Brandon Ragland’s Emerging Leader award and ‘Dance Out Loud’ performance cap an exciting Louisville Ballet season

Brandon Ragland | Courtesy of Brandon Ragland

When the  2019-20 season of the Louisville Ballet got moving, Brandon Ragland’s original work, “Force Flux,” debuted amid an exciting mixed program at the Brown Theatre. Then he was chosen as a member of the 2019 Hadley Creatives.

On Sunday, April 28 — only three weeks after he danced the role of the Prince in Louisville Ballet’s “Cinderella” — he debuts “Within Reach” as a part of ArtsReach’s third annual “Dance Out Loud,” which features performances from a collection of Louisville-based dancers and choreographers, as well as community-based dance programs that ArtsReach runs throughout the year.

Is it any wonder that Ragland also is being awarded the Lift a Life Foundation Emerging Leader in the Arts award at the fourth annual Awards in the Arts on Saturday, April 27, at Churchill Downs?

Insider caught up with Ragland to hear about his weekend plans, his big year, how he plans to lead now that’s he’s “emerged,” and what he feel’s about Louisville’s arts community.

“When I first got here, my intention was not to stay here long term,” he says. “I figured, ‘Oh, I’ll be here maybe three years, four years at the most.’ But now I consider Louisville home, and it’s been a place where it’s fed me as a city artistically, personally and spiritually as well. I’ve grown to love living here.”

A scene from Ragland’s “Force Flux” | Photo by Sam English

The Birmingham native started dancing at 13. After college at Butler University’s respected ballet program, Ragland headed home to dance with the Alabama Ballet for three seasons before he came to Louisville.

“In college, I had always heard of Louisville as being a very reputable company. And it was in close proximity to Butler, so a lot of the graduates from Butler would go on to dance here,” says Ragland.

First, under former Artistic Director Bruce Simpson and then the current Artistic and Executive Director Robert Curran, the company has given Ragland many opportunities as a choreographer, culminating — so far — with “Force Flux.”

“I’m also a teacher in the (Louisville Ballet’s) school. Through that I started to build a network,” he explains. “That was something I always wanted to do, as well as take part in some more community engagement type things.”

He was able to create partnerships and opportunities with organizations like IDEAS xLab and Roots & Wings.

ArtsReach Director Julia Youngblood spoke briefly with Insider about ArtsReach and Ragland’s part in “Dance Out Loud.”

“The main thing that ArtsReach has always been working on is making sure there is a consistent presence in community sites and community centers … and that (students) have a way to be engaged after school that makes them feel engaged in a way that is not just listening to an adult but really creating something that is meaningful to them, and actively doing it in a strong, physical way,” she explains.

Youngblood says Ragland’s role in “Dance Out Loud” isn’t just hit it and quit it, he’s there to lead by example and to inspire.

“Each year we’ve focused on (a guest artist) who’s had a professional life in dance, and have them come in and spend a little bit of time talking to the performers before the event, and then perform a piece,” says Youngblood.

Ragland describes the solo he’s performing, “Within Reach,” as expressing a particular feeling or moment with which the kids in ArtsReach may be well familiar.

“You know, you work so hard for something and you feel like it’s right in your grasp, but you never can seem to attain it — it’s just out of our reach,” he says.

Spoiler alert: Ragland’s work also suggests we can grab and attain our dreams.

Ragland certainly has expanded his reach this year, which has included business training, strategic planning and access to Louisville’s creative leaders through the Hadley Creatives.

Now his year culminates with him receiving the Emerging Leader in the Arts award and the stipend that comes with it — $5,000 — which he can use to forward his art, presumably using the skills, planning and extended network he received through the opportunity.

Brandon Ragland and Christy Corbitt Miller in “In the Upper Room” | Photo by PriceWeber

At first, despite the cache and the cash attached, he didn’t exactly understand the scope of the award. He was too busy dancing and creating.

“Then I started to look up everyone who has won this award before and … I was blown away,” he says. “It’s such an honor.”

Those names include Kristen Renee Miller, Rachel Mauser and Jecorey “1200” Arthur. The awards, hosted by and connected with the Fund for the Arts, are made possible by several foundations.

“My award is sponsored through the Lift a Life Foundation, and that’s another way to help dive into the community engagement part of being an artist,” Ragland explains. “I met them, I hung out with them, I’m hoping that we continue to have engagement.”

As far as being a leader, his plan is to keep up what he’s been doing.

“In my experience of people I look up to as good leaders, they are in the trenches with you. It’s not a dictatorship. Yes, they are delegating, but they are also putting in work,” he says.

Ragland will perform at ArtsReach’s “Dance Out Loud” on Sunday, April 28, at 4 p.m., at the Kentucky Center’s Bomhard Theater. It is free and open to the public, and no tickets are required.

Ragland will receive his award at the Awards in the Arts ceremony, hosted by the Fund for the Arts, Churchill Downs and the Lawrence Family Foundation, on Saturday. The event kicks off at 5:45 p.m. with an “Orange Carpet” before the event begins at 6. The ceremony doubles as a benefit and tickets can be purchased online.

(Editor’s note: This writer also is a member of 2019’s Hadley Creatives.)

‘Performance, Rehearsal & Reclamation’ celebrates 24 years of ArtsReach

ArtsReach provides training and performance opportunities for underserved youth. | Courtesy of ArtsReach

A new photo and art exhibition titled “Performance, Rehearsal & Reclamation” will open at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage (KCAAH) this weekend.

The exhibit focuses on photos and art pulled from the archives of ArtsReach, an outreach program created by the Kentucky Center for the Arts that provides training and performance opportunities for underserved youth, many of whom live in West Louisville.

Sara Muhammad came up with the idea of the show as an intern.

Curator Sara Muhammad caught up with Insider about the candid show.

The exhibit was conceived by Muhammad, who was an intern with ArtsReach when she first began envisioning the project. It all started on Facebook.

“I was doing certain tasks and looking through the photos on ArtsReach’s Facebook page, and that’s how I came up with the idea,” says Muhammad. “As I’m looking at the pictures, I’m thinking, ‘Wow, these are a bunch of great pictures and they are just sitting on Facebook, and there needs to be something more done.’”

Then Muhammad, still an intern, sat down and created a proposal that outlined her idea.

“Sometimes it helps me to write stuff down so I can get all the points across,” she explains. “I sent it to (Julia Youngblood, director of ArtsReach) and said, ‘What do you think about this?’ and she thought it was a great idea.”

Muhammad already was envisioning KCAAH as the home for the exhibit. This vision stemmed from Muhammad’s belief that the art needed to have a home in the West End, and that art can sometimes be overlooked outside of galleries or museums.

“I didn’t want it to be removed from the West End, I didn’t want it to be in a hip place, because I wanted to keep it to its roots,” says Muhammad. “It doesn’t need to be removed from the West End for it to be credible or validating.”

Courtesy of ArtsReach

Additionally, Muhammad wants the images — many of kids training and performing — to be in a place where more area youth can see them.

“It’s definitely important to show them these images and show that there are opportunities out there — and programs,” she says.

Muhammad then sent her proposal to Aukram Burton, executive director of KCAAH.

“I was really impressed with the proposal,” Burton tells Insider. “I read it, and I had to meet the person who wrote this.”

He was surprised the author of the proposal was still an intern, but he didn’t let that stop him from deciding to give “Performance, Rehearsal & Reclamation” a home. In fact, Burton was so impressed that after some followup, he decided to hire Muhammad full time.

Courtesy of ArtsReach

“We had an open space, and I felt very strong that she would be perfect,” he says.

To curate the exhibit, Muhammad had to winnow down the volume of pictures. In the 24 years ArtsReach had operated, many hundreds of pictures had accumulated, often taken by various ArtsReach employees.

“I went through and found about 200 photographs, then kept narrowing it down from there with the help of Julia,” says Muhammad.

There were several criteria that would single out a picture as being perfect for the project.

“Sometimes it depended upon do these photos represent all the art forms ArtsReach offers and teaches, but then also more simple stuff like quality — is this a quality photo?,” she adds.

In addition to photographs, a collection of original artwork will be on display — work that was created by or is tied to the ArtsReach program. Many of the works originally served as poster art for ArtsReach’s yearly “Keepers of the Dream” celebration.

Burton believes this exhibition is a testament to the amount of time ArtsReach has been an important program.

“I applaud KCA for hosting and sponsoring this program for so long,” he says. “Oftentimes organizations do these kinds of things, and it’s a short-lived project. This has been a longterm project.”

“Performance, Rehearsal & Reclamation” comes in the middle of a record-breaking streak of violence in the West End, a fact Burton doesn’t shy away from, though he touches on the way outside perceptions of his neighborhood can be influenced by violence.

Art by Long Pham for last year’s “Keepers of the Dream” event. | Courtesy of ArtsReach

“I would hope the media would cover (the exhibition) the same way they would cover the negative news that comes out of West Louisville,” says Burton.

He also spoke to the importance of partnerships between organizations like the Kentucky Center and KCAAH.

“We really pride ourself on reaching out to as many organizations as we can, especially if it means strengthening our charge to address some of the issues that really need to be addressed,” he says.

Check out he opening reception of “Performance, Rehearsal & Reclamation” on Friday, June 16, from 7-9 p.m. at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, 1701 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. The exhibit continues through Sept. 2.

Keepers of The Dream to ‘propel the community in the right direction’ with understanding and communication

ArtsReach Dance Ensemble | Photo by Julia Youngblood

ArtsReach and the Kentucky Center for the Arts on Sunday will present Keepers of the Dream, the annual celebration of the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Insider spoke with some of the artists who are featured in this year’s presentation and caught up with Julia Youngblood, director of ArtsReach.

Keepers of the Dream pays tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. | Art by Long Pham

Youngblood says that before ArtsReach began presenting Keepers of the Dream, there was a need for an expression of King’s legacy.

“There was not a way for artists in the community to really express how King’s life and vision had affected their lives, and what he meant to the movement, and how that has been changed and grown over the years,” she says.

Keeper of the Dream is an example of the work ArtsReach does year round, bringing underserved members of the community into the Kentucky Center and helping to reach out from the Center to the community.

“It’s about finding ways the Center (can be) growing, and shifting what we do based on the community needs and making sure we are out in the community as much as we are having folks come to the building,” she explains.

One of the ways ArtsReach gets into the community is through classes offered to area youth interested in dance or violin. These students also form of the core of the performing roster that will contribute to Keepers of the Dream.

Portia White helps run the dance program, which was established five years ago for middle and high school students who have a passion for dance — and who love performing. The program provides free weekly classes and frequently participates in workshops with nationally and internationally renowned dance companies that visit the Kentucky Center.

“Over the past five years, we’ve had workshops with Parsons, with Dance Theatre of Harlem, with Alvin Ailey … (we’re) getting ready to have one at the end of the month with Alonzo King’s dance company,” says White.

ArtsReach Dance Ensemble | Photo by Julia Youngblood

Each performance is a teachable moment for her students.

“With this piece, we talked a lot to the dancers about subtext in choreography, how we want them to find that place in this piece,” she says. Often, it’s the ability to convey complex emotions through movement that makes a truly great dancer.

This year, White and co-choreographer Marcellus Love also introduced improvisational elements into the piece the students will perform.

“We’ve introduced more improv — a small section, because they aren’t that comfortable with improv, maybe 24 counts — they are free to explore movement and then come back to the piece. So it’s exciting and it’s different,” says White.

The ensemble is performing a dance choreographed to John Legend’s “Glory,” the theme song from “Selma,” the popular film that focused on King.

Music plays a big part of Keepers of the Dream. Troy Marables is a vocalist with the a capella performing group Made New, which originally formed out of his church.

“It started as fellowship, just meeting and singing after being friends at church,” says Marables. “We would just get together and sing. Someone asked us to sing in the program, and it evolved from there.”

For the performance, Made New will open the show with “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which Marables says is considered the unofficial African-American national anthem.

He talks about what it means to represent King’s legacy on stage. “Sometimes it feels overwhelming, but we know we can play a role in keeping his name alive,” he says, also addressing the changes our nation has undergone. “We’ve come a long way in this country. I’m a descendant of a freed slave, so I know what it means to attend college and participate in things in the community. But we’ve still got a long way to go, as we’ve seen in some of the recent events.”

Portia White also spoke to representing King’s legacy.

“I hate to sound prejudiced, but I feel like artists understand that message best,” she says. “We connect with that, and we are able to speak about whatever is going on through our art forms.”

Violinist Jericho MacCauley by Long Pham

She says despite negative experiences many artists of color have had, King’s legacy is still a source of strength.

“We hear all the negative stuff, so much in our houses and our brains and we hear that all the time, but we know what works,” says White. “We know what propels the community in the right direction — and it’s understanding. It’s communication. And we’re able to show that.”

In addition to the Dance Ensemble and Made New, Keepers of the Dream features a number of great artists from around the community, including poets, vocalists, students violinists and other dance companies. Many of the performers are drawn from ArtsReach open-mic events or other performances the organization helps produce throughout the year.

Mayor Greg Fischer also will be on hand to bestow the Mayor’s Freedom Award to activist Manfred Reid Sr.

Celebrate King’s legacy with Keepers of the Dream on Sunday, Jan. 15, at the Kentucky Center for the Arts, 501 W. Main St. The event starts at 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Beat it: Local students gear up for the Da’Ville Classic Drum Line Showcase

A scene from last year’s Da’Ville Classic | Courtesy of the Kentucky Center

On Saturday, the Kentucky Center for the Arts and River City Drum Corps will host the 10th annual Da’Ville Classic, a showcase of 10 university, high school and community drum lines. More importantly to some of the event’s high school participants, the spirited performances may help some students find their colleges and even match them up with scholarships.

Ed White

The Da’Ville Classic grew out of River City Drum Corps, whose founder, Ed White, spoke with Insider Louisville about the showcase’s origins.

White and other members of RCDC are frequent attendees of the Honda Battle of the Bands, an annual Atlanta event centered around bands from historically black colleges. White noticed that while many events feature competitions and showcases of full bands, drum lines could use a chance to shine.

“We sat around and started talking about how there’s no event that just focuses on the drum line,” said White. The group began working with Kentucky State University to develop RCDC’s drum line. The development kicked into high gear with a grant from Metro United Way. “Metro United Way put out this RFP (request for proposals) for a youth venture project, and we thought it would be a good project that would help us fund the development of the drum line.”

With the grant and the partnership of Kentucky State, the first Da’Ville Classic was held in a pavilion in Chickasaw Park. Kentucky State awarded three scholarships to students.

“We knew we were on the right track,” said White. “That is the sole purpose of the Da’Ville classic — to make the connections for our children to have opportunities to get scholarships and connect with colleges.”

After that first year, the Da’Ville has brought in other historically black colleges, which have awarded even more students scholarships. The Honda Battle of the Bands has continued to be a good place to meet band leaders, but White has other methods of liaising with college band programs.

Students of all ages compete. | Courtesy of Kentucky Center

“We started reaching out to colleges and going to their homecomings, and participating in their parades, and talking about the events,” he explained.

The Da’Ville has had several homes since that first year in Chickasaw Park. ArtsReach director Julia Youngblood felt the Da’Ville would be a good partnership for her program, an arm of the Kentucky Center aimed at reaching out to youth in the community, with a special focus on underserved youth. The program offers area youth the chance to take classes and view performances for a fraction of the normal cost.

Youngblood said the Da’Ville was a natural fit for them because of White’s long history with ArtsReach. “Ed’s been a partner in the program for 24, 25 years,” she said.

Youngblood pointed out that many of the bands performing aren’t linked to a particular school but are community based. “They function in their communities … keeping young people occupied after school hours and really giving them an art form they love and can practice,” she said. “And (it) keeps them focused while they are going through high school.”

Keeping kids out of trouble and into art is a huge focus for ArtsReach.

Now in its second year at the Kentucky Center, this year’s Da’Ville Classic will bring more than 300 performers to the Whitney Hall stage. The performance is split into two sections: the inside show on the Whitney stage, and the outside show on the Kentucky Center’s steps, where the drum lines will battle.

The drum lines take the Kentucky Center steps. | Courtesy of Kentucky Center

“While we’re doing the event on the stage, everybody is so supportive of one another — all the drum lines are seated in the audience, and they are watching one another, supporting one another,” said Youngblood. “But then there is the opportunity where they can go out and really put on the mean mug — the expressions are unbelievable.”

It’s the sort of face-off fans of the classic Nick Cannon film “Drumline” can get excited about. White said the “battle” portion of the performance has its roots in old football tradition.

“They’d have what they call the ‘fifth quarter,’ and during the fifth quarter the bands challenge each other,” he said. “So at the end of the game, you got probably 30 minutes depending on whose head is the strongest.”

Competition is intense. | Courtesy of Kentucky Center

The bands go back and forth, showing of their specialties and their best material.

While White’s stated purpose is to connect students to colleges, he knows it’s the competitive aspect that helps draw attention to the event. “That’s what everybody wants to see, is the battle. To see, as they say, who has the baddest band, who has the baddest drum line.”

The Da’Ville Classic Drum Line Showcase takes place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. Tickets are $10. Many of the drum lines will perform at a special preview on Friday, April 29, at St. Stephen Baptist Church, 1018 S. 15th St., at 6 p.m.

Keepers of the Dream invites all to the Kentucky Center on Sunday

Artwork by Ashley Cathey

On Sunday, the sixth annual Keepers of the Dream celebration will commandeer the Whitney Hall stage at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Artists and performers from around the community will share the stage with ArtsReach students and Mayor Greg Fischer as they pay honor to the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Keepers of the Dream is presented by Kentucky Center’s ArtsReach, a community outreach program. ArtsReach director Julia Youngblood spoke with Insider about the program and Sunday’s inspiring event.

ArtsReach director Julia Youngblood

“One of the main ideas was for there to be a center for the arts — it really had to reach out to the communities around us,” said Youngblood when describing ArtsReach’s mission.

One of the two major ways ArtsReach serves its mission is by offering classes in dance, violin and fine arts at more than 50 community centers all over the city. A second goal seeks to bring the community to the Kentucky Center by running a variety of programs throughout the year designed to invite people of varying financial statuses into the audiences and onto the stage.

Keepers of the Dream, a free performance, is one such opportunity. The celebration doubles as a performance opportunity for ArtsReach students in dance and violin.

“We have about 300 performers,” says Youngblood. “It’s a really large event.”

The students will be joined by a cappella group Made New, the River City Drum Core, Keen Dance Theatre and others, including artist Ashley Cathey, who painted the image for the poster. Youngblood discovered Cathey’s work at an art show hosted by the Louisville Central Community Center, one of the many centers with which ArtsReach works.

“I saw Ashley’s work, and right away I knew I wanted her to make a piece for Keepers of the Dream,” says Youngblood, who commissioned a total of seven paintings from the multi-disciplinary artist and performer. Cathey will live paint on stage throughout the event and even sing with her partner Stephen Bright.

Mayor Fischer also will be on hand to present civil rights activist George L. Burney Sr. with the MLK Freedom Award. Each year since 1987, a Louisville mayor “recognizes citizens who have dedicated their lives to promoting justice, peace, freedom, non-violence, racial equality and civic activism,” according to a Metro press release.

Burney, an inductee into the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights’ hall of fame, has led an amazing life, with activism dating back to 1953. The man has a truly impressive list of accomplishments, joining historic sit-ins, leading the organization PRIDE (People’s Rights in Demanding Equality), and helping to desegregate firefighters in Portland, Ore. If that isn’t enough, he had a career as a successful bandleader, sharing the stage with Duke Ellington, Redd Foxx, Della Reese, Etta James and Bob Hope.

This year, the Freedom Award is a blown glass art piece by Ché Rhodes of U of L’s Hite Art Institute.

Youngblood hopes ArtsReach can make sure the community knows the Kentucky Center isn’t just for people who can afford to drop a couple hundred bucks on tickets.

“This is your building,” she says. “You belong here, and you can come to the performances, and we’re going to break down barriers to access.”

The annual Keepers of The Dream celebration will be held this Sunday, Jan. 17, starting at 4 p.m. in Whitney Hall. Admission is free.