Presented by Celebrity Series of Boston at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston — November 14, 2025
I AM reveals what becomes possible when artists refuse political and social constraints and claim their full ascent—for themselves, for their communities, and for all of us. Bringing together African diasporic movement languages—hip-hop, body percussion, social, street styles, and tap—the dancers, strong and agile, expend boundless energy as they draw us in from the very first moment, when two powerful female performers step into center stage against a projection of radiant sun rays, signaling the universe, ancestry, and a shared light.
From there, the ensemble of dancers sustains this momentum. Their collective presence seems to declare: We rise strong—individually and as a community—beyond the prison of narrow-minded thought and action.
The spoken lines, “You are not in prison,” and “Name yourself,” form a bold assertion of liberation and self-determination. Clean aesthetic choices, high production values, complex polyrhythms, vocalizations, and audience engagement—sparked through subtle cues such as a glance or a gesture—sustain a joyous intensity between the dancers and the audience. Beautiful, poignant, and layered, the work’s live music, screen projections, and use of everyday clothing as costume deepen this narrative as an unwavering assertion of “I don’t need your validation to be who I am.” It is yet another feather in Brown’s illustrious career.
I AM has its audience nodding, tapping, clapping, whistling, and whooping. It entertains, educates, elevates—and it challenges. For dancers like me, trained in South Asian traditions that often seek refuge in spiritual narratives that feel “safe” to high-art gatekeepers and in politically neutral spaces, Camille A. Brown’s work reveals the power of art made with courage, conviction, and vulnerability.
A end of this power-infused performance, I was left wondering: How might South Asian dance evolve if a few choreographers and artists dared to boldly give form—without metaphors and analogies—to whispered political opinions and ideas of governance in today’s increasingly authoritarian world?