Featured on this episode of AHA! master weaver Cindy Barbone, founder and director of Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate NY Jean-Remy Monnay, and lastly dancers from the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company.
Cyndy Barbone
Cyndy Barbone weaves her works of art. Based in Greenwich New York, Barbone uses the ancient medium of weaving to reference political and cultural issues. Weaving is rooted in tradition and has always been viewed as women’s work. Barbone has developed a modern interpretation of this ancient medium by transforming the threads into portraits of today’s women. Using intimate subjects such as friends and family, Barbone creates ghost-like images of her subjects. Barbone took inspiration from ancient mythology. In antiquity, messages were often woven into works of art, prior to written language. Resembling history, Barbone uses the faces of local women to portray messages of women all across the world, who have often been viewed as voiceless throughout time. That lack of voice is what drives Barbone to send messages of hope, perseverance, and equality through her work, giving us an intimate and genuine form of artistic expression.
Jean-Remy Monnay, Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York
Black Theatre Troupe was founded in 2009 by director Jean-Remy Monnay. The Black Theatre Troupe has fostered the appreciation and understanding of performing arts among communities of color. Not only does the Black Theatre Troupe cultivate appreciation and understanding, it creates a space for people of color to participate in the performing arts world. When Jean-Remy Monnay moved to upstate New York from New York City, he was one of three people of color on the local stage. He sought to change this statistic by bringing more diversity to our local performing arts stages. Since the Black Theatre Troupes founding, Jean-Remy Monnay has been working tirelessly to ensure the local stage is not all one color. He has worked intimately within local communities, finding those with talent and most importantly interest in the performing arts. Prior to Black Theatre Troupe, local artists were rarely given the chance to showcase their talents and passions for the arts. Now, there is a dedicated place to thrive, display talent, and practice skills for communities of color. Racism comes in many forms and is not a
thing of the past, Jean-Remy Monnay hopes his Black Theatre Troupe will be a place to educate, share stories, and connect with all races on what it means to be a person of color in society.
Statement on artist | Website | Facebook | Twitter
Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company
Dancers of the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company perform their piece “Falling” at the studio. The company has been on the New York dance scene for 29 years. This captivating performance was choreographed by Ellen Sinopoli, the music played by Maria Zemantauski and Brian Melick, and performed by Maggie Clambrone, Erin Dooley, Andre Robles, Sara Senecal, and Laura Teeter.
Further information on Ellen Sinopoli | Website | Dancers | Instagram
