Pittsburgh is home to a very heartwarming community of dance where both culture and connection thrive.
This past weekend, Pittsburgh welcomed the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), where they celebrated their 35th Annual International Conference and Festival: “The Bridges we Build, from Revolution to Legacy.”
According to IABD’s website, “the vision [of the Association] is for dance, by people of African ancestry or origin, to be revered, respected and preserved in the consciousness and cultural institutions of all people.” This is achieved through year-round efforts to promote these dance styles in forms of advocacy, performance, education, touring and social media networking.
IABD offers an extensive list of opportunities to become involved in. These include the Annual Conference and Festival, IABD’s Audition Program, The Emerging Choreographer Residency and various other services, many of which are not-for-profit. Aside from just participating in these events, they offer different levels of membership to students, seniors, individuals, dance companies and dance corporations.
While membership does come with a cost, those who participate can get discounts on events, scholarship auditions, job listings and free advertisements.
Considering this program is known internationally, the 35th Annual International Conference and Festival being held right here in the heart of Pittsburgh is an honor for all associates. This conference was held in direct partnership with the Hill Dance Academy Theater, and was hosted by the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts magnet school (CAPA) and Point Park University.
The IABD takeover lasted from Wednesday until Sunday. The IABD hosted classes titled “On the 1, a Dance Class Series” daily in both the George Rowland White (GRW) and Lawrence Hall dance studios. Point Park dance majors were provided the opportunity to take one class for free and additional classes for $25 each.
Freshman modern concentration Emily O’Steen took classes with Kurt Douglass and Tiffany Ray Fisher. She said it was a great success.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for Point Park students to take advantage of other people coming here, allowing us to make real world connections instead of going out and having to search for it ourselves,” O’Steen said. “The class I took was a pretty intimate experience, and I got to learn from every word Kurt said, which I will take with me for the rest of my training.”
Aside from just classes, the GRW studios were also used for auditions. The Youth Summer Scholarship Audition and the Artists Summer Scholarship Audition both took place on campus, with many students participating.
The classes and auditions held here were just one portion of the school’s involvement. A member of our own faculty, Marc Spaulding, assistant modern professor, presented his piece “Breaking News” in the opening night performance. This performance was hosted at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center and featured works by the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, PearlArts Movement and Sound, Legacy Art Project and various other groups.
“Breaking News” specifically reflects on the sociopolitical climate in the United States from 2019-2021. It encapsulates the tense challenges the nation faced and is a manifestation of his feelings at that time.
Aside from just being involved as a choreographer, Spauldings involvement with IABD dates back over 30 years when he was a student attending classes. Many of his personal beliefs align directly with the organization’s values and mission statements.
“I think when we think about the contributions of black people, especially being American, we think of African American, but this conference celebrates black people of the diaspora, so there’s a beautifully wide range of people,” Spualding said. “For me, it was very beneficial training as a young dancer, as you get to interact and see professional dancers on stage.”
Visiting Assistant Professor Norbert De La Cruz lll also presented his choreographic work “Skin in the Game” at the Benedum Center as a part of “MOVE NYC.” It was the show’s kickoff performance for their 10th anniversary season at the 35th Annual IABD conference and festival.
The IABD conference takes a village. From teachers to media coverage, the contributions made by others is a crucial piece of the puzzle. For senior interdisciplinary arts major Kamea Wilson, this is one of her first work experiences being a part of the media team.
“I think that Point Park hosting events like IABD encourages students to connect with industry professionals outside of their academic bubble, and a good way to practice networking etiquette, which I myself am really practicing right now,” Wilson said. “For me, IABD is a clash of lineages, between dance connections and my photography practice.”
Pittsburgh is a diverse home to many dance happenings, which Point Park often finds itself in the midst of. Whether its African American students feeling validated by the movement’s objectives, dancers making connections, choreographers presenting works and others finding involvement in other ways, this past weekend was full of events for dancers and more.