Research Catalog

Title

One shot : panel discussion with Ronald K. Brown, Neil A. Barclay, and Charles Teenie Harris, Jr. ; moderated by Deborah Willis [videorecording].

Publication

2008.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Brown, Ronald K., 1966-
• Barclay, Neil.
• Harris, Charles.
• Willis, Deborah, 1948-
• Evidence Dance Company.
• August Wilson Center.
• Carnegie Museum of Art.
• Robert Penn Productions.
• Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Description

1 videodisc (NTSC) (ca. 108 min.) : sd., col.; 4 3/4 in. +

Summary

Panel discussion between Ronald K. Brown, choreographer, Neil A. Barclay, arts administrator, and Charles Teenie Harris, Jr., son of photographer Teenie Harris; moderated by Deborah Willis, an African American photographer and scholar, on the subject of the creation of the interdisciplinary work, One shot. Neil A. Barclay, president of the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, in collaboration with the Carnegie Museum of Art, commissioned Brown to choreograph a dance using the works of Teenie Harris, an African American photographer, as inspiration. In 2001, the Carnegie Museum of Art acquired the collection of over 80,000 images produced during Teenie Harris' lifetime. The August Wilson Center sought to create a work to spotlight Teenie Harris and the collection and commissioned Brown to produce a dance work. Barclay explains the reasoning behind choosing Brown and his company, Evidence Dance Company, citing Brown's ability to create works that memorialize specific time and place. Brown describes the fact that he knew of Teenie Harris' work but had not known his name, and set out to remedy that issue by collaborating with the August Wilson Center to help bring Teenie Harris into the spotlight. Teenie Harris Jr. speaks about his father and his knack for putting his photographic subjects at ease; Brown discusses the richness and layered quality of Teenie Harris' work, citing various photos and the symbolism and meaning present in them, and identifies a sweetness and genuine quality inherent in the scenes and images captured by Teenie's camera; Barclay discusses the photo exhibit held at the August Wilson Center, entitled Looking forward, one that was curated solely with Teenie Harris' images of children in Pittsburgh; Barclay speaks to the fact that there is a universalism found in these photographs and cites the positive reception of Harris' work by visitors to the center, many of whom recognize themselves or family members within the images; Brown discusses the need to preserve the African American legacy, citing the link between young and older generations and the significance of the stories that are passed between the various generations; Brown discusses the fact that this project has enabled him to participate in dance workshops with young people in which he encourages students to understand and uphold the responsibility of maintaining family traditions and legacy, citing several interactions with young people and their respective cultural stories; Barclay discusses the process of commissioning Brown to choreograph One shot, mentioning Brown's focus on the African diaspora tradition; Barclay describes his background in arts administration and visual arts centers; Harris discusses his father's involvement in baseball and basketball, revealing that Teenie was a co-founder of the Pittsburgh Crawfords; Willis and Harris discuss how Teenie's nicknames, both Teenie and One shot, came about; Brown, Willis, and Harris discuss Teenie's personal style and Brown discusses the process of costuming the dance in a style reminiscent of Teenie Harris and the 1940s; Brown discusses the use of Teenie's photographs as the backdrop to the dances, and explains that his vision was to have the dancers and Teenie share the stage, with neither competing for audience attention; Willis describes the effect produced by having the images projected on the back of the stage, one that makes the audience feel as if they have walked straight into the photograph; Harris describes an era past when people dressed up in ties, gloves, and hats when they went out in public, and states that his father was known as a sharp dresser; Brown and Willis discuss the metaphor of having one shot or one chance, while Brown explains that there is always more than one shot in which to accomplish things, but it is within one's opportunities that the aspects of steadfastness and determination take root; Brown and Willis discuss specific Teenie Harris photographs that were used in the dance and begin to talk about the use of Pittsburgh-based musicians in the dance piece; Brown describes his first meeting with Teenie Harris Jr.; Brown and Barclay discuss at length the use of music in the piece and the focus on Pittsburgh musicians; Brown discusses the spiritual aspect of the dance and the fact that he thanks the various ancestors and role models within the African American community who have paved the way for his generation; Willis mentions that Brown was described as an archeologist by a critic in the New York Times, and asks Barclay, Harris, and Brown to describe how that term relates to Brown; Brown explains how dancer/choreographers, such as Alvin Ailey and Katherine Dunham, used African dances in their works and describes how his dances carry on the tradition of mixing modern dance with traditional African dance; Brown and Barclay discuss future tour dates for One shot; Willis and Brown discuss the element of love present in his choreography, with Brown discussing his spiritual beliefs; Willis and Brown discuss future choreography efforts. The videographer, Robert Penn, in conversation with Charles Teenie Harris, Jr. in outtakes wherein Harris tells anecdotes about his father, including meeting heavyweight boxing champion, Joe Louis, and famed singer, Lena Horne.

Subjects

• African American photographers
• Dance
• Choreographers > United States > 20th century
• Brown, Ronald K., 1966-
• Art and dance
• Panel discussions
• Willis, Deborah, 1948-
• One shot (Choreographic work : Brown)
• Barclay, Neil
• Harris, Teenie, 1908-1998
• Video

Genre/Form

• Dance.
• Panel discussions.
• Video.

Access (note)

• Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Credits (note)

• Video production, Robert Penn Productions : director of photography, Robert Penn ; camera operator, Jonathan Weaver ; boom operator, Walter Guzman ; editor, Robert Penn.

Event (note)

• Videotaped at the Bruno Walter Auditorium of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, New York, N.Y., on July 11, 2008; video documentation, Robert Penn.

Funding (note)

• Recording made possible by a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

System Details (note)

• DVD transferred from DVCAM cassette.

Call Number

*MGZIDVD 5-3953

OCLC

244580605

Title

One shot : panel discussion with Ronald K. Brown, Neil A. Barclay, and Charles Teenie Harris, Jr. ; moderated by Deborah Willis [videorecording].

Imprint

2008.

Credits

Video production, Robert Penn Productions : director of photography, Robert Penn ; camera operator, Jonathan Weaver ; boom operator, Walter Guzman ; editor, Robert Penn.

Performer

Panelists: Ronald K. Brown, Neil A. Barclay, Charles Teenie Harris, Jr.

Moderator: Deborah Willis.

Event

Videotaped at the Bruno Walter Auditorium of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, New York, N.Y., on July 11, 2008; video documentation, Robert Penn.

Funding

Recording made possible by a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

System Details

DVD transferred from DVCAM cassette.

Restricted Access

Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Added Author

Brown, Ronald K., 1966- Speaker

Barclay, Neil. Speaker

Harris, Charles. Speaker

Willis, Deborah, 1948- Moderator

Evidence Dance Company.

August Wilson Center.

Carnegie Museum of Art.

Robert Penn Productions.

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Research Call Number

*MGZMT 3-3953