ALBANY & NEW YORK, NY
Movies, Auditions, & Performances Weekly
Image Quilt
New Films & Concerts this month:
Upcoming Events
- Thu, Jul 25Image Quilt Cinema & Dance TheaterJul 25, 2024, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PMImage Quilt Cinema & Dance Theater, 30 Elizabeth St, Albany, NY 12202, USAJul 25, 2024, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PMImage Quilt Cinema & Dance Theater, 30 Elizabeth St, Albany, NY 12202, USAMauritanian French director Med Hondo’s West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty proved a watershed event for African cinema— one of the continent’s first musicals as well as an amalgam of historical epic, Broadway revue, Brechtian theater, and joyous agitprop.
- Mon, Jun 03Image QuiltJun 03, 2024, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PMImage Quilt, 30 Elizabeth St, Albany, NY 12202, USAJun 03, 2024, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PMImage Quilt, 30 Elizabeth St, Albany, NY 12202, USABetween 2011 and 2013, tubas were stolen from high schools across Southern California. While reporters focused on the thieves, O'Daniel was curious about the impact of the thefts on the students and school communities.
- Sun, Jun 02Saratoga Performing Arts CenterJun 02, 2024, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PMSaratoga Performing Arts Center, 108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, USAJun 02, 2024, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PMSaratoga Performing Arts Center, 108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, USAImage Quilt Dance Theater will bring some of our emerging performing artists to the Festival of Young Artists at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Sunday, June 2nd. Come enjoy the sun and dance in the park!
Emancipado is set in 1890. The film focuses on the lives of several Black characters as they emerge from who they were in Western society, to what they become as Africans. At the helm of the story is the young, Ifemorena, an Afro-Cuban woman from a family of Flamenco artists. Ifemorena is being groomed for greatness by her grandmother, known around town as Esmeralda the Black "gypsy". Ifemorena loves Africa and the mysteries that she observes when she watches her father, a Yoruba Lukumi, dance the ñáñigo ritual masquerade on the streets of Havana. Ifemorena learns about the possibility of leaving on a boat during a forest ritual. She confesses her desire to leave to her brother, Aldo, who is training to work in the Catholic Church. He, at first cautions her to stay home. Ifemorena decides to escape Havana after witnessing the brutal lynching of her cousin, Paco, a young Black man.
What are we doing now? We will be filming scenes set in Cuba in December and the first episode "L'Amant Anonyme" in 2025.
And what after that? The Third Episode: Lagos Dreamers
Ifemorena struggles and perseveres through a dangerous journey across the Atlantic. She becomes a leader and tries to make a way for her people in Lagos, Nigeria. She helps those in need like the banditos who get deported from Cuba. These guys are a motley crew of former thieves, war criminals, and veterans in search of a way out of their misery. Chi Chi Gonzales, a Black Mexican, and Paco, an Afro-Cuban are leaders of the gang and spend their time stealing from the Victorians that they perceive as having too much wealth.
Why tell stories of the Emancipated? Their bravery and choices may help us guide our own.
Please consider making a contribution to help us along the way.
Click here to make a contribution.
Empower
Growth
Manuel Alum: Close to the Earth
New in 2024: Image Quilt A Film about the work of late choreographer, Manuel Alum.
Discover his work and unique vision through an exploration of one of Alum's iconic dance works: Nightbloom II, choreographed in 1989 with Ballet Hispanico of New York's dancers. Nightbloom was first set in 1966 with members of the Paul Sanasardo Dance Company and we are honored to bring the work to you. Since the Lecture/Demonstration took place December 27th, 2023 at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
We are now making a film about him. and his extraordinary work.
Meet the Artists from Image Quilt's recent Off-Broadway Production: Rage & Honey
Coming Soon...
Video Clips from our production of "Rage & Honey: A Night of Black Flamenco"
produced in association with BFN/FUAAD, the Black Flamenco Network/Flamencos Unidos Africanos y Afro-Descendientes
(in alphabetical order)
Tutu Adewale
Omonike Akinyemi
Dwayne Beach
Lola Faturoti
Rainer Garcia
Ana Grullon
Orisa Gutierrez
Yvonne Gutierrez
Kevin LaMarr Jones
La Roseline
Natasha Lora
Kamari Lynch
Justice Miles
Caro Acuna Olvera
Renna Silverman
Simone Sprague
Omolade Adewale Tinsman
Angelica Mondol Viaña
Priyanka Vohra
Esther Weekes
Marcin Wisniewski
January 20th, 2024: "Sketches from the Edge of Flamenco": Dance Concert with Cinematic Fringes at the Salt Lake City Public Library 4:30pm.
Humh... Flamenco or Modern Dance tonight?
No need to choose, Image Quilt performs both!
Upcoming performance at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. 1pm, December 27, 2023.
IQ CINEMA
Manuel Alum was an amazing choreographer and dancer whose work spanned several decades and was impactful. Image Quilt director, Omonike , met Manuel while dancing with Ballet Hispanico where he choreographed "Nightbloom II" on 10 young and ambitious dancers. He would have been 80 in 2023 and our documentary will dig deep to discover who he was and the messages of his work as well as his impact on the youth of today. A Discussion on his work with a performance of "Nightbloom II" was presented at the New York Public Library on December 27, 2023. Email if you are interested in helping to bring a film about his life and work in dance to life in collaboration with Image Quilt.
Casting for two Image Quilt Films begins March 6 (Virtual Audition) and March 9 (in person).
L'Amant Anonyme
Casting for "L'Amant Anonyme" March 6 & 9, 2024.
Set in Haiti in 1796, "L'Amant Anonyme", tells the story of the Chevalier de Saint George's return to the Caribbean.
Chevalier: African-Caribbean and French. Master of swords and seeker of love. 30-50 yrs old.
Yinka: Afrrican warrior woman. Spy and intellect. 18-30 yrs old.
Toussaint: Haitian Revolutionary, 30-50 yrs old.
Isabella: 18-30 yrs old, Mixed Race. Entitled. Capable of treason.
Raimond: intellect and writer, Afro-Caribbean. 30-50 yrs old.
Jumoke: Afro-Caribbean Vodun priestess.
The Afro-Haitian fighters/drummers: They use the forest to dance dream into reality and strengthen the body with rituals of vodun. All genders.
Emancipado
Casting for "Emancipado" March 6 & 9, 2024.
Set in Havana in 1890, Emancipado tells the story of Ifemorena, a woman of Afro-Cuban descent who forges on a journey to West Africa that changes her life. We are looking for performers to play roles in this fictional character's life and journey toward emancipation.
Ifemorena: Afro-Cuban, smart daring, inquisitive, flamenco dancer, 16-30 yrs old.
Aldo: Afro-Cuban, Ifemorena's twin brother, smart, dancer, violinist, 16-30 yrs old.conservative yet passionate.
Grandma Esmeralda: wise, flamenco dancer, Afro-Andalusian gypsy.
The Priest: 30-40 yrs, artistic, controlling, passionate, "white" Cuban.
Paco: proud, independent, Afro-Cuban (Lukumi and Calibari descent), dancer, leader.
Performer: Flamenco and/or Afro-Caribbean dancer, African and Hispanic. All ages. All genders.