The Brown Bomber
A dance suite that will knock you out
To celebrate the Olympics, HMDT Music commissioned composer Julian Joseph to create a new work as part of PRS for Music Foundation’s New Music 20x12, a UK-wide commissioning programme initiated by Jillian Barker and David Cohen, and delivered by PRS for Music Foundation in partnership with BBC Radio 3, London 2012 and NMC Recordings. The Brown Bomber, is a jazz dance suite based on the heroic sporting battle between American boxer Joe Louis, the first African American to become a national hero, and German boxer Max Schmeling in 1938, bringing to life through music, the connection between two athletes once adversaries in sport, whose friendship endured, despite the ideological opposition by which they were both surrounded. It focuses on their mental battle inside the ring and celebrates their Olympic values of true sportsmanship, through friendship and mutual respect.
Following on from HMDT Music’s Shadowball, The Brown Bomber project focused on the lives of black sports heroes and their historical, cultural and sporting legacy. Working with secondary schools, PRUs and youth clubs, it combined a new resource pack linking thematic and historical material to the curriculum with an introduction to boxing, led by super-middleweight champion James Cook MBE who specialised in empowering young people to focus their lives.
The Brown Bomber was choreographed by acclaimed choreographer Sheron Wray and its 2012 premiere at the Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadlers Wells was performed by professional dancers Bless Klepcharek and Jason Poullard together with students from local schools and the Julian Joseph Sextet. For these performances it was paired with Julian’s Shadowball Dance Suite, based upon his opera and choreographed by Ann-Marie Lennon working with students from our I Can Sing programme. A few weeks later The Brown Bomber was performed The Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre.
Initially developed with and for The Pedro Club, Bridge Academy and The Boxing Academy and with a focus on boxing training being a way to support young people with behavioural issues, the project subsequently ran in several schools and PRUs across the country offering boxing training, dance training and performances.
“The Brown Bomber dance suite was a superb piece of dance theatre. The dancers embodied a multitude of characters epitomising the time of the second boxing match between Schmeling and Louis … Adding another layer of vivacity to the piece were the no-expense-spared costumes; it was like watching a dance version of the Bugsy Malone film.”
Photos: Clive Barda
“We learnt that we can achieve anything with focus and discipline in any amount of time. We learnt that rehearsing takes a lot of dedication if you want to achieve your goals.”
“The music answered the action, with Joseph’s darting, angular piano playing off a tense 7/8 pulse from Mark Mondesir’s hissing snare, like a fighter trying to wrong-foot his opponent.”
“Ultimately, the piece strives to engage and connect its participants with the rich tapestry of history in a highly eloquent mode of expression. Through jazz, dance and boxing we learn about ourselves, and with Sheron Wray, the young dancers are in the care of a pioneer who lives, breathes, invents and innovates in this great creative arena.”
“What mattered most was the unselfconscious eagerness shown by every amateur singer or player, tiny child or senior citizen. ”
“The young people that perform in the cast of The Brown Bomber are new to experiencing jazz music as a danced expression. Their individual characters in the dance reflect the personalised and creative nature of jazz improvisation.”
“This dance suite version of ‘Shadowball’ was fun, poignant and joyful to watch, and the fact that it stemmed from a great educational project made it even more satisfying.”
“Constructing a piece around a subject full of poignancy, history and large socio-political themes about race and equality had to be carefully managed to get the point. The 12 minute restriction and Olympic ideals helped focus my intent so that discussion with choreographer Sheron Wray could be clear. The binding and motivating partnership with HMDT helped ensure that youth involvement in the Dance and storytelling would intertwine all the elements into both and educational experience and a fully professional artistic one. The result contained the intrinsic elements of research transformed into art and made me exceptionally proud of the collaboration.”
“We have learnt how to work as a team and to support each other. We realised how good our lives are today and what people have done in the past to give us this opportunity. The artists we have worked with are very good and gave us inspiration to do our best. ”
“Far from flooring spectators at its Sadler’s Wells premiere on 20 June, the 12-minute dance suite brought them to their feet. And rightly so. The re-enactment of Joe Louis’ historic 1938 clash with Max Schmeling came as the triumphant conclusion to an evening of vivacious choreography and top-flight jazz.”
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The Brown Bomber
JULIAN JOSEPH SEXTET
Julian Joseph
Piano
Patrick Clahar
Saxophones and Clarinets
Jackson Mathod
Trumpet
Pete Beachill
Trombone
Mark Hodgson
Bass
Mark Modesir
Drums
PERFORMERS
Jason Poullard
Joe Louis
Bless Klepcharek
Max Schmeling
Ishimwe Cobbey*
Mike Jacobs: Promoter
Students from
Bridge Academy, Hackney
Haggerston School, Hackney
Graverney School, Wandsworth
I Can Sing! Performing Arts
* Rambert School of Ballet
and Contemporary Dance
ARTISTIC TEAM
Julian Joseph
Music
Sheron Wray
Choreographer
Neil Irish
Designer
Aideen Malone
Lighting Designer
Tim Corrigan
Film Maker
Karen Large
Costume Supervisor
Dena Lague
Assistant Choreographer
Pauly Skerrett
Dance Coach
James Cook, MBE
Boxing Coach/Technical Advisor
David Keefe
Rehearsal Pianist
PRODUCTION TEAM
Dennis Charles
Production Manager
Helen Gaynor
Stage Manager
Laura Stevens
Deputy Stage Manager
Claire Louise Baldwin
Assistant Stage Manager
Othman Read
Sound Design
Katy Adeney
Assistant Costume Supervisor
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