A Mother's Grief & The Modern Civil Rights Movement

Tonight Nancy and I witnessed a powerful and historic dance performance, told from the perspective of Mamie Till-Mobley – Emmet Till’s mother – the mother whose grief begat the modern civil rights movement. 

The production is an instructive, riveting, and uplifting catharsis of art, performance, and physical interpretation.

For those who live in the Seattle area, tomorrow evening (Saturday 3/16/24) is the last performance and we encourage going!  

Otherwise, keep alert for when it may be performed in a city near you. 

In a Feb. 9th blog post, Myth, Legend & Reality: Seattle's Black Panthers, we reported that tonight was an upcoming opportunity, writing:

If you’re interested in additional Seattle-based Black History events, we recommend this upcoming performance:
GRIEF, by Spectrum Dance Theater (March 15 & 16) choreographed by Donald Byrd – a performance from the perspective of Emmett Till’s mother. 

Is Dance Difficult?

I danced in college – even choreographed a little – so have tremendous respect for the physicality of dance, along with an ever-so-slight insight into how dance performance is created. 

Perhaps it’s different here on the West coast, but certainly back East in the mid-1970’s the Puritanical influence still in evidence would almost have one disavow the body’s existence.  In fact, I have an ancestor who was denied communion because the pastor, peeking in through a curtained window, spied him dancing one Saturday night. 

I believe these attitudes may influence why dance, especially modern dance, is such a misunderstood art form – because there’s an essential disconnect between art that uses the body for expression and an underlying attitude that bodies are to be curbed. 

Add to that, dance is  ephemeral – there’s no “living with art” as one can do with a sculpture that's rooted in place or a painting that hangs in view on the wall (allowing it to “grow” on you).   

Add to that an understanding that dance cannot be collected then later sold for profit, and we start to comprehend why dance is viewed askance by some – almost with suspicion as if anti-capitalist! 

Maybe this is why tonight’s performance was so powerful – a compelling story, about a tragically all-too-American experience, told through the medium of our most under-appreciated art form. 

In closing 

Suffice it to say, Grief, at the Seattle Repertory Theater, has the potential to blow your mind. Thus, as trusted financial advisors, we suggest that the price of admission constitutes a very good investment. 

Go, and let us know what you think!

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Note: This material is intended for educational purposes only. As with all our public writing, blog posts do not constitute tax or financial planning advice; likewise, they are neither an offer to sell nor solicitation to buy any investment or security.