Welcome to Early Era Collective’s Community 

Three full-length mirrors sat illuminated on the Dougherty Arts Center stage. Crowds trickled into the small venue as the once-quiet atmosphere filled with excitement, laughter, and reunion greetings. It was opening night of Say That Again, Early Era Collective’s annual Black History Month production, and anticipation was in the air. 

Silence permeated as a single artist stepped onto the stage. Choreographer and dancer Siobhan Cook stood in front of the mirror, back to the audience. A moment of stillness and silence – then, she began to tap. Her feet, slow and strong at first, soon quickened to form an alluring rhythm that hooked listeners from the first step. The sharp crack of the tap shoes on the stage formed a beat all their own, with enough rhythm to make one want to get up and dance. That’s when the music came in. 

Credit: Corey Haynes

The crowd roared when rapper Soupmakesitbetter got on the mic, asking who in the audience was tired of all of the destruction and hate in the world. His community-centered lyrics, layered atop the beat from Cook’s footwork, centered the power of the collective. 

“Mirror in Me” was the first of eight sets in EarlyEra Collective’s third iteration of Say That Again. Emerging out of a desire to showcase Black dance styles, it has grown into a celebratory event that unites Austin’s dance community. Artists come from all backgrounds and mediums, and are encouraged to bring their own stories and styles to the show, making the production unique every year. 

The subsequent seven performances blended hip-hop, contemporary, and street dances with poetry and spoken word. Anastasia Hera’s melodic rap “Like I Am” urged audiences to join her in her calls for self-love, power, and visibility, while contemporary dances “Decoded” and “Another Day Another Dream” demonstrated the duality of work-life balance and inner and outer worlds. A dynamic group of young dancers bounced between monotonous janitorial cleaning and typing moves to vibrant freestyles – complete with an elevator-music transition and workplace outfit change. 

The show also balanced men’s and women’s perspectives and experiences. Haley Sikes and Sharí Hernandez showcased the power of feminine energy through the thoughtful and fluid dance “Sink In” before the spoken word piece “The Boys,” in which poet Christopher Michael Brown gave his take on the power of fatherhood while donning a “World’s Okayest Dad” T-shirt. 

Brown joined Andre Bradford for joint spoken word act “Master Compressionist” on how to strap down emotional baggage (not so literally). Bradford also performed the satirical showcase “Black Party Rules,” about how to survive as the Black person at a party: keep it light, don’t be too funny or too serious, be grateful to be the chosen Black friend serving as their “get out of racism free card,” and have several drinks (satire noted). 

Credit: Corey Haynes

The layering of quick turnover dances with spoken word truths lent a unique atmosphere to the event, one whose message could have you laughing and crying in the same breath. “Dance is contagious,” Say That Again co-producer Daniel Broxton said, and the show is meant to harness that energy to break down the fourth wall and unite artists with attendees. Audience energy proved essential to the production. Friends, family, and other dancers cheered for the performers amid their sometimes sensual, often comedic, and always reflective art – often very loudly. 

The final act, “Unapologetic,” combined hip-hop, West African, and contemporary styles over a recording of Nina Simone’s appearance on a 1969 episode of Black Journal. The phrases “that Blackness, that Black power, that Black…” repeated as dancers moved slowly in their green and cargo-style clothes to demonstrate the beauty, resilience, and sacrifice of Black histories. 

The show concluded with an all-inclusive freestyle to hip-hop classics, where producers welcomed eight audience volunteers to join dancers onstage. Complete with breakdancing and backflips, it became hard to distinguish artist from audience, rounding out the purpose of the show: connection and community. 

Like most audience members, I left the theatre with more energy than I entered with. After a long week of work, the show supported me in ways I didn’t realize I needed – uniting me with a greater community that felt welcoming, inspiring, and more like a family than a group of strangers. The message of Black History Month, Say That Again declared, isn’t about one person or experience, but a joint recognition that invites everyone to the stage – literally. 

Say That Again  Dougherty Arts Center Through Feb. 28  

The post Welcome to Early Era Collective’s Community  appeared first on The Austin Chronicle.