rd & Pine Streets
Partners for Sacred Places and Philadelphia Contemporary present Grounds that Shout! (and others merely shaking), curated by the acclaimed choreographer Reggie Wilson. This series of performances responds to the layered histories of Philadelphia’s religious spaces through contemporary dance. Over two weeks, eight choreographers and performance groups will present original and re-situated works of dance in four historic Philadelphia churches, reflecting on the relationships between practices of movement and worship.
Reggie Wilson’s own Fist and Heel Performance Group will perform at Church of the Advocate following a residency at the local landmark, with accompanying performances by Germaine Ingram and David Brick. The series will culminate with a procession in which attendees move from one site-specific performance to the next through St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church, and Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church.
In addition to the performances, three free public conversations will offer further insight into the process behind Grounds that Shout!, featuring dialogues with key contributors and thinkers.
Support for Grounds that Shout! (and others merely shaking) has been provided to Partners for Sacred Spaces by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
Program
Performances at Church of the Advocate
Thursday, May 2 at 7:30pm
Friday, May 3 at 8pm
Saturday, May 4 at 8pm
Tickets
Fist and Heel Performance Group: … they stood shaking while others began to shout
Germaine Ingram
David Brick
How Did We Get Here? | Arriving at Grounds That Shout! (and others merely shaking)
Friday, May 3 at 3pm
Join the curator, partners and producers of Grounds That Shout! for a panel discussion in reflection on the project’s development process.
In Observance | Blackness within Ethnographic, Liturgical and Movement Practices
Monday, May 6 at 6pm
How do practices across ethnography, liturgical dance and post-African/Neo-HooDoo Modern Dance intersect in movement practice, cultural transmission and text-based articulation?
Rights, Rites and Ashes: Public Remembering on Lenape Land
Tuesday, May 7 at 6pm
Ranging from topics of precolonial land histories, to histories of slavery and enduring memorial rites and practices, this panel contends with the question, “What does it mean to be an enduring neighbor across shared and divergent practices of land occupancy, faith tradition and legacies of subjugation and freedom?”
Procession Performances in Society Hill
Saturday, May 11; Start times: 12:30pm, 2pm, & 3:30pm
Tickets
Meg Foley
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Lela Aisha Jones | FlyGround
Almanac Dance Circus Theatre
Tania Isaac
Press inquiries
Ed Winstead
Director, Cultural Counsel
ed [at] culturalcounsel.com
About Partners for Sacred Places
Partners for Sacred Places is the only national, non-sectarian, nonprofit organization focused on building the capacity of historic sacred places to better serve their communities as anchor institutions, nurturing transformation, and shaping vibrant, creative communities. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Partners has built a national movement over the past 30 years based on its ability to assess issues, map assets, find solutions, and create optimism and hope for the future of our historic, purpose-built sacred places. Partners’ Arts in Sacred Places program brings together artists who need space with congregations who have space and are willing to share it with artists.
About Philadelphia Contemporary
Founded in 2016, Philadelphia Contemporary presents visual art, performance art, and spoken word across the city of Philadelphia. A nomadic contemporary art organization with ambitions to establish a freestanding, globally oriented and locally aware non-collecting arts institution, Philadelphia Contemporary has pioneered a vibrant and sustainable model based on partnerships and collaborations. Having commenced pop-up programming in October 2016, Philadelphia Contemporary continues to develop an ambitious roster of public projects while developing a permanent home in West Philadelphia with design architects Johnston Marklee.
