Dance Performance In Montclair Will Celebrate 'Black Joy, Cultural Memory, Liberation'

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of a Patch Montclair community member. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

PEAK Performances at Montclair State University will present Camille A. Brown & Dancers’ "I AM" on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Alexander Kasser Theater in Montclair. The show, by five-time Tony-nominated director and choreographer Camille A. Brown (Broadway’s Gypsy and Hell’s Kitchen), advances Brown’s acclaimed explorations of Black joy, cultural memory and liberation.

Driven by captivating live, original music — with reimagined nods to the work of artists like Dru Hill, Lil’ Kim, Method Man, Busta Rhymes and Sounds of Blackness — I AM launches new queries into the possibilities of imagination and boldly investigates the future. Inspired by a narrative within HBO’s Lovecraft Country and the rhythms of the movie Drumline, the work was a 2025 New York Times Critics’ Pick, with the Times noting Brown “takes her signature interweaving of African diasporic dance forms to new heights.”

“Camille A. Brown is one of the most vital choreographic voices working today, and I AM is a thrilling celebration of imagination, virtuosity and Black culture,” said Wiley Hausam, Director of Arts + Cultural Programming at Montclair State University. “This is the kind of performance that reminds you what live art can do — bring people together, spark conversation and leave you feeling energized — and we’re proud to present it at Montclair State.”

Brown’s work has earned wide recognition across film, television, theater and opera. Her company’s Social Dance for Social Change virtual school has reached nearly 100,000 students to date.

The show, which runs 60 minutes with no intermission, continues PEAK Performances’ mission to develop, produce and present world-class live performances that are accessible, engaging and relevant, connecting students, faculty and staff with residents of Northern New Jersey and beyond through the arts.

The Alexander Kasser Theater is located at 1 Normal Avenue in Montclair, New Jersey.

Tickets, $20 and $45, include a $5 per ticket handling fee for online/phone orders. For tickets, visit: https://www.peakperfs.org/events/#camillebrown or call the Box Office at (973) 655-5112.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Camille A. Brown & Dancers (CABD) is a Bessie Award-winning, NYC-based dance company that soars through history and contemporary stories like a whirlwind. Recognized for blending modern, hip-hop, African, tap and social dance to forge riveting works that ripple with energy, urgency and powerful theatricality, CABD reclaims Black narratives through historically informed, thought-provoking repertory on race, culture and identity.

Founded in 2006, the Company is a collective of dancers, musicians and collaborators who perform highly theatrical works — bridging Camille A. Brown’s work in theater, concert, dance and opera. It is here where everything meets. CABD has toured its repertory with live music to cities in the U.S., including The Kennedy Center, Jacob’s Pillow, American Dance Festival, The Apollo Theater, The Joyce Theater, ASU/Gammage, The Ahmanson Center, Juniata College, The Yard, The Egg and Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, among others. Internationally, The Company has performed for the Belfast Dance Festival and NYU/Abu Dhabi. CABD performs for 20,000+ people and serves 5,000+ engagement participants annually through free community programs that elevate African diaspora aesthetics. In May 2020, CABD launched its Social Dance for Social Change virtual school, which offered free online artist/scholar lectures by notable speakers and social dance classes, led by Company dancers, throughout the pandemic. The virtual school received a nomination from Broadway Black for Best Quarantine Content, serving 98,000 participants worldwide. The Company’s trilogy, which includes the Bessie-winning Mr. TOL E. RAncE (2012), Bessie-nominated BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play (2015) and the highly acclaimed ink (2017), was performed at The Apollo and The Joyce Theater in New York City, in a historic two-week celebration, and at Duke University.

Most recently, the Company’s latest work, I AM, received its world premiere at Jacob’s Pillow in 2024 and New York premiere at The Joyce Theater in 2025. The show was a New York Times Critic’s pick and received Bessie nominations for Best Choreography and Best Sound Design.

For more information on Camille A. Brown & Dancers, visit camilleabrown.org

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

PEAK Performances develops, presents and produces a broad range of world-class dance, film, master classes, music, opera and music theater, talks and theater in the Alexander Kasser Theater on the campus of Montclair State University for students, faculty, staff and the public. PEAK Performances is a program of the university’s Arts + Cultural Programming Department. For more information visit peakperfs.org.

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