Brooklyn-based all-woman troupe Urban Bush Women dance to
illuminate the stories of the disenfranchised and overlooked
through performance, study, and education.
Touring in South America: Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela from March 1-30,
2010
About the Company
Passionate, strong, and relevant, Urban Bush Women (UBW) is a
performance ensemble founded in 1984 by choreographer Jawole Willa
Jo Zollar to explore the use of cultural expression as a catalyst
for social change. UBW weaves contemporary dance with music and
text to illuminate the history, culture, and spiritual traditions
of African Americans and the African Diaspora. Drawing strength and
solidarity from each other, this all-woman troupe celebrates its
African roots while expanding its horizons beyond its own
perspectives. Performances by Urban Bush Women are electric and
inspiring, and Zollar's insightful choreography communicates with
tremendous strength and power.
Based in New York City, UBW has toured extensively throughout
the United States and to Asia, Austrailia, Europe, and South
America. The company has collaborated with artists from every field
including jazz artist David Murray, poets Laurie Carlos and Carl
Hancock Rux, directors Steve Kent and Elizabeth Herron, the
National Song and Dance Company of Mozambique, and most recently,
with Germaine Acogny's acclaimed Compagnie Jant-Bi from Senegal.
The recipient of many awards, UBW has a repertory of 32 works.
UBW engages in extensive community-based programming,
encouraging cultural activity as an inherent part of community
life. Through its annual Summer Leadership Institute, the company
partners with local presenters, area artists and community
residents to bring the untold and under-told histories of their
communities forward through performance.
News & Updates
About the Artistic Director
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar founded UBW in 1984 after studying with
dance greats Joseph Stevenson, Katherine Dunham, and Dianne
McIntyre. She holds a BA in dance from the University of Missouri
at Kansas City and an MFA in dance from Florida State University.
In addition to 32 works for UBW, Zollar has created choreography
for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Arizona, Philadanco,
University of Maryland, University of Florida, Dayton Contemporary
Dance Company, and others. She is the Nancy Smith Fichter tenured
professor in the Dance Department of Florida State University and
holds an honorary doctorate from Columbia College in Chicago. The
recipient of many prestigious awards and much recognition, she was
named a United States Artists Wynn Fellow in 2008 and is a 2009
recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship.
For more information on Urban Bush Women, including
program notes and print materials, please visit Resources.
