Weekend arts offers: Revival, Ascension, and Revelations

As we do each Friday, we've gathered a list of local events to check out. Today, our guide is Margo Vansynghel, arts & culture reporter with Crosscut. She shared these suggestions with KUOW’s Kim Malcolm.

Timothy White Eagle and The Violet Triangle: Revival at On the Boards

I went to a dress rehearsal earlier this week. Since then, I've been trying to figure out how to explain this to you in a brief way. It's really a total experience. Different things happen in different rooms. Actors greet you and interact with you. At one point, you're led into this circus room where you play games with the actors and with other visitors. It's really a total roller coaster, visually, emotionally, thematically. It was really, really moving. I can’t recommend it enough.

Marin Burnett’s Ascension at Great Jones Gallery

It’s a series of pastel portraits of six black women dressed in white wading in dark waters. It’s a nod to the strength of black women and black southern culture. As far as I can tell, the level of detail in Marin's work is pretty incredible. I'm really excited to see it up close.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Paramount

This legendary New York dance company has existed for more than 50 years. You'll see a few different performances, some pieces that are brand new, and some that were choreographed multiple decades ago. One of the new ones is called For Four. It’s four dancers, and it's very jazzy. It feels like a burst of energy after the pandemic has kept people and dancers cooped up.

The other performance I want to mention is Revelations, one of the company's masterpieces. It’s inspired by writers like James Baldwin and Langston Hughes. It's set to spirituals and gospel and blues. It’s about grief and joy and hope.

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.