The Ritual of Breath is the Rite to Resist

A transdisciplinary opera and creative act of resistance. Born from the vibrant collaboration between composer Jonathan Berger, visual artist Enrico Riley and poet/librettist Vievee Francis, the work responds to the murder of Eric Garner and the ongoing theft of Black life at the hands of the State. Music, text, projected visuals, and movement interweave in a story centered on Garner’s daughter, Erica. Uplifted by a 75-person choir of singers, the project gathers us together as co-conspirers to breathe and keep breathing any way we can.

The Ritual of Breath is more than an opera. It is an offering for the city, coinciding with the 10-year commemoration of Garner’s death.

Commissioned by Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth and Stanford Live. Produced by Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth. Associate Produced by The Flea.

Part of The Ritual of Breath Is the Rite to Resist. To learn more about the opera and city-wide set of community

activations please visit the project website

FEATURED ARTISTS

Neema Bickersteth                          Trebien Pollard                          Isaiah Robinson                          Greg Ward                          Fung Chern Hwei                              Titilayo Ayangade                    Mikael Darmanie                        Bonnie Whiting

CREATIVE TEAM

COMPOSER Jonathan Berger

VISUAL ARTIST Enrico Riley

LIBRETTIST Vievee Francis

DIRECTOR Niegel Smith

CONDUCTOR Kamna Gupta

CHOREOGRAPHY Neema Bickersteth, Trebien Pollard, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar

CHOIR DIRECTOR Knoelle Higginson

SCENIC + PROJECTION Peter Nigrini

LIGHTING Reza Behjat

COSTUMES Gabriel Berry

PROJECTION ASSOCIATE Camilla Tassi

STAGE MANAGER Jason Kaiser

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Cassey Kivnick