DANCING IN DARKTOWN

An archives driven, contemporary dance exploration of Atlanta’s turn-of-the-twentieth century dance hall history. Through Moving Our Stories, Julie B. Johnson has collaborated with Victoria Lemos (Archives Atlanta) and an amazing cast of choreographer-performers, to research Atlanta’s history of dance halls and Black social dance, focusing on the intersection of ragtime-era social dance spaces and Progressive-era carceral politics through an abolition-feminist lens. The first iteration of this site-responsive, interactive, salon-style gathering featured movement and visual installations at Ernie’s in the Cut, with music curated by DJ EZ$. Future plans include multi-disciplinary works at additional sites connected to Atlanta's history of Black social dance, as well as forthcoming scholarly articles.

A glimpse into the archives for Dancing in Darktown...

Click HERE to view the program notes from the November 2024 Dancing in Darktown gathering.