Arts and Culture

Black S.F. Francisco Ballet Dancer Angela Watson Appears in Oakland Premiere of Film on Misty Copeland

On Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. at Oakland Paramount Theatre, Oakland Ballet Company and Life in Motion Productions will present the Oakland premiere of “Flower,” a short film starring and produced by international ballet trailblazer Misty Copeland.

Published

7 months ago

October 3, 2023

Oakland Post

Angela Watson is among several Black ballerinas blazing new trails in ballet companies across the country, Europe and Asia. Courtesy photo.

By Carolyn Evans

Without using dialogue, the film provides an artistic impression of the homeless, unhoused and worsening medical conditions of a community of Black and Brown people bombarded by the impacts of gentrification.

A highlight of the event will be a live performance featuring Angela Watson, a Black ballerina from the Oakland-Bay Area who is the newest member of the San Francisco Ballet Company and appears courtesy of Tamara Rojo, its new artistic director.

Watson’s invitation to perform at the premiere of “Flower” at the behest of the Oakland Ballet Company is a measure of her formidable talent and a sign of respect among professionals in ballet.

Like Misty Copeland, whose rise to become a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, Watson is part of the changing face of ballet as more Black ballerinas take their places in dance companies all over the country and abroad.

In 2015, Copeland ascended into the pantheon of principal dancers at the American Ballet Theatre. Since then, Black ballerinas have been blazing new trails.

Watson’s journey to becoming a ballerina began at Oakland’s Shawl-Anderson Dance Center, then Oakland Ballet Company School followed by Oakland School for the Arts where she first received formal ballet technique training at age 12 by OSA School of Dance artistic director Reginald Ray Savage and ballet master Alison Hurley (both now retired).

In 2016, Watson accepted a full scholarship offer to train with SF Ballet School, the first American classical ballet school and danced the lead role of Clara in “The Nutcracker” for the next two seasons as a pre-professional SFBS David Palmer Student Scholar.

This is when Watson, then only 14, and Copeland first crossed paths sharing experiences of the uphill climb in becoming ballerinas. Continuing her journey up the ranks of the school, Watson earned a spot in the coveted 2021 SFBS International Professional Training Program.

She advanced to apprentice the year after and in 2023 she was promoted and became the only Black ballerina to advance as a member of the main company in the corps de ballet. Watson is the only African American holding a spot in the corps and was promoted alongside five Asian ballerinas.

Black women are quietly shattering stereotypes and scaling the ranks of predominantly white ballet companies. Among others, these include: Olivia Boisson, New York City Ballet; Michaela DePrince and Chyrstyn Fentroy, Boston Ballet; Precious Adams, English National Ballet; Jasmine Perry, soloist, Los Angeles Ballet; Francesca Hayward, principal dancer, The Royal Ballet; Awa Joannais, Paris Opera Ballet; Nicole Zadra, Hong Kong Ballet; Katlyn Addison, Ballet West and Dara Holmes, Joffrey Ballet.

In joining the list of trailblazers changing the face of ballet, Watson became the first Black ballerina to join the San Francisco Ballet since Kimberly Braylock in 2013.

Braylock retired seven years later just before the shutdown brought on by the pandemic. These women have inspirational ballerina tales that must be shared, because, as Misty Copeland proves, there is power in visibility.

Watson also debuted a new work, “Reciprocity,” with music by award-winning Christopher Willis, a major motion picture composer who was among Watson’s artistic collaborators as a SFB Helgi Tómasson Choreographic Fellow in 2022.

“Reciprocity” captivated the audience last year at San Francisco Ballet School’s (SFBS) annual spring dance festival and gala at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts/Blue Shield of California Theatre that supports funding for SFBS scholarships and other school activities that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Watson also has a long history of participating in many other charitable activities, including KTVU’s One Warm Coat, Oakland Elizabeth House, and St. Mary’s Senior Shelter.

As a member of SFBS/SFB, Watson has danced a number of roles.

Included in her resume are featured roles in ‘The Nutcracker,” “Cinderella,” “Swan Lake,” “La Sylphide,” “Giselle,” “Don Quixote,” “Symphony in C” and other SFB programs.

During 2024, which will be new artistic director Rojo’s inaugural season, expect to see Watson perform in programs including “Nutcracker” (Dec. 13-30); “Mere Mortals” (Jan. 26-Feb. 1); “British Icons” (Feb. 9-15); “Swan Lake” (Feb. 23-Mar. 3); “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Mar. 12-23)” “next@90 encores” (Apr. 2-13); and “Dos Mujeres” (Apr. 4-14).

Tickets for Oakland premiere of “Flower” are available at www.oaklandballet.org/flower

Tickets for SFBallet Nutcracker and 2024 Season lineup available at www.sfballet.org

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Oakland NAACP Demands Investigation on Missed Deadline for Crime Fighting Funds from State

Don't Miss

Opinion: AB-280, the Mandela Act, Can Bring an End to Prolonged Solitary Confinement

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Arts and Culture

Kedrick Armstrong: New Music Director for the Oakland Symphony

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director. In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Published

1 week ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Kedrick Armstrong is the new music director for the Oakland Symphony. Photo credit Scott Chernis.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director.
In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Armstrong is the successor to previous music director and Conductor Michael Morgan, who passed away in 2021 after a 30-year tenure at the Symphony.

Armstrong will open the Oakland Symphony 2024-2025 season on October 18.

Armstrong, who is 29 and hails from Georgetown, South Carolina, is currently the creative partner and principal conductor of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony.

The Chicago Tribune has praised Armstrong for his ability to “simply let the score speak for itself.” He enjoys a wide range of repertoire, spanning early music to premiering new works, using his joy and curiosity for all music to cultivate understanding and collaboration within diverse communities.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new music director of the Oakland Symphony,” Armstrong said. “As a Black conductor, I find it humbling to stand on the shoulders of both Michael Morgan and Calvin Simmons,” the most recent and the first African American music directors of the Symphony, respectively.

Armstrong led three programs at the Symphony between 2022 and early 2024, which showcased his broad knowledge of the classical repertoire and enthusiasm for spotlighting diverse voices.
On his Oakland Symphony subscription debut on Feb. 16, Armstrong led the world premiere of “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson,” an oratorio by Carlos Simon on a libretto by Dan Harder, commissioned by the Oakland Symphony.

Armstrong was selected unanimously by the Oakland Symphony’s board of directors and musicians after an extensive two-year search. “The search committee was overwhelmed by Kedrick’s scholarship and curiosity about all kinds of music, from classical and jazz to gospel and hip-hop,” said. Dr. Mieko Hatano, executive director of the Oakland Symphony. “We are thrilled to have him join us at the Oakland Symphony.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Arts and Culture

Faces Around the Bay Dr. Carl Blake, Pianist

Born in Liberty, Missouri, Carl Blake, a virtuoso and respected pianist, made his most recent migration to the East Bay in 1999. One might have seen him performing recently at Noontime Concerts in San Francisco, or at the Piedmont Center for the Arts in Oakland. He is Director of Music at The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. He was also co-organizer and collaborative pianist at Herbst Theater for The Majesty of the Spirituals concert in 2022 and has held several church positions in the Bay Area.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Dr. Carl Blake

By Barbara Fluhrer

Born in Liberty, Missouri, Carl Blake, a virtuoso and respected pianist, made his most recent migration to the East Bay in 1999.

One might have seen him performing recently at Noontime Concerts in San Francisco, or at the Piedmont Center for the Arts in Oakland. He is Director of Music at The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. He was also co-organizer and collaborative pianist at Herbst Theater for The Majesty of the Spirituals concert in 2022 and has held several church positions in the Bay Area.

Blake obtained a Bachelor of Music from Boston University and continued post-baccalaureate studies in Jamaica before earning a Master of Arts in Music at San Jose State University. He was the recipient of two Fulbright residencies in Honduras and completed a third residency at the University of St. Petersburg in Russia. He has a Doctor of Musical Arts from Cornell University.

At age 19, Blake, then an undergraduate piano major at Boston University, was “discovered” by Impresario Dr. W. Hazaiah Williams, who is the Founder and Director of Today’s Artists/Four Seasons Arts.

Williams honored Blake by awarding him the first Marian Anderson Young Artist Award. Anderson personally presented the award at the Masonic Auditorium in S.F. Subsequently, Blake was presented by Dr. Williams in his San Francisco debut at The Herbst Theatre. Williams subsidized a year of study abroad for Blake at the Paris Conservatory of Music. Additionally, Williams sponsored Blake’s New York Weill Hall debut, where he has performed twice since. Blake performed several times at the Yachats Music Festival in Oregon.

Blake continues to perform nationally and abroad. His hobbies are reading, baking and travel. He says, “I’m still pumping ivories, as Belgian pianist Jeanne Stark described the disciplined practice of concert piano.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Arts and Culture

Oakland Jazz Great Offers Master Class as City Declares “John Handy Day”

World-renowned jazz master saxophonist John Handy, a McClymond’s High School graduate, was presented with a Mayor of Oakland Proclamation declaring Feb. 12, as John Handy Day in the city. Handy is most notably known as the featured saxophonist for Charles Mingus on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from the album “Mingus Ah Um” (1959) and on “Hard Work” from his own album “Hard Work” (1976).

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

(L-R) Del Handy, John Handy, Roger Glenn, and Joe Warner celebrate John Handy Day at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, Oakland. Photo by Lady Bianca.

By Conway Jones

World-renowned jazz master saxophonist John Handy, a McClymond’s High School graduate, was presented with a Mayor of Oakland Proclamation declaring Feb. 12, as John Handy Day in the city.

Handy is most notably known as the featured saxophonist for Charles Mingus on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from the album “Mingus Ah Um” (1959) and on “Hard Work” from his own album “Hard Work” (1976).

“John Handy is a jazz icon and an inspiration to musicians everywhere,” said Ayo Brame, a 16-year-old Oakland tenor saxophone player who is enrolled at the Oakland School for the Arts.

In celebration of this day, the reception in downtown Oakland at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle was a gathering of artists, young and old, coming together in his honor and celebrating his 91st birthday.

Handy presented a Saxophone Colossus free masterclass for musicians. This class afforded a rare opportunity to learn about the saxophone from an aficionado. The class was free and open to all – saxophonists, vocalists, aficionados, students, and casual listeners.

“As a longtime friend for over 60 years, and fellow musician who has had numerous opportunities to share the stage with John, it has always been a pleasure performing with him and hearing his creative interpretations of the music and his gift of ease inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians,” said Roger Glenn, a multi-instrumentalist.