Choreographer Jeremy Nedd Deconstructs the Milly Rock Dance Move as a Reclamation of Black Ingenuity
“This truly stunning production … was rightly met with a standing ovation.” —Voice (Cambridge, UK)
On April 24–25, the Walker Art Center presents from rock to rock… aka how magnolia was taken for granite, a work from US-born, Switzerland-based choreographer Jeremy Nedd and a four-member dance ensemble that deconstructs and reframes the viral legacy of the Milly Rock dance move.
When rapper 2 Milly proclaimed, “I milly rock on any block,” he codified a cultural trend that, alongside other Black social dances like the Whip/Nae Nae and Hit Dem Folks, came to define the mid-2010s. A decade later, Nedd and his ensemble iterate on the distinctive rocking arm motion, looping it across shifting figurations. A study on transformation and communal joy, from rock to rock… aka how magnolia was taken for granite reclaims the popular dance move as an evolving language within Black culture.
Jeremy Nedd: from rock to rock… aka how magnolia was taken for granite
Friday–Saturday, April 24–25, 7:30 pm
McGuire Theater
ABOUT JEREMY NEDD
Jeremy Nedd is a choreographer and performer from Brooklyn, New York, who has been working and living in Basel for some time. He has had various engagements including at the Semperoper in Dresden and at the Ballet Basel. As a guest performer, he is associated with the Schauspielhaus Zürich, where he has collaborated with Trajal Harrell. He recently completed a master’s degree in Expanded Theatre at the HKB – Hochschule der Künste Bern. His previous works, which integrate dance styles from various communities into the contemporary dance realm, have been realized and presented at venues including Kaserne Basel, Arsenic – Centre d’Art scénique contemporain Lausanne, and the Münchner Kammerspiele. In 2023, Jeremy Nedd was awarded the Swiss Performing Arts Award.
TICKETS
Ordering tickets is easy: visit walkerart.org/tickets or call 612-375-7600. Box office is open Wednesday–Sunday and one hour before performances.
ACCESSIBILITY
For more information about accessibility, visit our Access page.
For questions on accessibility or to request additional accommodations, call 612-375-7564 or email access@walkerart.org.
ABOUT THE WALKER ART CENTER
The Walker Art Center is a renowned multidisciplinary arts institution that presents, collects, and supports the creation of groundbreaking work across the visual and performing arts, moving image, and design. Guided by the belief that art has the power to bring joy and solace and the ability to unite people through dialogue and shared experiences, the Walker engages communities through a dynamic array of exhibitions, performances, events, and initiatives. Its multiacre campus includes 65,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, the state-of-the-art McGuire Theater and Walker Cinema, and ample green space that connects with the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The Garden, a partnership with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, is one of the first urban sculpture parks of its kind in the United States and home to the beloved Twin Cities landmark Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Recognized for its ambitious program and growing collection of more than 16,000 works, the Walker embraces emerging art forms and amplifies the work of artists from the Twin Cities and from across the country and the globe. Its broad spectrum of offerings makes it a lively and welcoming hub for artistic expression, creative innovation, and community connection.