Pauline Adamek
Pure joy, pure talent!
Camille A. Brown & Dancers performed the acclaimed choreographer and dancer’s latest work, I AM, last night at the Ahmanson Theatre. Last night marked the work’s West Coast premiere. Performances continue this weekend, as part of The Music Center‘s exhilarating 2025–2026 Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center season.
Purchase tickets here for tonight, Saturday September 13 at 7:30 PM or tomorrow Sunday September 14 at 2:00 PM.
The 2025/2026 Season is dedicated to the memory of Glorya Kaufman.
Despite a delay in curtain-up last night, and the absence of one dancer, the enthusiasm and anticipation remained high. Brown herself took to the stage to explain the delay, granting the audience permission to engage in the tradition of “call and response” while the performers were doing their thing. And we did! From the moment the three musicians walked to their downstage positions and the dancers took to the stage, jubilant hollers, whoops and whistles echoed throughout the Ahmanson hall as the dynamic performance dazzled us all. Combining energetic and breathtaking movement with live music, Brown’s powerful physical storytelling produced a celebration of cultural identity, joy and resilience. The work uses theatricality and the aesthetics of Modern, Hip hop, African, Ballet, and Tap to tell stories that connect history with contemporary culture. Weaving together so many dance idioms, such as the rhythms and textures of Afro‑Caribbean, step, street dance, hip hop, and body percussion – even voguing – brought a richness to this celebration of black cultures.
An exhilarating night of music and dance.
Music Supervisor — Zane Mark
Music Director & Arranger, Pianist — Deah Love
Frédérique Gnaman — violinist/composer
Juliette Jones — violinist/composer
Monique Brooks Roberts — violinist/composer
Martine G. Mauro‑Wade — drummer/composer
Jaylen K. Petinaud — drummer/composer
About the Artist:
Camille A. Brown is an acclaimed American choreographer, director, and dancer known for her powerful storytelling through movement, particularly centering Black identity, history, and culture. Born in New York City on December 11, 1979, she began her training at an early age and eventually earned her BFA in Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Her early professional work included performing with Ronald K. Brown/Evidence and guest appearances with prominent companies like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In 2006, she founded her own company, Camille A. Brown & Dancers, which has become a force in contemporary concert dance.
Brown’s choreography is a dynamic fusion of modern dance, African diasporic forms, social dance, and rhythmic play, often inspired by her background as a musician (she played clarinet). Her signature works—such as Mr. TOL E. RAncE, BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play, and ink—have earned critical acclaim for their innovative storytelling, emotional depth, and cultural specificity. These pieces explore issues of race, gender, identity, and memory, often reflecting on the Black experience in America. Beyond concert dance, Brown has made her mark in musical theater, opera, television, and film. She choreographed for Broadway shows like Choir Boy, Once on This Island, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, and Hell’s Kitchen—the Alicia Keys musical. She also made history as the first Black woman in more than 65 years to direct and choreograph a Broadway production (for colored girls…).
In opera, her choreography has been featured at the Metropolitan Opera in Porgy & Bess, Champion, and Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the last of which she co-directed with Terence Blanchard. Her work in film and TV includes Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix), Jesus Christ Superstar Live (NBC), and Harlem (Amazon). Camille A. Brown is also deeply committed to education and community-building through programs like Every Body Move and Black Girl Spectrum, using dance as a tool for social change, empowerment, and healing. Her long list of accolades includes Bessie Awards, a Guggenheim Fellowship, Princess Grace Awards, and multiple Tony nominations. Through her artistry, leadership, and advocacy, Camille A. Brown has reshaped the landscape of American dance and theater, making space for Black voices and stories with brilliance and urgency.
ABOUT GLORYA KAUFMAN PRESENTS DANCE AT THE MUSIC CENTER
Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, a TMC Arts program, is one of the leading presenters of dance on the West Coast. The celebrated series offers significant works by prestigious ballet and contemporary dance artists from around the world. Now in its 23rd year, Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center is a powerful force, bringing works by today’s most influential companies and choreographers to audiences in Los Angeles. Performances are complemented by special experiences for both ticket buyers and the public with opportunities to learn more about the choreography and the themes explored, including panels, master classes, dance film festivals, interactive experiences and more. The 23rd season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center is generously supported by Glorya Kaufman Foundation, Center Dance Arts, Dorothy B. Chandler Program Fund and Elisabeth Katte Harris.
ABOUT CENTER DANCE ARTS
Center Dance Arts is a dynamic community of patrons with a passion for dance. Center Dance Arts members bring dance to life in Los Angeles by promoting The Music Center’s world-class dance performances, extensive educational outreach and free and low-cost community experiences so all may experience the transformative power of dance. For more information, visit musiccenter.org/cda.
ABOUT THE MUSIC CENTER
The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. The $80 million non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: TMC Arts and TMC Ops. TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza, outside at Gloria Molina Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, live and digital K–12 arts education programs, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and special events. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the Plaza and Gloria Molina Grand Park, which comprise $3 billion in county assets, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on social media @MusicCenterLA
Terry Morgan
