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commentary. Through these mediums, Zollar pushes towards social awareness and change. Zollar also explores
African-American folk traditions and the reality of the Black woman's experience, tackling uncomfortable and controversial social topics such as abortion, racism, sexism, and homelessness, in a hard-edged and straightforward way. Many dance critics say that Zollar's company makes a point to show the reality of African-American culture, revealing how Black Americans express themselves when not in the presence of whites.
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In her choreography, Zollar creates avant-garde dance-theater productions that speak from the Black female perspective. Her pieces are collaborative performances between dancers, vocalists, artists, actors, composers and musicians, including vocalizations, a cappella singing, storytelling, and social
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techniques), Afro-Cuban, Haitian, and
Congolese dance. She emphasizes the use of weight and fluidity as opposed to creating clean shapes. From her Afro-Cuban dance training she employs a strong sense of dynamic timing, rhythmic patterns, and continuous flow of movement. She derives many of her
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Zollar's choreographic style is influenced by the dance traditions of Black
Americans—modern dance, African dance, and social dance. Her movement synthesizes influences from modern dance (a combination of Dunham,
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Zollar was director and choreographer of the
Houston, Texas, world premiere Oct. 20, 2023, of "Intelligence," an opera based on the true story of a southern female spy for the Union in the American Civil War.
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movement ideas from
African-American culture—allowing the "church testifying, emotional energy shap the form, and the rawness of that form, like you have in jazz," she says.
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since at least 2011, when she was named the Robert O. Lawton
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589:"Shifting Through Adaptability: A Conversation With Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Dance Teacher's 2021 Award of Distinction Recipient"
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Jawole Willa Jo Zollar in
Conversation with Ananya Chatterjea, October 21, 2010
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457:"Houston Grand Opera debuts Civil War-themed 'Intelligence' this weekend"
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Great
Performances: Free To Dance - Biographies - Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
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392:. 6th ed. 6 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1998, 448.
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Zollar as quoted in Hussie-Taylor's "Zollar, Jawole Willa Jo", 852.
485:"In an Opera About Civil War Spies, Dancers Help Drive the Drama"
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at the
Institute for Advanced Study, University of Minnesota.
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Office of
Research: Research In Review: The Journey of Jawole
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563:"Highlights of the 2015 Dance Magazine Awards in Pictures"
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American dancer, teacher and choreographer (born 1950)
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One of six children, she was born Willa Jo Zollar in
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Florida State University College of Fine Arts alumni
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538:"Choreographer Zollar wins Guggenheim"
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513:"Founder and Legacy Timeline"
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685:Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
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21:"zollar" (RTGS Dollar)
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469:November 4,
246:HairStories
222:Transitions
212:Batty Moves
138:Girlfriends
118:River Songs
23:, currency.
732:Categories
649:2022-07-19
598:2024-07-13
547:2024-09-19
522:2024-07-13
413:2024-07-13
338:References
92:Cunningham
707:Biography
240:Soul Deep
45:Biography
162:Lipstick
31:American
667:Profile
270:visible
166:Shelter
142:Madness
333:(2022)
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294:Awards
94:, and
88:Graham
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