I recently had the opportunity to attend and observe Georgetown University’s Black Movements Dance Theatre (BMDT) in rehearsal for their upcoming Spring Showcase, taking place Feb. 20 and 21 in the Gonda Theater. BMDT is a co-curricular dance company that focuses on modern and contemporary works, aiming to transcend borders and boundaries through creative artistry and storytelling. Originally founded by Black women on Georgetown’s campus, its ensemble welcomes dancers of all backgrounds and experiences.
Both pieces in BMDT’s rehearsal were striking, bold and exciting contemporary arrangements with elements of jazz and hip-hop. One of the arrangements featured the song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron. The dance was expressive and invigorating, with each move symbolic of the song’s powerful lyrics telling an effective, impactful story of quiet but strong social empowerment.
Over the course of the rehearsal, I thoroughly enjoyed watching every part of the piece slowly come together with each repetition and reworking. As someone who has a background in many different forms of competitive dance, I appreciated their performance as both an audience member and an insider. I was able to witness firsthand the effort, thought and dedication that went into the show behind the scenes, and I found their process of molding and shaping an already formed piece uniquely collaborative. If something seemed even slightly off, the dancers would experiment with that part of the dance until it felt more natural, even if that meant completely changing the choreography. The group encouraged expression and creativity while keeping the piece’s overall idea and goals in mind, striking a delicate balance between structure and spontaneity.
Assistant Director Almitra Guart (SFS ’27) elaborated on the meanings and significance of the Spring Showcase’s theme, “Awakening,” saying the theme encompasses both political awakenings and social empowerment.
“A lot of our pieces, like you could see, are about internal awakening, political and social awakening, all of those things,” Guart told The Hoya. “I think it’s a very important thing to use dance to awaken people to their surroundings.”
This idea of “awakening” was evident in the dances. “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” was particularly emblematic of the concept of political awakening, drawing on themes of protest and resilience, with solos and group numbers throughout the dance further underscoring these ideas. It seemed to blend an array of contemporary and hip-hop dance forms to tell a vivid story about political and social change.
Referencing the fusion of various elements and dance forms in BMDT’s pieces, Guart said a variety of styles influence BMDT’s pieces and dance styles.
“The best part of BMDT is we do so many styles of dance — very interdisciplinary,” Guart said. “For example, this piece is very modern style. We’ll have pieces that are very jazz-based, some pieces are soul, some pieces are hip-hop.”
“Last year we actually had some West African dance,” Guart added. “A lot of times we’ll incorporate a cultural element to it.”
This amalgamation of dance styles shone in the pieces in rehearsal and added to the group’s sense of cohesion and flow. The variety of dance forms also allowed for a wider range of expression and the ability to better evoke their theme of “awakening.”
If you attend BMDT’s Spring Showcase this weekend, you will see a dynamic show that offers something for everyone to enjoy. It is not only a beautiful performance but also thematically moving and highly pertinent.
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