Intervention: Ocean Blues
Procession, performance, dance, music, textile arts, costuming, ritual, and protest inspired by sea creatures that have the gift of bioluminescence. A call to action to protect our Ocean by demanding drastic changes to the values and practices of private industry, policymakers and individual human behavior.
Olokun. Portrayed by Cheij Gueye. Intervention: Ocean Blues, 2018. Photo: Frank Veronsky
Sea Weed. Portrayed by Mei Yamanaka. Intervention: Ocean Blues, 2018. Photo: Frank Veronsky
King Coral. Portrayed by Najja Codrington. Intervention: Ocean Blues, 2018. Photo: Frank Veronsky
Siphonophore King. Portrayed by Najja Codrington. Intervention: Ocean Blues, 2018. Photo: Frank Veronsky
Intervention: Ocean Blues
Intervention: Ocean Blues is inspired by all the forms of life that make the ocean their home, in particular the extraordinary sea creatures that have the gift of creating the effect of producing their own light –bioluminescence- and live in the deepest and least explored depths of our ocean. It is a reminder that we must bring light to the crisis impacting life of our Ocean and draw attention to the urgent need to elevate and change the values and practices of private industry, policy and our own personal choices to address responsibly sustainable development goals (SDG14) set by the United Nations and urge our elected officials to take immediate action on Climate Change. The performance unfolds in an urban environment highly dependent on the health of the ocean, even though it may not be overtly obvious to our urban communities. Intervention: Ocean Blues invites audiences to acknowledge our intersecting identities and, to celebrate and honor them by changing behaviors to protect our oceans. The performance combines dance, procession, textile sculpture, ritual, protest and improvisational interactions with the audience.
Commissioned by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston. First performed at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, August 9th, 2018
Performed in DUMBO Brooklyn, New York. Presented by No Longer Empty and New York Rise for Climate Jobs and Justice. August 29th, 2018
Olokun. Portrayed by Cheikh Gueye. Intervention: Ocean Blues, DUMBO, 2018. Photo: Shannel Resto
Olokun. Portrayed by Cheikh Gueye. Intervention: Ocean Blues, DUMBO, 2018. Photo: Shannel Resto
The Brooklyn Jumbies and ground dancers. Intervention: Ocean Blues, DUMBO, 2018. Photo: Shannel Resto
Coral Queen. Portrayed by Jahde Huntley. Intervention: Ocean Blues, DUMBO, 2018. Photo: Shannel Resto
The Brooklyn Jumbies and ground dancers. Intervention: Ocean Blues, DUMBO, 2018. Photo: Shannel Resto
The Brooklyn Jumbies and ground dancers. Intervention: Ocean Blues, DUMBO, 2018. Photo: Shannel Resto
Intervention: Ocean Blues
Behind the scenes. Bushwick, 2018
Collaborator Bios
The Brooklyn Jumbies Inc. is an organization whose sole purpose is to heighten the community’s cultural awareness of African and African-Caribbean culture. Brooklyn Jumbies perform stilt-dancing, which is one of the numerous cultural elements of the African and Caribbean Diaspora. The founding members of Brooklyn Jumbies Inc. are Ali Sylvester and Najja Codrington. Since 2007 the Brooklyn Jumbies Inc. have worked closely with Laura Anderson Barbata presenting collaborative and outreach projects in Mexico, Jamaica, Singapore and the US. Since 2008 they have collaborated with the Zancudos de Zaachila (traditional stilt-dancers from Oaxaca). With Barbata they have performed in various Museums, among the Modern Museum of Fort Worth, Texas; Museum of Modern Art, MoMA in New York; Centro Nacional de las Artes in Monterrey, Mexico; and Museo de la Ciudad de México. Among their most significant performances are Jumbie Camp, 2007 presented on 24th Street Chelsea, New York; Intervention: Wall Street, presented in the Financial District of New York, 2011; STRUT! Madison, Wisconsin 2015; Intervention: Indigo, 2015, presented in Brooklyn, The Macy´s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, New York; What-Lives-Beneath, Kingston, Jamaica, 2016; Ocean Blue(s), 2017, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore; Ocean Calling, 2017 commissioned by Thyssen-Bornemisza Contemporary Academy and presented at the United Nations Plaza, andIntervention: Ocean Blues, 2018, commissioned and performed at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, and in DUMBO, Brooklyn as part of New York Rise for Climate, Jobs and Justice week organized by No Longer Empty.
Based in New York, Najja Codrington is a co-founder of the Brooklyn Jumbies along with Ali Sylvester, and is also Musical Director of the KowTeff School of African Dance. Najja was born into a family that is deeply rooted in both African and African-Caribbean culture. At the age of 10, under the guidance of Obara Wali Rahman, he received his first formal training of the Sabar orchestra as a member of Sabar Ak-Ru-Afrique. Najja’s studies encompass music and dance from both the Caribbean and West Africa. Najja has traveled abroad to Senegal, West Africa where he studied under the tutelage of the Drame/Diabate griot family. As a result, he was exposed to an extensive amount of lore. As Najja has studied African dance and drumming intensively for many years, several people have contributed to his learning, such as Sewaa Codrington, Aissatou Diop, Wilhemina Taylor, Gregory Ince, Karim Braithway, Kissima Diabate, and Souleyman Diop, to name just a few. Currently, Najja is involved in many cultural activities such as Cultural Youth International’s Brooklyn Jumbies, Adlib Steel Pan Orchestra KowTeff African Dance Company, Bakh Yaye and A Touch of Folklore & More. Najja firmly believes that the cultural arts are not merely an economic tool. It is an inherent part of his spirit, which is a dominant driving force. It is with this driving force that he unselfishly mentors youth, instilling discipline, direction and pride. He also gives special thanks and praise to his mother because he would not be who he is today if it were not for her. Najja brings high-spirited energy to all groups that he embraces.
Mei Yamanaka is a dancer and choreographer from Japan, based in New York since 2008. Yamanaka has worked and collaborated with artists Tamar Rogoff, Catherine Galasso, Tiffany Mills, Mark Dendy, Jennifer Archibald, Christine Bonansea, Jody Oberfelder, among others. Yamanaka's work has been presented at Fresh Tracks, New York Live Arts, Movement Research at Judson Church, Mix Festival at HERE, Food for Though at Danspace, and more. A "Fresh Tracks" residency artist at Dance Theater Workshop (now New York Live Arts) in 2010 – 2011, and Chez Bushwick Artist In Residence in 2014, Brooklyn, New York. Since 2016 she has collaborated and performed with Anderson Barbata, among their most significant performances are Ocean Calling, 2017 commissioned by Thyssen-Bornemisza Contemporary Academy and presented at the United Nations Plaza, New York; and Intervention: Ocean Blues, 2018, performed in DUMBO, Brooklyn as part of New York Rise for Climate, Jobs and Justice week organized by No Longer Empty. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 Yamanaka has temporarily relocated to Japan, her home, where she is dancing and creating daily and sending good energy to the universe. www.meiyamanaka.com
Intervention: Ocean Blues Performers:
The Brooklyn Jumbies Stilt Dancers:
Najja Codrington
Keil Alibocas
Khyle Lambert
Jabari Rollocks
Bonivia Bartolo
Ground Dancers:
Madison Blake
Cheikh Gueye
Jahde Huntley
Fatouseck Primus
Yuko Tsuji
Mei Yamanaka
Intervention: Ocean Blues by Laura Anderson Barbata
Photography: Shannel J Resto @s.j.rphotography and Frank Veronsky www.frankveronsky.com
Video: Kevin Alex and Harry McFann
Commissioned by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston. First performed at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, August 9th, 2018
Performed in DUMBO Brooklyn, New York. Presented by No Longer Empty and New York Rise for Climate Jobs and Justice. August 29th, 2018