D UNDERBELLY Blog

wind sounds….salve

Baraka de Soleil — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:30:19 +0000

wind sounds

like water

ear to heartbeat

the calming waves of night

the not so distant murmurings of house

the perfect salve for sleep.

From The Dark Tower: A “recitation” of Countee Cullen’s poetic in honor of his induction into NY Writers’ Hall of Fame

Baraka de Soleil — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:41:37 +0000

From the Dark Tower

We shall not always plant while others reap
The golden increment of bursting fruit,
Not always countenance, abject and mute,
That lesser men should hold their brothers cheap;
Not everlastingly while others sleep
Shall we beguile their limbs with mellow flute,
Not always bend to some more subtle brute;
We were not made to eternally weep.
The night whose sable breast relieves the stark,
White stars is no less lovely being dark,
And there are buds that cannot bloom at all
In light, but crumple, piteous, and fall;
So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds,
And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds.

–Countee Cullen

Sir Cullen your words remain with me throughout the many years since i first recited them in highschool. Congratulations on being inducted into the NY Writers’ Hall of Fame!

"Engaging the world through the dancing body" - One World's Initial Reflections

Baraka de Soleil — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 23:33:26 +0000

Reblogged from Audience Architects:

On Monday, April 8th, Moving Dialogs' One World event will take place inside the Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center. Our Moving Reflections contributor for this event, the esteemed Dr. C. S'thembile West, offers some initial thoughts to ponder prior to this public "conversation":

"Dancing bodies communicate on multiple levels with respect to kinesis,
physicality, emotionality, technique, nuance and insinuation.

Come be part of "One World": A Call for Dancers, Musicians to be one of the "7" on April 8th at Chicago Cultural Center

Baraka de Soleil — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 18:16:53 +0000

Reblogged from Audience Architects:

In crafting the next moving dialog, here's an opportunity to be involved as one of the core participants:

Come be part of "One World" at the Chicago Cultural Center on Monday April 8th from 6:30 - 8:00pm!

Dance Groups & Musicians from diverse neighborhoods throughout Chicago are invited to perform live inside the Tiffany-domed Preston Bradley Hall…

creating space. opening up the body to a conversation on “diversity”. Sunday, March 10th in Chicago.

Baraka de Soleil — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:09:28 +0000

It’s about who’s in the room…

Old Town School of Folk Music – Myron R. Szold Hall

6:30pm on Sunday, March 10th, after months of envisioning, collaborating, researching and conversing, this “room” at Old Town School of Folk Music, will become the “space” for a continuing dialog on diversity…

The diversity that existed Then

10 years

50 years ago

beyond a century ago

will co-exist with the Now

that moment you decided to come be part of this conversation

the diverse legacies that each one of us carries will fill this space

open up our bodies to listening in distinctive ways

and bring forth discoveries that may be deeply personal

or simply intellectual

or to just listening. that’s enough.

with Moving Dialogs: Diversity+Dance, i curated with the vision to embrace the co-existence of diverse bodies & voices in one space. within the opening event - Diversity: Then/Now – this intermingling may bring out polarities, moments of unison & break open some new thoughts.

it’s all about who’s in the room.

Click to view slideshow.

Audience Architects’ Moving Dialogs series begins March 10, 2013 with “Diversity – Then/Now,” at the Old Town School of Folk Music’s Myron R. Szold Music & Dance Hall. The discussion, which begins at 6:30pm, is free and open to the public (RSVP here). Core participants scheduled to participate are:

Robert Battle, Artistic Director, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Sarah Dandelles, Dance Education Director, Old Town School of Folk Music
Julie Nakagawa, Artistic Director, DanceWorks Chicago
Onye Ozuzu, Chair, Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago
Wilfredo Rivera, Artistic Director, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre
Emerging Artists NIC K and Dorian Rhea

Moving Dialogs curator Baraka de Soleil will host and moderate the discussion. Produced by Audience Architects: Heather Hartley, Executive Director; Carissa Johnson, Program Manager; Gery Moore – Assistant to the Curator.

corny heart poem for a lovesick child

Baraka de Soleil — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 04:34:22 +0000

the depth of touch

like sacred bliss

hands hold hands

come closer

when lips meet lips

an exhale escapes

rendering the sweetest kiss.

heart opens

welcomes love’s abyss

Donkor Nsuo/find peace

Baraka de Soleil — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:14:42 +0000

lay river

by her

ease her passing

she not go

til she believes

we found peace

finding peace

Baraka de Soleil — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:04:20 +0000

6 months this day to my motha’s passing
a shifting in spirit and tone.
brought back ancestral images from Ny
her smiling mother
a beloved aunt
& sacred Ghanaian water captured from slave river Donkor Nsuo
to lay with her
so she would be with “family”.
she’s found home
i’m finding peace.
ashe

2012…2013

Baraka de Soleil — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 09:44:27 +0000

2012

with all simplicity and quiet
caught a glimpse of firework sending off the year

saw it shimmer then fade.

stayed up to watch the sunrise
found comfort in this newness of day

2013

remembering Don Belton on the 3 year anniversary of his tragic death….living “Ujima”

Baraka de Soleil — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:39:15 +0000

“This man wanted to know you and to share life with you. He wanted to know your life and become involved in it in a way you don’t find many folks doing. We sat and had coffee as if we had been friends forever…” –Byron Craig, remarking on Don Belton.

Don, i’m thinking of you man. on this day marking the 3 year anniversary of your tragic death. time has passed, “justice” has been served and the legacy of your writings, connections with loved ones still permeate the collective mind.

Kwanzaa’s day of Ujima resonates deeply when i think on how the community of people gathered, kept record and never let your memory fade or the tragic events of your death overcome the beauty of your unique being. There are blogs honoring you, keeping tabs on the court proceedings and holding space for those to continue to share their memories….may it continue to…

Don Belton, a community of people still speak your name with warmth and fondness, with joy in their hearts….

Happy Kwanzaa!