The Communion of White Dresses

Overview

"The Communion of White Dresses" is a choreographic work set to the poetry of the NC Poet Laureate, Jaki Shelton Green. The piece marries dance, drama, and musical accompaniment while pulling back the veil on the effects of religion and the role it plays in the identity-based oppression of young black girls. The poem, The Communion of White Dresses, is a part of an audio anthology and larger film titled "The River Speaks of Thirst,” which documents real accounts of the complexities of the African American experience, past and present. Dr. Kristi V. Johnson, Director of Dance at North Carolina Central University, directed the dance film and was a co-choreographer with Jaylun Moore, the featured soloist.