The Black MAsc
ORgins
examining the inheritance of masculinity - from the failures of our fathers to the question of what it means to be a man today.
The Walker Art Center’s
Choreographers' Evening
50th anniversary
About the Work
This work examines the inheritance of masculinity, tracing how it is shaped across generations—from the fall of our fathers to the ongoing question of what it means to be a man today. Developed through a process that integrates spoken, written, and movement-based practices, it draws from lived experiences of fatherhood to build a physical language rooted in reflection and embodiment.
Rather than isolating individual responsibility, the work situates masculinity within a larger cycle—one that is learned, repeated, and passed down over time. It confronts how emotional limitation, absence, and inherited conditions continue to shape how men relate to themselves and others.
At the same time, the piece moves toward possibility. It asks what it means to consciously redefine masculinity in the present, and what it takes to move beyond inherited patterns. Through collective physical practice, the work explores new forms of connection, accountability, and emotional awareness.
At its core, the work holds both realities at once: what has been passed down, and what can be reshaped. It invites the audience to consider masculinity not as fixed, but as something that can be examined, challenged, and transformed.
Touring Info
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4
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Male
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Black
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Krump, Waving, Animation, Breaking, Ballet, Modern, and Contemporary.
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30 hours
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Lighting Designer
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Lupe Fiasco "Lions Deen"
Kenny Beats "Hot Hands"