Camille A. Brown & Dancers at Center for the Arts at George Mason University

Called “one of the most sought-after choreographers of her generation” by The New York Times, Camille A. Brown is reclaiming the cultural narratives of African-American identity through dance. Now, her Bessie Award-winning company, Camille A. Brown & Dancers, takes the stage at the Center for the Arts for the first time. In this performance, the company showcases her choreography and artistic vision through a unique blend of modern, hip hop, African, ballet, and tap. The company’s program features selections from its acclaimed Trilogy on race, culture, and identity including Mr. TOL E. RAncE; “Turf” and “Milkshake” from ink; and the rousing tribute to New Orleans, New Second Line. Brown has created choreography for Broadway’s Once on This Island (2013) and Choir Boy (2019) for which she received a Tony nomination, as well as The Metropolitan Opera’s Porgy & Bess. She made her feature film debut choreographing Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom directed by George C. Wolfe on Netflix, and recently received the prestigious International Society for the Performing Arts' 2021 Distinguished Artist Award and a 2020 Dance Magazine Award. This fall, Brown made history as the first Black director of Met Opera mainstage production, choreographing and co-directing (with James Robinson), Fire Shut Up in My Bones, which opened the Met season in September 2021. She will also be the first Black woman to both direct and choreograph on Broadway in more than 65 years when for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf opens in spring 2022. Her bold work taps into both ancestral stories and contemporary culture, capturing a range of deeply personal experiences. As an Artist-in-Residence, the company will hold masterclasses and engage with the community leading up to their debut performance.