Choreographer

Actor and slam-poet-turned-musician Saul Williams pairs tracks from his albums MartyrLoserKing and Encrypted & Vulnerable with choreography to explore the intersection of technology and race, exploitation, and mystical anarchy, where hackers are artists and activists. Directed by MacArthur Fellow Bill T. Jones, dancers move through a progression of otherworldly scenes, flooded with strobe and neon lights, while wearing elaborate headdresses—“one like a giant brain or large Afro, another like a Cubist head made from shards of vinyl records” (The New York Times).

EPSG:4326

The Motherboard Suite

The John Anson Ford Theatre

How do we process conflicts and friction amongst close allies? And in discussion and debate, are antagonism and disagreement crucial to creating revolutionary transformation? These questions serve as the starting point for this gathering of artists, performers, scholars, and theorists in an evocative examination of the poetics of disagreement.

Led by playwright and poet Claudia Rankine, this symposium is punctuated with performances, panels, investigations of group dynamics, as well as imagined conversations between revolutionary thinkers. Participants include renowned postcolonial theorist Homi Bhabha, acclaimed cultural historian Saidiya Hartman, and Guggenheim fellow and choreographer Shamel Pitts.

Antagonisms: a Gathering

Park Avenue Armory

BLACK HOLE – Trilogy And Triathlon is the final part of Shamel Pitts' BLACK Series triptych, brought to life by the Brooklyn-based arts collective TRIBE. This multidisciplinary performance, enriched by Afrofuturism, weaves together dance, sound, video, and light into a narrative celebrating vitality, tenderness, and the power of unity and progress. Through the journey of three performers of African heritage, BLACK HOLE explores themes of transformation and potential, transcending the darkness into a metaphorical space of empowerment.

Shamel Pitts | TRIBE

UCLA World Arts and Cultures/Dance

### Event Description: School Day Performance by Shamel Pitts TRIBE

**Event Title:** School Day Performance: Shamel Pitts TRIBE

**Date and Time:** Friday, March 14, 2025, at 11:00 AM

**Venue:** Power Center, 121 Fletcher Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

**Target Audience:** Grades 8-12

**Estimated Duration:** 60 minutes

**Event Overview:**
Join us for a captivating School Day Performance featuring Shamel Pitts TRIBE's "BLACK HOLE Trilogy and Triathlon." Founded in 2019 by American choreographer and performer Shamel Pitts, TRIBE is an arts collective that brings together international and local artists to create a platform for artists of color. The collective’s work is deeply inspired by the Afrofuturism movement, which aims to tell new stories and envision a brighter future.

**Performance Highlights:**
- **Multimedia Experience:** The performance is an hour-long, uninterrupted journey in movement, enhanced by an evocative soundscape of original music, sound samples, and spoken word.
- **Visual Spectacle:** The dancers' tenacity and grace are highlighted by cinematic video projections and stark, monochromatic lighting.
- **Themes:** Dance, Music, Afrofuturism, Black Culture, Multimedia

**About Shamel Pitts:**
Shamel Pitts is a renowned performance artist, choreographer, and teacher. A 2020 Guggenheim Fellow, Shamel has an extensive background in dance, having trained at LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and The Juilliard School. He has performed with the Batsheva Dance Company and has created the award-winning BLACK series. Shamel is also the artistic director and founder of TRIBE, a New York-based multidisciplinary arts collective.

**Registration:**
Reservations are now open. To register, visit the event page or call the ticket office at 734-764-2538.

**Sponsors:**
- Karen and Charlie Chapell
- David and Phyllis Herzig
- Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 Education Endowment Fund

Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience a powerful and thought-provoking performance that blends dance, music, and multimedia to explore themes of Afrofuturism and Black culture.

School Day Performance for Grades 8-12: Shamel Pitts | TRIBE: BLACK HOLE – Trilogy and Triathlon

University Musical Society

### Event Description: Shamel Pitts TRIBE - BLACK HOLE: Trilogy and Triathlon

**Event Dates and Times:**
- **Friday, March 14, 2025, at 8:00 PM**
- **Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 8:00 PM**

**Venue:**
- **Power Center**
  121 Fletcher Street,
  Ann Arbor, MI 48109

**Event Overview:**
Join us for an extraordinary performance by Shamel Pitts TRIBE, featuring their acclaimed work, **BLACK HOLE: Trilogy and Triathlon**. Founded in 2019 by the renowned American choreographer and performer Shamel Pitts, TRIBE is an arts collective that brings together international and local artists to create a platform for artists of color. The collective's work is deeply inspired by the Afrofuturism movement, which aims to tell new stories and envision a brighter future.

**Performance Details:**
In **BLACK HOLE**, three Black dancers take the stage to narrate a story of unity, vigor, and relentless progress. The performance begins in the metaphorical darkness of a Black Hole, symbolizing a place of transformation and potential. The dancers' hour-long, uninterrupted journey is set against an evocative soundscape of original music, sound samples, and spoken word. Their movements are further highlighted by cinematic video projections and stark, monochromatic lighting, emphasizing their tenacity and grace.

**About Shamel Pitts:**
Shamel Pitts is a celebrated dancer, choreographer, and conceptual artist, known for challenging traditional views on Black masculinity. An alumnus of the Batsheva Dance Company and a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow, Pitts has received numerous accolades, including the 2018 Princess Grace Award in Choreography and the 2019 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Award. He is also the artistic director and founder of TRIBE, a multidisciplinary arts collective based in New York.

**Ticket Information:**
- **Season Ticket Packages:** Now available
- **Individual Event Tickets:** On sale starting August 1
- **Discounts:** Student, Senior, and Group discounts may be available

**How to Purchase Tickets:**
- **Online:** [Buy Tickets](#)
- **Box Office:** Call 734-764-2538

**Sponsors:**
- **Supporting Sponsor:** Elaine Bennett
- **Patron Sponsors:** Karen Bantel and Steve Geiringer

Don't miss this unique and powerful performance that promises to be a transformative experience. Secure your tickets now and be part of an evening that celebrates artistic excellence and innovation.

For more information, visit [shamelpitts.com](http://shamelpitts.com).

Shamel Pitts

Choreographer

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 15, 2025

Shamel Pitts | TRIBE · UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance

Mar 14, 2025

School Day Performance for Grades 8-12: Shamel Pitts | TRIBE: BLACK HOLE – Trilogy and Triathlon · University Musical Society

14 - 15 Mar, 2025

Shamel Pitts | TRIBE BLACK HOLE: Trilogy and Triathlon · University Musical Society

Past events

Aug 9, 2024

The Motherboard Suite · The Ford

Jun 1, 2024

Antagonisms: a Gathering · Park Avenue Armory

About

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