Ubw Inc

FOUNDED IN 1984 BY JAWOLE WILLA JO ZOLLAR, URBAN BUSH WOMEN IS A DANCE ENSEMBLE THAT ENGAGES A DIVERSE AUDIENCE BY PRODUCING BOLD AND LIFE-AFFIRMING WORK BASED ON WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES, AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA. COMPANY ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE CREATION AND PERFORMANCE OF WORKS FOR THE STAGE; ARTIST TRAINING IN DANCE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT; AND PUBLIC PROJECTS WHICH ENCOURAGE CULTURAL ACTIVITY AS AN INHERENT PART OF COMMUNITY LIFE. IN 2020, THE FORD FOUNDATION NAMED URBAN BUSH WOMEN ONE OF "AMERICA'S CULTURAL TREASURES," A GRANT RECIPIENT DESIGNATION THAT PROVIDES FOR SIGNIFICANT MULTI-YEAR FUNDING, AS WELL AS A DEEPLY-APPRECIATED RECOGNITION OF THE COMPANY'S IMPACT ON AMERICA'S ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPE.

UNDER THE ARTISTIC DIRECTION OF CHANON JUDSON AND MAME DIARRA SPEIS, UBW TOURS ITS RENOWNED AND AWARDED REPERTORY WORKS THROUGHOUT THE US AND INTERNATIONALLY. OVER ITS 40-YEAR HISTORY, THE COMPANY HAS TOURED FIVE CONTINENTS AND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. IN 2023, URBAN BUSH WOMEN PREMIERED A NEW SITE-RESPONSIVE WORK, HAINT BLU, WHICH TOURED FIVE CITIES INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS, MIAMI, NORTH ADAMS, HARLEM, AND MARTHA'S VINEYARD.DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER, AND FOUNDER AND FORMER LONGTIME ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JAWOLE WILLA JO ZOLLAR IN ADDITION TO CREATING OVER 34 WORKS FOR URBAN BUSH WOMEN, IN 2023, WAS COMMISSIONED BY HOUSTON GRAND OPERA TO DIRECT AND CHOREOGRAPH A NEW JAKE HEGGIE OPERA, INTELLIGENCE AND BEGAN RESIDENCY FOR THE NEW DANCE-DRIVEN JAZZ CLUB SPECTACULAR SCAT!.. THE COMPLEX LIVES OF AL & DOT, AL & DOT ZOLLAR.URBAN BUSH WOMEN B.O.L.D.-BUILDERS, ORGANIZERS AND LEADERS THROUGH DANCE-IS THE UMBRELLA THAT COVERS THE COMPANY'S EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING. WITHIN B.O.L.D., THE CURRENT AND FORMER COMPANY MEMBERS TRAINED IN FACILITATION TECHNIQUES LEAD MOVEMENT WORKSHOPS AND EXPERIENTIAL DIALOGUES IN VARIOUS COMMUNITIES TO FOSTER LEADERSHIP, BUILD COMMUNITY, ORGANIZE FOR EQUITY, AND CREATE AN EXAMPLE OF ART AND CREATIVITY. WHILE URBAN BUSH WOMEN HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THIS KIND OF WORK FOR MOST OF ITS HISTORY, THESE ACTIVITIES WERE FORMALIZED UNDER THE B.O.L.D. UMBRELLA IN 2012. IN AUGUST 2023, B.O.L.D FACILITATED TWO MULTIGENERATIONAL DANCE FOR EVERY BODY WORKSHOPS WITH SHARE THE MOVEMENT'S NEW INITIATIVE WITH BAND-AID BRAND OURTONE, AND IN SEPTEMBER 2023 B.O.L.D HELD AN AMBASSADORSHIP WITH SOUTH AFRICAN DANCE COMPANY GARAGE DANCE ENSEMBLE. THE FLAGSHIP PROGRAM SERVING UBW'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MISSION IS THE SUMMER LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, A 10-DAY TRAINING FORUM THAT CONNECTS ARTS AND DANCE PROFESSIONALS AND COMMUNITY-BASED ACTIVISTS AND ORGANIZERS IN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE TO LEVERAGE THE USE OF THE ARTS AS A VEHICLE FOR SOCIAL ACTIVISM AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND TO STRENGTHEN THE NATIONAL NETWORK OF COMMUNITY ARTS PRACTITIONERS. IT BEGAN IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA IN 1997 AND WAS RE-LAUNCHED IN BROOKLYN IN 2004. SINCE 2009, THE SLI HAS BEEN HELD IN NEW ORLEANS, NEW YORK CITY AND TEMPE, AZ AND MOST RECENTLY IN 2023 AT WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY. UBW LAUNCHED THE CHOREOGRAPHIC CENTER INITIATIVE (CCI) IN JANUARY 2016. THE CCI SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN CHOREOGRAPHERS OF COLOR AND OTHER UNDER HEARD VOICES AT EVERY STAGE OF THEIR CAREER. PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE GENERATIVE DANCER WORKSHOP AND THE TWO-YEAR CHOREOGRAPHIC FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. IN 2022, URBAN BUSH WOMEN LAUNCHED CCI 2.0, A PILOT PROGRAM DESIGNED TO CULTIVATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN OF COLOR PRODUCERS.