SDT COMPANY PRESENTS

GRIEF

Grief explores the traumatic experience of Mamie Till-Mobley after the murder of her son Emmet Till in 1955 by white supremacists in Mississippi . In this new work, Byrd delves deeply into the fury and pain of Till-Mobley’ grief, postulating that it was her profound grief and rage that led to her decision to present her son’s mutilated body in an open casket funeral (“I want people to see what they did to my boy”); speculating that she desired to “amplify” her pain, to share her grief with others in the hope to lessen her pain, if only a little bit.

Whether it was an act of self-preservation or a decision made out of pure outrage, her choice changed the course of history. The Spectrum Dance Theater/Company immerses itself in the deep-seated emotions of not just MamieTill-Mobley, but mothers everywhere who have lost a child.

Vocalist Josie Howell will be featured alongside the Spectrum Dance Theater artists.