what is D UNDERBELLY?

D UNDERBELLY derives its name from the ‘underbelly’ of a slave ship; excavating the legacies that surface from the depths of our cultural experiences.

D UNDERBELLY seeks to act as a catalyst for shifting perceptions; demystifying racism and recognizing the underlying contributions indigenous people from the Latin, Asia, Native and African diaspora have made to this new world culture. An underground interdisciplinary network of artists of color, D UNDERBELLY emerged circa 1996/7, initially as a performative forum for exploring the multi-layered dimensions of culture as it relates to societal notions of “blackness”. Invested in interdisciplinary experimentation through the excavation of ‘new work’ and communal exchange, D UNDERBELLY rigorously explores the ever-fluid relationship between music and movement; weaving text, multimedia elements and environmental configurations in order to encapsulate the complexities of the diaspora. Moving onto Brooklyn, Ny and cultivating connections in Chicago, Austin Tx, northern California and internationally, this network continues to evolve; embracing & interrelating with Latin, Asian and Native/Indigenous traditions and forms. This hybrid is rooted in the theatrical jazz aesthetic carried forward by theater artist & collaborator Sharon Bridgforth, Dr Omi Osun Joni L. Jones along with other acclaimed artists including Laurie Carlos, Helga Davis, Daniel Alexander Jones and Marlies Yearby. At the CORE of this network currently are artists: Barak adé Soleil Francine Sheffield PROJECTS include: Out of Africa & Beyond Un-slave diaries Basking in Negritude Vive La Intersections Revolutionary Acts Non Je Regrette Rien Receding ’emories Koool-aid Luv Odyssey N This Hous First Dark Drama Childr’n of “O” S’Kin Deep CURATORIAL: Studies N Black Live Deep N Flow To BE CONTINUED: Water Moves the Soul UN- rendered ARTISTS within the network of D UNDERBELLY; those who have been a part of the development of a project since its inception in 1996/7* Stefania Strowder Christal N. Brown Leean Johnson Chanon Judson Daniel Marcellus Givens André Austvoll Manelich Minnifee Geoff Albores e.g. bailey Gin Hammond Cheles Rhynes Ceci Lewis Bernard Brown Stephan Reynolds Penelope McCourty Margaret Morris Usry Alleyne Leann Johnson Rachel Bernsen Chelsea Gregory Sonja Parks Monstah Black Laurie Carlos Rafael Sanchez Nikki Patin Sha Cage Douglas Ewart Signe Harriday Akil Davis Joe Wilson Chevon Stewart Aole T. Miller Christa Bell Shawn Odoms Gesel Mason Mameri Blue Valerie McCleod-Katz Nicole Mitchell Jada Odom Sunder Ashni Sharon Bridgforth Natasha Diamond Walker Aixa Kendrick Anitrice Anderson Delano Jean-Pierre Matt Morgan Yaa Asantewaa Channie Waites Sandra Jean Gaillard Mutale Kanyatta Sojourner Wright Awilda Rodriguez-Lora From 1996 – 2010 D UNDERBELLY’s projects have been informed by this notion of liquid legacies: the passing on of traditions through the body the passing down of ancestral memories the body becomes the container for this information the body fills with the pain of slavery, the passion of love, the struggles of the human spirit, the labor of identity this passing on is liquid, thick, porous, moving into the core of our muscles utterly still and yet cascading over our hearts into the depths of our being resounding in our inner ear made vocal through outer words igniting our souls with legacies we know legacies we don’t want to know legacies we take on D UNDERBELLY is an urban rite of RE-remembering: a rite of embodying the dignity of a people the memory of a nation like song it propels us into states of ecstasy and fear empowering us to truly bask in the multiplicity of colors, emotions and expressions that have permeated our culture these legacies are liquid because they continue to flow through us around us up and down our spine titillating our minds with thoughts of FREEDOM!

D UNDERBELLY seeks to act as a catalyst for shifting perceptions; demystifying racism and recognizing the underlying contributions indigenous people from the Latin, Asia, Native and African diaspora have made to this new world culture.

An underground interdisciplinary network of artists of color, D UNDERBELLY emerged circa 1996/7, initially as a performative forum for exploring the multi-layered dimensions of culture as it relates to societal notions of “blackness”. Invested in interdisciplinary experimentation through the excavation of ‘new work’ and communal exchange, D UNDERBELLY rigorously explores the ever-fluid relationship between music and movement; weaving text, multimedia elements and environmental configurations in order to encapsulate the complexities of the diaspora. Moving onto Brooklyn, Ny and cultivating connections in Chicago, Austin Tx, northern California and internationally, this network continues to evolve; embracing & interrelating with Latin, Asian and Native/Indigenous traditions and forms. This hybrid is rooted in the theatrical jazz aesthetic carried forward by theater artist & collaborator Sharon Bridgforth, Dr Omi Osun Joni L. Jones along with other acclaimed artists including Laurie Carlos, Helga Davis, Daniel Alexander Jones and Marlies Yearby.

At the CORE of this network currently are artists:
Barak adé Soleil
Francine Sheffield

PROJECTS include:
Out of Africa & Beyond
Un-slave diaries
Basking in Negritude
Vive La Intersections
Revolutionary Acts
Non Je Regrette Rien
Receding ’emories
Koool-aid Luv Odyssey
N This Hous
First Dark Drama
Childr’n of “O”
S’Kin Deep

CURATORIAL:
Studies N Black
Live Deep N Flow

To BE CONTINUED:
Water Moves the Soul
UN- rendered

ARTISTS within the network of D UNDERBELLY; those who have been a part of the development of a project since its inception in 1996/7*

Stefania Strowder

Christal N. Brown

Leean Johnson
Chanon Judson
Daniel Marcellus Givens
André Austvoll
Manelich Minnifee

Geoff Albores

e.g. bailey

Gin Hammond

Cheles Rhynes

Ceci Lewis

Bernard Brown

Stephan Reynolds

Penelope McCourty
Margaret Morris
Usry Alleyne
Leann Johnson
Rachel Bernsen

Chelsea Gregory
Sonja Parks

Monstah Black
Laurie Carlos
Rafael Sanchez
Nikki Patin

Sha Cage

Douglas Ewart

Signe Harriday
Akil Davis
Joe Wilson
Chevon Stewart
Aole T. Miller
Christa Bell

Shawn Odoms
Gesel Mason
Mameri Blue
Valerie McCleod-Katz

Nicole Mitchell

Jada Odom

Sunder Ashni

Sharon Bridgforth

Natasha Diamond Walker

Aixa Kendrick

Anitrice Anderson

Delano Jean-Pierre

Matt Morgan

Yaa Asantewaa

Channie Waites

Sandra Jean Gaillard

Mutale Kanyatta

Sojourner Wright

Awilda Rodriguez-Lora

From 1996 – 2010 D UNDERBELLY’s projects have been informed by this notion of liquid legacies:
the passing on of traditions through the body
the passing down of ancestral memories
the body becomes the container for this information
the body fills with the pain of slavery, the passion of love,
the struggles of the human spirit, the labor of identity
this passing on is liquid, thick, porous,
moving into the core of our muscles
utterly still and yet cascading over our hearts into the depths of our being
resounding in our inner ear made vocal through outer words
igniting our souls with legacies we know
legacies we don’t want to know
legacies we take on
D UNDERBELLY is an urban rite of RE-remembering:

a rite of embodying the dignity of a people
the memory of a nation
like song it propels us into states of ecstasy and fear
empowering us to truly bask
in the multiplicity of colors, emotions and
expressions
that have permeated our culture
these legacies are liquid because they continue
to flow through us
around us
up and down our spine
titillating our minds with thoughts of
FREEDOM!