also scheduled on
June 19, 2019 21:00

BLACK HOLE is a kaleidoscopic performance art experience using movement, light, and visual art.
Although the title is derived from the cosmic phenomenon of a Black Hole, it is not a work on explaining/sharing the science of it.
More so, it proposes to use the idea of the transformational environment of a Black Hole to create an atmosphere of mystery towards what it encompasses;
what it can contain in it.

BLACK HOLE proposes to engage an audience in a way that it condenses the experience into a deeply colorful hypnotic journey, without exit.
The work researches and shares a performance art odyssey, in which three gifted black artists (all of the African descent) unite to create a trinity of vigor, afrofuturism, and embrace.

BLACK HOLE is Shamel Pitt’s third creation of the “Black Series”

Shamel Pitts is a performance artist, dancer, spoken word artist, and a teacher. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and began his dance training at LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and the Performing Arts and continued, simultaneously, at The Ailey School. Shamel then went on to receive his BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School (receiving the Martha Hill Award For Excellence In Dance) and began his professional dance career with BJM_Danse Montreal and Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance. Shamel continued his career with Batsheva Dance Company for 7 years. He is a teacher of Gaga, the movement language created by Ohad Naharin, and has taught for both Batsheva Dance Company and The Young Ensemble.
Shamel has been on faculty for Movement Invention Project, SPRINGBOARD DANSE MONTREAL under the direction of Alexandra Wells. He has also been on faculty and a guest teacher at Netherlands Dance Theater Summer Intensive, SUNY Purchase, and The Juilliard School. Shamel created a poetic dance performance installation entitled BLACK BOX: Little Black Book Of RED. This work has been performed in many spaces/galleries in Israel since 2015. Upon leaving Batsheva in August 2016, Shamel has collaborated in the creation of several performance art works including a Herzliya Museum Of Contemporary Art Commission of “Black, White, And RED”
Shamel is currently teaching at Harvard University and The Juilliard School. He is also performing with Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar’s L-E-V Dance Company. He received a 2018 Princess Grace Award in Choreography.

concept and choreography: Shamel Pitts
performers: Mirelle Martins, Tushrik Fredericks, Shamel Pitts
light designer/video mapping: Lucca Del Carlo (Brazil)
original music/composer: Sivan Jacobovitz (USA)
additional music: Door Of The Cosmos / Sun Ra AirFlow! Velocity / Keru Not Ever Fever Dream / Daniel Avery Funeral Canticle / John Tavener Radiance / Tim Hecker Heavy Snow / ChiHei Hatakeyama
costume designers: Naomi Maaravi, Mirelle Martins
filming & editing of trailer: Ido Cohen
collaborative artist: Tom Love
artistic production associate: Mirelle Martins
length: 1 hour 1 minute 1 second

Black Hole is the winner of the 2018 CROSS International Performance Award and was hosted within 2018 CROSS Residence 2018.