Imagine leaving home and taking up residence in a foreign land—not as a migrant seeking refuge, but as an expatriate, voluntarily opting to start a new life in a different language and culture. African American dancers are a large part of this picture. Though her touring career brought her to the U. Scott Fitzgerald. In the s to s, Black ballet artists Sylvester Campbell, Billy Wilson, and Raven Wilkinson each expatriated for nearly a decade, dancing with the Dutch National Ballet, then returned home.
Some contemporary Black American artists are staying for the long haul, learning the manners and mores of a new culture and taking on the cloak of expatriation.
She relocated to the U. She also has universal health care. Trajal Harrell describes himself as a nomad, dividing his time between Zurich and Athens. Despite the setbacks of the pandemic, he will have created six new works during his directorship. In its final year his ensemble is beholden to a breakneck performance schedule, and the touring itinerary is intense.
Three of the works created during his time in Zurich, along with an earlier piece, will be performed on tour in the month of November alone, at venues in New York, Minneapolis, Zurich, Paris, and the French city of Clermont-Ferrand. When he dances, he becomes a rapturous conjurer diving into the sea of experience and fishing out deep emotions.
His African American ancestry is always present, always his partner, dreadlocked in the weave of his Black dancing body. Harrell has successfully toured South America and Asia. With his time at Schauspielhaus coming to an end, his independent company will be supported solely by touring fees. The ensemble is booked solidly for now, and with acclaim on four continents, the future is bright.
