BLACK VELVET – Architectures And Archetypes

Award Winning  Multidisciplinary Performance Art Work

by Shamel Pitts, Mirelle Martins and Lucca Del Carlo.

 

 

“A haunting duet”

– The New York Times-

>> Read full Review 

 

ABOUT

 

The work ‘BLACK VELVET – Architectures and Archetypes’

researches and shares the sensibility of ideals,

models and textures as a projection of self.

 

The dealing within these structures of systems

is to discover what is inside of us, between us and around us.

 

To hopefully bridge the distances so that we can see and meet each other.

 

Some systems must be broken, re imagined, in order to reconstruct

 

–  

 

 

Premiered in São Paulo/2016.

 

The International Tour started in  2017 with performances in

 

2017:  Berlin, Stockholm, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem

2018: New York City, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Atlanta, Vienna, Singapore, Baltimore, Kaunas.

2019: Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Brooklyn,New York; Rio de Janeiro; Verbania, Stuttgart

 

See Full Schedule

Black Velvet Photos by Alex Apt

Printed & Framed Posters – Unique Copies – Are Now for Sale

All revenue will be used to support our Fundraising Campaign

>> See Photos Here

 

 

ARTISTIC TEAM

Creation and Performance: Shamel Pitts and Mirelle Martins
Choreography: Shamel Pitts
Light Artist and Video Mapping: Lucca Del Carlo
Costume Designer: David Gap, Naomi Maaravi
Photos and Videos: Mauricio Pisani, Alex Apt, Wilian Aguiar, Rebecca Stella, Itai Zwecker
Audio: Tentáculo Áudio (Ed Côrtes)
Graphic Design: Idan Epshtein

Artistic Manager: Elizabeth Schmuhl

International Communications: Katherina Vasiliadis

MEDIA

 

“In January, I trekked from D.C. to New York City in the snow for the sold-out performance of Black Velvet: Architectures and Archetypes. Five months later, I’m still thinking it. Sold out performances are becoming routine for Shamel Pitts and Mirelle Martins. The New York Times recently listed their May NYC performances of the show as one of “10 Dance Performances to See in N.Y.C. this Weekend.”

Read Full Interview by Elizabeth Schmuhl

Shamel Pitts created Black Velvet: Architectures and Archetypes, which he performed with Mirelle Martins. Pitts is a very capable former-Batsheva dancer and a novice choreographer. But he has presence and strong creative urges that are expressed in very personal perceptions of space and light, drawing our attention to relationships between bodies and architecture, and music and text.
He brings to the stage his unique sensitivities regarding his art, along with a promise of things to come”.

THE JERUSALEM POST, Ora Brafman,  12, 09, 2017

FULL ARTICLE

FULL INTERVIEW

The music roars disturbingly loud, white noise drumming on furiously. Two ever-so-graceful bodies glide on stage, the feeble light slowly focusing on their muscular forms as they push and strive, embrace and break apart. Their shorn heads and similar build make it almost impossible to discern between the pair of dancers. Are they female or male? Are they fighting or making love? Are they winning or losing? Does it even matter? This ambiguous, magical duo who enjoy both provoking and moving their audiences to tears are artists Shamel Pitts and Mirelle Martins”

TIMEOUT ISRAEL, Joy Bernard,  11, 22, 2017

FULL ARTICLE

 

“Dance researcher Einav Katan- Schmid wrote of Black Velvet that it “moves in between the limits of humanity; it conveys the rigidity of cultural form and uncovered exposure of self at the same time. The dance travels among strong images and individual expressions, between formality of movements that are developed into explosions without control. The sensitivity of the dancers and their relationship are mesmerizing.” 

THE JERUSALEM POST, Ori J. Lenkiski,  11, 29, 2017 FULL ARTICLE