JONAS GWANGWA MUSIC COMPOSITION INITIATIVE
WORK SAMPLE 3
Dance Theatre of Harlem SOUNDS OF HAZEL
Composer + Sound Design
A world-premiere ballet commission the dynamic work Sounds of Hazel honors the remarkable life and legacy of mid-20th Century Trinidadian-American piano recording artist, bandleader, and stage and screen star, Hazel Scott. Once the darling of Café Society, Scott’s fervent civil rights activism and alleged political affiliations led to her persecution at the height of McCarthyism. Though her career suffered irreparable damage, Scott’s classical training and natural talent continued to astonish the world, and her expatriate Paris home became a gathering place for prominent Black musicians and artists.
Sounds of Hazel features a creative team of contemporary Black female artists, including Dance Theatre of Harlem’s founding member and artistic director Virginia Johnson, choreographer Tiffany Rea-Fisher, and composer Erica Blunt.
World Premiere - Washington Performing Arts - October 7, 2022
New York Premiere - City Center - April 19, 2023
Received the National Dance Project Production Grant