In 1972, Marvin X's Black Educational Theater in San Francisco's Fillmore District, produced his myth-ritual dance drama Resurrection of the Dead, choreography by Raymond Sawyer, music by Juju. Lead actor/singer was Victor Willis ( who went on to become the lead singer of the Village People). Victor said, "Performing in Resurrection gave me the energy to tackle NYC." In this scene, dancers Jamal and Charlene Hunter, aka, Jamilah Hunter, perform The Lost Queen of Egypt. Jamilah went on to dance with Shirley McClain and Alvin Ailey.
Marvin was also teaching at UC Berkeley in the Black Studies Department, along with Sun Ra and his Myth-Science Arkestra. Together they performed the musical version of X's Flowers for the Trashman, renamed Take Care of Business in a five hour concert ( without intermission) with a cast of fifty, including his actors, Sun Ra's dancers, the Raymond Sawyer and Ellendar Barnes' dancers.
BAM Co founder Marvin X and Sun Ra, Father of Afrofuturism
Wowzers! Look at the road we have traveled!
ReplyDeleteThanku 4 your service and what a history!!