FREDERICK HAMMERSLEY FOUNDATION... ...NEW MEXICO ARTS, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

...AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU THIS TIME, ON COLORES!

FROM 1968 TO 1973 PHOTOJOURNALIST TONY LOUDERBOUGH CAPTURED DRAMATIC IMAGES OF THOSE CRYING OUT FOR CHANGE.

SABRINA NELSON REFLECTS ON SOCIETY'S BLINDNESS TO THE CHALLENGES PEOPLE OF COLOR FACE IN "WHY YOU WANNA FLY BLACKBIRD."

JOE C. ROCK'S GRITTY, GRAFITTI STYLE MURALS TRANSFORM RENO'S BUILDINGS AND STREETS.

DDC BASES DANCE ON HOW HUMAN BEINGS LIKE TO MOVE IN SPACE.

IT'S ALL AHEAD ON COLORES!

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM.

>>TONY LOUDERBOUGH: THE CENTRAL THEME OF BEING A SHOOTING NEWS, IS YOU WANT ALL OF THE SMALL DETAILS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE STORY.

THAT IS ALL WHAT CARTIER-BRESSON CALLED THE "HAWKS EYE" AND THE "VELVET TOUCH."

YOU HAVE TO PICK THAT EXACT SPLIT 60TH OF A SECOND THAT'S GOING TO TELL THE STORY.

>>TONY LOUDERBOUGH: I WAS GOING FROM A BLACK STUDENT UNION STORY TO A NATIVE AMERICAN STORY TO A CHICANO LA RAZA STORY TO AN ANTI-WAR STORY TO SPANISH-SPEAKING RAILROAD-MEN.

AND THE PRIVILEGE OF TAKING SOME OF THEIR PORTRAITS.

AND THE 60S AND THE 70S WASN'T JUST ALL TURMOIL.

IT WAS VERY STUDIED EARNEST PEOPLE WORKING HARD TO SAY AND SHOW WHAT WAS IMPORTANT.

IN THE CASE OF SAY, THE BLACK STUDENT UNION AND JOE LONG, WHO WAS THE REFERENT LEADER OF THE BLACK STUDENT UNION.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLE IN AMERICA WAS FRONT AND CENTER.

IN NEW MEXICO.

IT WAS PARTICULARLY SHARP BECAUSE BLACK SPORTS TEAM MEMBERS WHO HAD WORN BLACK ARMBANDS IN SUPPORT OF BLACK CAUSES WERE OFTEN EXPELLED FROM THE TEAM.

LOST THEIR SCHOLARSHIPS AND LOST THEIR CHANCE AT AN EDUCATION.

THERE WAS A GREAT STRUGGLE IN THE SPORTS WORLD TO INTEGRATE SCHOOLS THAT WERE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE.

AND THE BLACK POWER SALUTE AT THE PIT WHEN UNM WAS PLAYING BYU WAS A POWERFUL MOMENT FOR THEM, AND FOR MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THE STANDS, SOME OF WHOM WERE BOOING AND FEW WERE CLAPPING.

>>TONY LOUDERBOUGH: IN THAT ERA, THE 60S AND INTO THE 70S, THE STANDARD WAS PRIMARILY CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, A LA THOREAU.

IT WAS EXPECTED TO SIT DOWN, GET ARRESTED, TAKE THE ISSUE UP IN THE COURTS.

BUT IT WAS ALSO PUSHING THE SYSTEM TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT AN ISSUE.

>>TONY LOUDERBOUGH: THE KIVA CLUB MARCH IN HONOR OF LARRY CASUSE WAS A VERY POWERFUL STATEMENT BECAUSE LARRY HIMSELF HAD CHOSEN TO BECOME THE WARRIOR THAT WOULD ADVANCE A TOPIC CENTRAL TO SO MANY NATIVE AMERICAN LIVES.

THE THE KIVA CLUB EMBRACED HIS DEATH AS AN IMPERFECT WARRIOR PERHAPS, BUT A WARRIOR WHO SAID WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.

I HAD NEVER SEEN A LARGE GROUP OF FIRST NATION PEOPLE WALK DOWN CENTRAL AVENUE BEATING A DRUM AND AND SINGING THEIR SONGS.

>>TONY LOUDERBOUGH: AT THE MOMENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE PEOPLE WILL STEP FORWARD TO DO THINGS.

SOMETIMES THEY'RE GOING TO BE ARRESTED AND YOU KNOW HE WAS CERTAINLY KILLED.

BUT IT IS THE PEOPLE STEPPING FORWARD INTO THE HEAT OF THAT MOMENT THAT WILL ALLOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE TO COME INTO THAT MOVEMENT AND STORY AND MAKE THE LONG-TERM CHANGE.

BUT WITHOUT THE LARRY CASUSES OF THE WORLD, YOU DON'T GET THE ISSUE ON THE TABLE.

>>TONY LOUDERBOUGH: I CAME TO REALIZE THAT THE WHICH WAS BETWEEN 1968 AND 1973, AND MY CAMERA LENS WAS THE EYE OF THE STORM.

PHOTOGRAPHING THE EVENTS THAT MADE UP THAT STORM BECAME A PASSION AND A DUTY.

ALL OF US HAVE THE DUTY TO PARTICIPATE, TO VOTE, TO MAKE OUR OPINIONS KNOWN.

I BELIEVE IN A THOROUGHLY ONLY PEACEFUL WAY.

>>TONY LOUDERBOUGH: AND THE EYE OF THE STORM HAS TO BE FOR EVERY GENERATION THAT PASSION THAT SAYS "I WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT A PROBLEM.

I WILL NOT DRAWING IN EMPATHY.

I THINK MY MEDICINE IS ART, MY LANGUAGE IS ART.

I THINK THE TERM ARTIST MEANS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.

HOW YOU SEE IT, HOW YOU RECORD IT.

HOW YOU MAKE THINGS THAT ARE A RESULT OF WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO SAY.

WHETHER IT'S A QUESTION YOU'RE ANSWERING OR A STORY YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL OR HERE'S SOMETHING I NEED TO MAKE BECAUSE IT'S JUST EMBEDDED IN ME LIKE I HAVE TO MAKE SOMETHING.

DETROIT IS EMBEDDED IN WHO I AM.

I'VE BEEN HERE ALL MY LIFE SINCE THE REBELLION IN 1967, THAT'S WHEN I WAS BORN.

AND SO EVERYTHING AROUND ME BECOMES A PART OF THE STORY I'M TRYING TO TELL OR THE QUESTION I'M TRYING TO ASK.

MY SUPER POWER IS BEING ABLE TO VISUALLY COMMUNICATE HOW I FEEL ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.

NINA SIMONE SAYS, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE AN ARTIST, IT'S YOUR DUTY TO REFLECT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.

AND IN THE WORLD THAT I LIVE IN, FROM THE TIME I CAN REMEMBER REMEMBERING, THERE'S ALWAYS TRAUMA AND HURT AND PAIN.

AND I'M NOT ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THAT, BUT YOU CAN'T IGNORE IT.

AND ON THIS DAY I THINK ABOUT, THE LIVES THAT ARE LOST, THAT ARE CONSTANT BUT COMING AT ME THROUGH DIFFERENT MEDIUMS.

AND SO I'M THINKING ABOUT HOMICIDES AND DEATHS OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND HOW I AM AFFECTED BY IT.

BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT DEATH WHERE PEOPLE AREN'T CONSIDERED PEOPLE, LIKE YOU DON'T MATTER.

YOU, YOU'RE NOT IMPORTANT.

SO I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE YOUR LIFE.

I DON'T CARE HOW OLD YOU ARE, I DON'T CARE WHO YOU BELONG TO AND WHEN THAT PERSON IS MISSING FROM OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST THE BLOOD FAMILY IS AFFECTED.

WE ARE ALL AND WE SHOULD ALL BE CONCERNED.

YOU KNOW, A LIFE IS A LIFE.

A HUMAN IS A HUMAN.

AND SO IN THIS WORK I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT PAIN.

THE NAME OF THE EXHIBITION IS WHY YOU WANNA FLY BLACKBIRD.

AND I GOT IT FROM A NINA SIMONE SONG WHO TALKS ABOUT BLACK WOMEN, LIKE, HOW DARE YOU TRY AND BE HAPPY IN YOUR LIFE.

HOW DARE YOU NOT EXPECT PAIN.

PAIN IS GONNA COME.

YOU HAVE TO MOVE THROUGH IT AND YOU HAVE TO LIVE.

BUT PAIN WILL BE HERE.

I DIDN'T WANT THE COLORS TO BE SO SEDUCTIVE THAT IT DRAWS YOU IN AS PRETTY, LIKE, I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF MY WORK BEING PRETTY.

I WANT IT TO BE IMPACTFUL.

I WANT IT TO BE DEEPER THAN JUST WHAT YOU SEE.

AND I WANTED IT TO BE LARGE ENOUGH TO HAVE SOME GIRTH TO IT.

SO THESE PARTICULAR PIECES ARE VERY LARGE DRAWINGS.

THEY'RE ALSO RELIQUARIES, IF YOU WILL.

SO THEY TALK ABOUT LIKE THE BODY, THE HOUSING OF THE BODIES THAT WE HAVE, LIKE THE HOME AND THEN WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A NEST WITH NO EGGS IN IT.

THINKING ABOUT THE EMPTY NEST OF CHILDREN WHO NEVER RETURN.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T CARE HOW OLD THEY ARE, THEY NEVER CAN RETURN.

SO I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE DARKNESS IN THAT AND EXPRESSING IT WITH THE MOST ELOQUENCE THAT I CAN.

THE CAGES WILL REPRESENT EMPTY HOMES.

THAT CAN BE THE HOME THAT THEY LIVED IN.

THAT CAN BE THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY LIVED IN.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?

YOU KNOW, THAT WOMB THAT'S EMPTY?

AND SO WHEN WE LOSE THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT TREATED WITH VALUE OUT OF OUR COMMUNITIES, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?

SO LAVONNE IS HELPING ME ON THE DRESSES CAUSE I WANT TO MAKE DRESSES THAT WILL HANG FROM THE CEILING, JUST ABOVE THE PATRONS' HEADS, BUT THE BIRDCAGES WILL BE THE EMPTY WOMBS UNDERNEATH THE DRESSES.

AND SO, I'M ASKING HIM TO HELP ME FIGURE OUT HOW I'M GOING TO MAKE THE DRESSES WHICH ARE MADE OUT OF JAPANESE RICE PAPER SO THAT THEY CAN BE SHEER ENOUGH THAT THE BIRDCAGES CAN GO UNDERNEATH THEM AND THE PATRONS CAN SEE THEM WITH THE LIGHTING AND HOPEFULLY THEY HAVE THE IMPACT THAT'S IN MY HEAD AND IN MY HEART.

I WANT PEOPLE TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT AND TO BE MORE EMPATHETIC WITH OTHERS' LIVES.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING HAPPENING, AND YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, WHY WOULDN'T YOU?

AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE HOMICIDE RATES ACROSS THE THEY'RE INCREDIBLY HIGH FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN, INDIGENOUS, AND ALSO LATIN AMERICAN CHILDREN.

AND SO IF THIS IS ALL I CAN SAY AND DO ABOUT IT, I WANT SOMEONE TO KNOW THAT I CARE, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT MY CHILDREN, I CARE THAT THEY'RE MISSING, THAT THEY'RE GONE, THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SHOULD THINK ABOUT DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

THE MOTION OF MOVEMENT WHEN I'M MAKING THESE THINGS, LIKE WHEN I DID THE NEST HERE, YOU KNOW, THE MOTION OF DRAWING AND DRAWING AND DRAWING, YOU KNOW, THAT OBSESSION OF MOVEMENT AND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO DO THAT THESE MOVEMENTS THAT WE DO OVER AND OVER BECOME VERY MUCH RITUAL.

MAYBE THESE ARE ALL PRAYERS VISUALLY TO SAY, I'M SORRY THAT YOUR LIFE HAS GONE, BUT I WANT TO SAY THAT YOU MEANT SOMETHING, THAT YOU WERE IMPORTANT.

EVERY ARTIST WANTS SOMEONE TO LOOK AT THEIR WORK FOR A LONG TIME AND I DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE IT SO OBVIOUS AND OBTRUSE WHERE IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE PEOPLE GETTING KILLED.

BUT I THINK THE WORK AND THE DRAWINGS AND SOME OF THE PAINTINGS THAT I'M USING CAN BE SEDUCTIVE.

SO I WANT PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WALK AWAY WITH KNOWING THAT I'M IN A WORLD, I AM AFFECTED BY IT AND DON'T JUST LISTEN TO THE NEWS AND BE IN THE WORLD AND NOT REALLY TAKE PART IN WHAT'S HAPPENING.

THINK ABOUT WHAT YOUR VOICE IS AND WHAT YOUR SUPERPOWER IS, AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP.

I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT AND I WANT TO LEAVE THIS WORLD WITH SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE'S LEARNED FROM ME.

MY WORK MIGHT BE SENSUAL TO DRAW YOU IN AND THEN IT'S GONNA SLAP YOU A LITTLE BIT.

AND THAT'S WHAT I HOPE I SHOW.

ENLIVENING PUBLIC SPACES.

MY NAME IS JOE C. ROCK AND I'M A MURALIST AND ARTIST HERE IN RENO, NEVADA.

I CREATE ALL KINDS OF ART, BUT I DEFINITELY TEND OF MORE OF A STREET STYLE GRAFFITI ART BUT THEN FIGURE PAINTING'S MY FAVORITE, BUT MURALISM WOULD BE LIKE THE BIGGEST KEY POINT.

THE IDEA OF LIKE URBAN OR GRITTINESS REALLY APPEALS TO ME JUST BECAUSE THAT'S LIKE WHO I AM.

I LISTEN TO RAP MUSIC, SPRAY PAINT, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE VERY URBAN.

I LOVE GRAFFITI, I LOVE, YOU KNOW, BUILDINGS, AND I LOVE JUST THAT CHAOS OF JUST TRAFFIC AND PEOPLE WALKING AND HONKING OF HORNS.

AND THAT'S THE OTHER PART OF IT IS, IF YOU LOOK AT MY PAINTING, I LOVE JUST MAKING A MESS, TOO, YOU KNOW?

LIKE THAT CRAZY CHAOTIC MESS, AND THEN THE BEAUTY ON TOP OF IT.

IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PAINTING THAT SAME IDEA.

THIS DOOR IS JUST GROSS, OLD, BUT THEN THERE'S THE GIRL INSIDE WHO IS JUST VERY SOFT AND PRISTINE AND PAINTED VERY NICELY.

AND IT'S JUST THAT COUNTER PLAY OF IDEAS THAT IS ALSO GREAT.

I'VE BEEN DRAWING MY ENTIRE LIFE.

MY MOM TAUGHT ME HOW TO WRITE REALLY YOUNG, AND I ALWAYS JUST HAD A PEN OR PENCIL OR CRAYONS IN MY HANDS.

SO I JUST REALLY ALWAYS HAD IT IN MY BLOOD.

WHEN I WAS, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE MY MOM SHE HAD TO LIKE WINE THE HOUSE WITH BUTCHER PAPER AS FAR AS I COULD REACH 'CAUSE I WAS LIKE PAINTING, SO I GUESS I'VE BEEN DOING MURALS SINCE I'VE BEEN LIKE THREE.

HAHAHAHA STARTING A MURAL IS DIFFERENT EVERY TIME.

I DON'T REALLY EVER KNOW HOW I'M GONNA ACTUALLY START LIKE PUTTING PAINT TO THE WALL FIRST.

IT JUST REALLY DEPENDS ON THE FINISHED PRODUCT AS WELL.

LIKE THE ONE AT MCCONNELL, THAT ONE, I CHALKED THE DRAWING IN FIRST BECAUSE I WANTED A LOT OF THE BLUE SHOWING THROUGH THE ENTIRE TIME.

THEN FROM CHALKING IT IN, THEN I WENT INTO SPRAY PAINT AND DOING THAT.

THEN GOING BACK AND CUTTING BACK WITH THE WALL COLOR, FIXING MY LINES UP, THEN STARTED DOING SHADING AND DOING THE DIFFERENT LAYERS OF SHADING.

IT'S REALLY HARD TO JUDGE ON HOW LONG A MURAL'S GOING TO TAKE.

IT CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM FIVE HOURS TO 50 FOR THE SAME MURAL.

SO SOMETIMES IF I'M ON IT I CAN BUST OUT A PORTRAIT REALLY PERFECT IN FIVE HOURS, AND HAVE IT BE THE SAME THAT IT WOULD TAKE ME 50 TO RENDER IT, BECAUSE YOU JUST SOMETIMES MAKE MISTAKES, AND IT GOES, BUT SOMETIMES EVERYTHING GOES WELL AND IT JUST LINES UP RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.

I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE COME UP AND TELL ME WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT IT.

'CAUSE I LOVE THAT WHEN I'M PAINTING SOMETHING AND I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, AND SOMEONE COMES UP AND THEY'RE LIKE, "OH, IS THAT MARILYN MONROE AND JFK?"

AND, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST HEAR THESE THINGS, AND I'M LIKE, "NO, BUT IT COULD BE."

LIKE I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT.

AND I LOVE THAT ABOUT IT.

I WOULD LOVE FOR PEOPLE TO COME AWAY FROM MY ART FEELING HAPPY.

THAT'S ONE THING, OR LIKE MOVED, OR JUST PEOPLE TAKING NOTICE OF IT IS GREAT, YOU KNOW.

AND I THINK ART IN A PUBLIC SPACE IS, JUST, IT'S GREAT FOR ANYONE.

I MEAN IT JUST LIVENS UP A DEAD WALL, YOU KNOW.

IT GIVES SOMEONE SOMETHING TO LOOK AT.

RENO IS FULL OF MURALS.

THERE'S MURALS ALL OVER.

IF YOU WALK FROM PLUM ALL THE WAY DOWNTOWN IT'S JUST THIS CORRIDOR OF MURALS EVERYWHERE.

IT'S AN EASY WAY TO CHANGE AN AREA, AND THAT'S KINDA WHAT HAPPENED HERE, WAS WE STARTED PAINTING MURALS ON A LOT OF BUSINESSES BECAUSE YOUNGER PEOPLE STARTED OPENING BUSINESSES.

A BUILDING THAT LOOKS DILAPIDATED, IF YOU PAINT A MURAL ON THE SIDE, IT BECOMES AN ATTRACTION, YOU KNOW.

IT BECOMES WHERE PEOPLE ARE SITTIN' THERE TAKING PICTURES IN FRONT OF IT, SELFIEIN'.

PEOPLE TEND TO CONGREGATE AROUND THEM, SO IT'S JUST AN EASY WAY TO CHANGE SOMETHING.

STORY BECOMES DANCE.

>>AMY: THE TRADITIONAL FORMS OF MODERN DANCE CONTINUE TO SPEAK TO AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD.

>>BARBARA: THE ESSENCE OF DANCE, FOR ME, IS ABOUT HUMANITY.

AND THERE'S SO MUCH IN THIS WORLD TODAY TO EXPRESS.

DDC IS A GROUP OF PERFORMING ARTISTS THAT BRING MODERN DANCE THROUGHOUT DETROIT AND THE GREATER DETROIT AREA, AND ALSO WE PROVIDE OUTREACH EDUCATION PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT MICHIGAN.

DDCDANCES BEGAN IN 1980.

WE WERE FOUNDED AT WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, ACTUALLY.

THE FOUNDING MEMBERS WERE PAULA KRAMER, ANITA SURMA, AND SUE ELLEN DARR AND MYSELF.

WE FOCUSED ON A TECHNIQUE THAT WAS DEVELOPED AND DESIGNED BY DORIS HUMPHREY AND JOSE LIMON, PIONEERS OF MODERN DANCE.

AND REALLY, THE GENRE TODAY STILL REALLY WORKS, BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON HOW HUMAN BEINGS LIKE TO MOVE IN SPACE AND TIME.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT WORKING IN THAT WAY, AND SO OBVIOUSLY AFTER 40 YEARS IT'S DEVELOPED INTO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BECAUSE THOSE TWO, HUMPHREY AND LIMON, WANTED FUTURE GENERATIONS TO DEVELOP THEIR TECHNIQUE.

I STARTED OUT IN BALLET GROWING UP AND IN COLLEGE I FIRST DISCOVERED MODERN DANCE AND REALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH IT, JUST BECAUSE OF THE EXPRESSIVITY, THE FREEDOM, YET ITS CONNECTEDNESS AND ROOTS TO BALLET AND TO A STRICT TECHNIQUE.

IT JUST REALLY ALLOWS FOR EXPRESSION AND A LOT OF CREATIVITY IN TERMS OF MUSIC CHOICES, CHOREOGRAPHIC CHOICES, CHOREOGRAPHIC SITES.

>>BARBARA: I REALLY LIKE TO LOOK NOT JUST FOR TECHNIQUE, BUT FOR PERFORMANCE SKILLS, WHO THEY ARE AS PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY COMMUNICATE THROUGH THEIR BODY.

WE WORK A LOT THROUGH IMPROVISATION.

SO WHEN I'M MAKING CHOREOGRAPHY, IT'S THE IDEA OF A BREATH AND GRAVITY.

IT'S ALL NATURAL ELEMENTS THAT SURROUND US.

SO WE WORK ON IMPROV THAT'S BASED ON IDEAS THAT INTEREST ME AS A CHOREOGRAPHER.

THERE ARE DANCES IN OUR UPCOMING CONCERT THAT DEAL WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, THAT DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH, THAT DEAL WITH EXTINCTION.

SO ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO SOCIETY TODAY AND WE'RE EXPRESSING HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THESE ISSUES SO THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES BACK AND FORTH.

AS A DANCER, YOU'RE NOT JUST SIMPLY A DANCER.

YOU'RE A CHOREOGRAPHER, YOU'RE INNOVATING WITH THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, WHICH IS A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PART OF THIS COMPANY.

SHE COMES IN, PUTS A BENCH DOWN IN BLACK, AND SHE'LL SIT DOWN AND BE FORWARD, AND LIGHTS AND MUSIC GO TOGETHER.

TODAY WE ARE DOING A TECH FOR EACH OF THE PIECES, SO YOU'LL BE WATCHING US CREATE THE LIGHTING.

AND THEN ONCE THE LIGHTING'S CREATED, THEN WE WILL RUN THE PIECE, LIKE A DRESS REHEARSAL.

GETTING THE RIGHT LIGHTING DESIGN TO ENHANCE THE DANCE AND TO REALLY BE A PARTNER WITH THE DANCE.

SO STAGE LIGHTING IS REALLY VERY IMPORTANT.

IT BECOMES A MARRIAGE BETWEEN THE DANCE, DANCERS, AND THE SPACE.

WELL, THE FIRST PIECE ON THE PROGRAM WERE EXCERPTS FROM A WHOLE EVENING WORK THAT WE DID AT JAM HANDY LAST FALL, AND IT'S CALLED "ROCK ON."

AND I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO CREATE A CONCERT BASED ON ROCK MUSIC.

SO THERE'S SOME SMALL EXCERPTS FROM THAT.

SO YOU'LL SEE DANCERS PERFORMING TO SOME OF THE CLASSIC ROCK MUSIC THAT WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE.

ONE OF MY YOUNG DANCERS, AN EMERGING ARTIST, LIZ LECLAIRE, SHE CHOREOGRAPHED A NEW SOLO.

I REALLY LIKE TO GIVE YOUNG EMERGING ARTISTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THEIR WORK.

SO HER WORK IS ACTUALLY BASED ON MENTAL HEALTH.

IT'S REALLY INTERESTING, THE WAY SHE COMMUNICATES THOSE IDEAS.

THERE'S A PIECE THAT I CHOREOGRAPHED 30 YEARS AGO.

IT'S CALLED "JOURNEY'S END," AND THAT'S BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE.

AND 30 YEARS AGO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, AND THIS PIECE IS STILL PERTINENT TODAY.

IT HAPPENS TO BE PERFORMED TO THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES.

THE LAST WORK IS CALLED "ABSENCE."

IT'S A BRAND-NEW PREMIERE FOR ME, AND IT DEALS WITH THE IDEA OF LOSS, WHAT HAS BEEN LOST OR GONE, MAY NEVER EXIST AGAIN.

AND THE DANCERS ALL WROTE THEIR OWN STORIES.

SO THAT WAS LIKE A JUMPING OFF POINT FOR THE WORK.

THEY ALL CREATED MOVEMENT BASED ON THE IDEA THAT THEY HAD WRITTEN ON THEIR STORY, AND THEN WE IMPROVISED WITH IT AND THEN I TAKE IT AND I MOLD IT AND I CHANGE IT AND I STRUCTURE IT TO EXPRESS THE FULL PIECE AND WHAT WE WANT TO SAY IN TERMS OF THAT PARTICULAR IDEA.

EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL DANCERS IN THE COMPANY BRING THEIR OWN VOICE TO THE MOVEMENT.

SO WHATEVER THAT MEANS TO THEM, THEY CREATE GESTURES, PERHAPS, OR ENTIRE MOVEMENT PHRASES THAT DEAL WITH THEIR STORY.

THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT IT IS THAT OFTEN TIMES THERE ARE MANY INTERPRETATIONS TO IT.

SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN, LIKE, ONE SPECIFIC MEANING, AS IS THE CASE IN MANY DIFFERENT FORMS OF MODERN ART.

IT'S REALLY INSPIRING TO DANCE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.

THEY ALL HAVE THEIR STRENGTHS, AND WE'RE ALL UNIQUE IN OUR WAYS, BUT WE COME TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, ARE STRONGER AS A GROUP, I THINK.

I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE COMPANY BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE A VARIETY OF WAYS TO COMMUNICATE THE ART FORM.

OUR HEART AND SOUL REALLY GOES INTO OUR PRODUCTIONS, OUR CLASSES, OUR WORKSHOPS, EVERYTHING WE DO WITH THE COMMUNITY HAS MEANT SO MUCH TO US, AND WE ARE HOPING IT HAS MEANT A LOT TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE.

TO VIEW THIS AND OTHER COLORES PROGRAMS GO TO: NEW MEXICO PBS DOT ORG AND LOOK FOR COLORES UNDER WHAT WE DO AND LOCAL PRODUCTIONS.

ALSO, LOOK FOR US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.

"UNTIL NEXT WEEK, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING."

FUNDING FOR COLORES WAS PROVIDED IN PART BY: FREDERICK HAMMERSLEY FOUNDATION... ...NEW MEXICO ARTS, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

...AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU