“I thought she was kidding but she was for real,” says Williams, 61. “I had to get myself together. I was not going to go on stage looking a mess and feeling a mess. But I said I would give it a try. And once I started getting back to myself, working out and moving more while having a good time resetting the piece for the company, which I love to do, I felt I could do it. And now I’m physically ready.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
A hip injury forced Williams to retire, but after having surgery she says she’s able to move much better. In this instance she admits it took five weeks for her to rise to a comfortable level of performance when reentering the world of “Jacob’s Ladder.”
“I could have done it as I was but it would have been a harder effort,” she says. “Now that I’ve been able to get myself into a better condition it’s not a question at all. DCDC entrusting me or wanting me to go back on stage at 61 brings a sense of pride into the mix as well.”
She also recalls working with Harris, whose instruction proved to be a pivotal and valuable portal into a new dance vocabulary.
“When the piece was done originally, it was a new dance vernacular for me because I wasn’t a hip-hop dancer,” she says. “Rennie was wonderful, patient and very capable explaining what he wanted because he’s a wealth of information for hip-hop culture itself. The process was great.”
A Dayton native, Williams began taking dance classes at age 9 taught by DCDC founder Jeraldyne Blunden. She was an original member of the New York-based Complexions Contemporary Ballet, was named one of the YWCA’s Women of Influence recipients and was awarded the Inspirational Artist Award by the International Association of Blacks in Dance.
She has also received the JOSIE Award, Fisk University’s Excellence in Artistry Award, Lifetime Achievement Award from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, New York Dance and Performance Award (the Bessie) and Ohio Governor’s Award for the Arts in the category of Individual Artist. In 2012, she was the compelling subject of the documentary film “Sparkle,” co-directed by Academy Award winners Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, which won the Audience Award at the AFI SilverDocs Film Festival.
‘Staying as close to the core as possible’
DCDC Artistic Director Debbie Blunden-Diggs, daughter of Jeraldyne Blunden, recognizes the importance of having Williams’ experience and expertise in the rehearsal studio.
“What’s instilled in us is staying as close to the core as possible,” says Blunden-Diggs. “Sheri is our only dancer that worked with Rennie when he originally set the piece. For me, just as Sheri talked about being confident and ready to go back on stage, this piece has to be ready in the originality in which it was designed. We brought Rennie back into the studio and he was still so patient and clear about what his intention was. Sheri put the piece together from beginning to end, and Rennie was very grateful for that as we were, but we needed him to put his hands on it, massage it, and give it the intention it deserves.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Additional routines
In addition to DCDC’s rousing celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the program will include a new work commissioned by the company that is lifted from this summer’s headlines. Choregraphed by Ohio State University professor and dance department chair Charles O. Anderson, “A 3/5 Proclamation: 8.5.23″ focuses on the Montgomery Riverfront Brawl, a violent, racially charged incident that occurred at a riverfront dock in downtown Montgomery, Alabama in August. Organizers say the dance “is contextualized within struggles that color the first two decades of the 21st century and calls upon warrior spirits of ancestors to defend the maligned and injured.”
The program also spotlights Denver-based Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, DCDC’s sister company. The visiting troupe will present “Standing on the Shoulders” and will also appear with DCDC in “Jacob’s Ladder.”
“Over the years, DCDC has created such wonderful bonds,” says Blunden-Diggs regarding the concert title. “I love collaboration and we have created so many relationships. As my grandfather would always say, you’re defined by the company you keep.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
‘DCDC is Black history’
As DCDC enters its 55th anniversary season, Blunden-Diggs hopes the Dayton community continues to support its mission and legacy.
“Gracing stages around the world for 55 years, DCDC is Black history in the making every day,” she says. “The caliber of our dancers, repertory and arts education offerings is unmatched. We are a vital part of the Dayton community, American history and the global artistic ecosystem at large. Join the excitement as we continue to blaze trails, standing on the shoulders of our remarkable founder, Jeraldyne Blunden, who broke barriers and paved the way for generations of artists.”
HOW TO GO
What: “In Good Company”
Where: Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St., Dayton
When: Oct. 14-15; 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 4 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $15-$75
More info: 937-228-3630 or visit daytonlive.org
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