Reclaiming African-Americans narratives by showcasing their authenticity, “ink” celebrates the rituals, gestural vocabulary, and traditions that remain (from generation to generation) ingrained within the lineage of the African Diaspora. This work examines the culture of black life that is often appropriated, rewritten, or silenced.

“ink,” the final installation of Brown’s dance theatre trilogy about identity (Mr. TOL E. RAncE, BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play), is in collaboration with Music Director Allison Miller, percussionist Wilson Torres, and violinist Juliette Jones. Together, using the rhythms and sounds of traditional African instruments as its center, the work travels through time with elements of Blues, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Swing- moving seamlessly through its musical landscape to provide its own storytelling. The movement is an amalgamation of African- American social dance, African, Tap, Jazz, Modern, and Hip-Hop.

From the Abolitionist movement to the Civil Rights struggle, from The Black Power movement to the emergence of Hip Hop, “ink” seeks to highlight the space of pedestrian interactions as grounds for individuals and communities to find liberation and access their power. Dramaturgy guidance provided by: Talvin Wilks, Daniel Banks, and Kamilah Forbes.