What People Are Saying
“A generous, joyful elixir of an experience.”
— Janine Parker, The Boston Globe
“Barnes is especially extraordinary for the way the past and the present can pass through her compact, nimble body.”
– Gia Kourlas, NY Times
“To watch LaTasha Barnes dance is to watch historical distance collapse.”
– Brian Seibert, NY Times
The Jazz Continuum
LaTasha Barnes’ The Jazz Continuum centers the prolific artistry of Jazz music and dance as a cornerstone of Black American dance forms. Performed by an intergenerational cast of seven Black dancers and six Black musicians, this evening-length performance celebrates the pure joy of Black Jazz dance. Barnes reaches back nearly 100 years, making the connection between the dances that sprang from America’s Black jazz music to today’s house and hip hop dance vernacular. Each performer embodies their personal dance and music journeys, investigating the energetic and generative relationships within Jazz and Lindy Hop as they share their imaginings of its reapplication. The Jazz Continuum was supported and presented by Guggenheim Works & Process and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 2021.