GERMAUL BARNES – VIEWSIC DANCE

Over twenty plus years as a working Artists, I am often interested in archetypes and paradoxes. As a choreographer, I tackle the essence of movement as metaphor or analogy. I strive to convey a world that is derivative from everyday life, but the dances I make do address aspects of fantasy, imagination, and memory within the context of contemporary life.To create my work, I draw on knowledge of contemporary and historical artistic, biographical, and literary sources. Intrigued by a wide range of methodologies by employ multiple strategies of investigation in my choreography, occasionally creating ambiguous juxtapositions and new, unfamiliar languages.

BIOGRAPHY

Germaul Barnes is honored to have had a dance career that expands more than thirty years. Forming Viewsic Dance – a project by project dance company, the mission is to present multilayered dance performances. An Arizona native he trained at The Center for Performing Arts at South Mountain High School, Phoenix School of Ballet, and Ballet Arizona and the University of the Arts-Philadelphia. He recently choreographed the world premiere of Marley – A Musical based on the life and music of reggae superstar Bob Marley.

Barnes has become an internationally recognizable presence in the American contemporary dance scene. Germaul is noted for his visual wizardry and sonic imagination, many invested in anthropology, culture, blackness, musicality, and social justice.

Barnes has created over 50 works for Viewsic Dance, credits include the Central Park Summer Stage, Lincoln Center Outdoors, Kumble Theatre, Dixon Place, HarlemStages, Judson Church Movement Research, Billie Holiday Theater, Errol Mosley’s Hearts of Men, Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, Collegium for African Diaspora Dance Conference, Cyrus Arts Productions, 92nd Street Y, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Alvin Ailey-Fordham School, University of Illinois-Urbana, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Joffrey Ballet Summer Contemporary Intensive, Joffrey Ballet World Dance & Charter Intensive, and Burt Sugar/Danz RestorationArts- Youth Arts Academy, and Dance Olympus; Internationally – State of Emergency Festival, Belarus International Modern Dance Festival, Boroditsky Denis Dance Company, Ghana National Dance Company, and the Lublin International Dance Festival, Friends of Tafo in London, England, Jasmyn Fyffe Dance, IDT-Poland, Kulturhuset-Sweden, and Dance Immersion. Barnes also works extensively in opera, television, film, directing, and choreographed for – South African composer Bongani Ndodana, Time Warren Cable, Finding Her Light, and Fall to Rise and BRIC media.

Barnes believes that live music is a substantial component of the creative process by collaborating with artists such as Thollem McDonas, Russian National Wind Quintet, Carmen Carpenter, Gabri Christa, Greg Tate, Paul Sullivan, Harry Feiner, Maxim Rubtsov, Anthony Williams, Sherry Roberson, and SYNERGY.

He is currently RestorationArts/ChoreoQuest artist-in-residency, resident choreographer at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, curator for Contemporary Improvisation for Black Men, choreographers adviser for One Dance-UK and Next Generation Committee member for the International Association of Black in Dance, INC., choreographers adviser for Movement Research, advisory board member and curator for the Thelma Hill Performance Arts Center.

He is a former dancer and current répétiteur for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company receiving a 2003 BESSIE Award. Barnes has also worked with Pilobolus, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Joseph Tmim’s – Tolada dance company, Joan Miller Players, Group Motions Dance Company, Philadanco, Movement Source, Pacific Conservatory Theatre, Katherine Dunham, Eleo Pomare, and guest artist for numerous ballet and contemporary companies.

He has received Arts International Grant to support his anthropology study in Ghana, West Africa, The Phoenix Art Commission Award, and the Bessie Award. One of Germaul highest personal achievement is working closely with Katherine Dunham and Eleo Pomare.