Urban Bush Women

Founded in 1984 by award-winning choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, URBAN BUSH WOMEN (UBW)presents life-affirming stories and histories of the African diaspora through dance. As we enter our fourth decade, UBW continues to be fiercely committed to dance as a means of addressing issues of socialjustice, affirming diversity, fostering community engagement and developing new audiences. www.urbanbushwomen.org.

UBW performs extensively in New York City and tours throughout the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Festival appearances include Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, BAM Next Wave Festival, Jacob's Pillow, Spoleto USA, National Black Arts Festival, Central Park SummerStage and Dance Umbrella UK, among others. Additionally, UBW offers community engagement workshops nationally and internationally through the B.O.L.D. (Builders, Organizers & Leaders through Dance) initiative and develops arts-based social justice leaders through its Summer Leadership Institute.

We fulfill our mission in the following ways:

• Pushing new artistic edges, UBW explores the untold and under-told stories of disenfranchised communities to co-create provocative dance theater works that seed a transformative process for audiences and participants alike.

• Operating through an anti-racist framework, Urban Bush Women designs and facilitates group learning experiences that prompt inquiry into the self, mobilize the assets within communities, and cultivate emboldened and informed individuals, organizations and movements.

• Urban Bush Women nurtures the generative and creative impulses of people of all ages; strengthens the choreographic voice of dancers, especially women of color; and equips the next generation of women and men for inspired artistic leadership through our Summer Leadership Institute and choreographic convenings.