WAC | Urban Bush Women Hyperessay | Hands Singing Song (1998)

Choreographic direction by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar

Musical composition by Michael Wimberly

"Give Your Hands to Struggle" (Songtalk Publishing Co., Folkways Recording Co.), composed by Bernice Johnson Reagon

Lighting design by J. Russell Sanifer

Costumes by Kathleen Love, Chelsea Atelier, New York

Choir robes designed by Stefani Mar

Hands Singing Song was created in collaboration with the Urban Bush Women.

Dap was the name given to the "fist" greetings used during the Black Power movement to affirm African-American identity and solidarity.

Give Your Hands to Struggle
Danced by Michelle Dorant
Sung by the Company

Hands Singing Song
Danced by Maria Earle, Carolina Garcia, Christine King, Allyson Triplett, Francine Sheffield, and Joy Voeth

On the Black Hand Side
Danced by the Company
"Cool Like That" text taken verbatim from an interview with Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets and conducted by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar

My Female Hand
Carolina Garcia and the Company

Hands Sing Hallelujah
Sung by Michelle Dorant
Danced by Maria Earle, Carolina Garcia, Christine King, Allyson Triplett, Francine Sheffield, and Joy Voeth

Hand to Fist
Danced by the Company
"Is He a Member" text taken verbatim from an interview with Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets and conducted by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar

Give Your Hands to Struggle was choreographed and developed at the Florida State University dance department for Kathy Horta. Hands Singing Song was developed at Florida State in Zollar's repertory class.

The piece has been commissioned by the American Dance Festival through the Doris Duke Awards for New Work, with additional support from the Philip Morris New Work Fund.