Deshi Venom's BAM debut

The Sweet Science Suite: A Scientific Soul Music Honoring of Muhammad Ali. The title spells out the essential intrigue of Fred Ho’s new opus, at the BAM Harvey Theater on October 11 & 12 for the 2013 BAM Next Wave Festival. But add to the mix martial arts choreography by Emmanuel Brown, one of the stars of Broadway’s Spider-Man and a previous collaborator on Ho’s projects and the martial arts skills of our very own Deshi Venom. Deshi was apart of a 5 man cast that put on an action packed 1 hour show that thrilled the audience behind the sounds of the Green Eyed Monster Band. 

I personally enjoyed how the show expressed the diversity of martial arts while paying tribute to a Legend such as Muhammad Ali.  Manny did an EXCELLENT job with blending styles such as Capoeira, Kung fu, Tricking, Kobudo (weapons), Boxing (of course) and Karate in the performance. He also balanced the talents of each of his performers well throughout the show. 

As the show began, Deshi Venom and his cast mates appeared on stage with the presence of Broadway veterans. His acting and performance was nothing less than stellar as he transitioned from genre to genre during their hour long performance. I give him props for staying dedicated during the 3 month long process, auditioning, conditioning and learning the choreography for the show while still maintaining a full schedule at the dojo and his competition team. I know first hand that it was physically demanding for Deshi Venom to say the least!!! But through all the aches and pains and long hour days with very little sleep...he pulled through like a true Black Belt!!!  

BAMbill asked Manny and Fred a few questions.

Q: What inspired the inclusion of martial arts AND hip-hop in the choreography for The Sweet Science Suite?
Fred Ho: Since 1996, I’ve pioneered a new genre of performing arts, for which a variety of descriptors have been applied, such as “martial arts music/theater,” “manga opera,” “martial arts ballet,” etc. During that time, I was very bored by much of the performing arts—music, and especially dance—that refused to confront human conflict at the level of intensity of war and violence, and actually be bold about exhibiting such conflict.

In addition, my intention and desire to create a new Asian (Chinese) American expressive culture made me realize that Chinese—and Asian—martial arts could become the bold, new, and explosive performing arts movement expression; have tremendous appeal to young people; who, no matter how much we want to deny it, were being saturated in popular culture with the martial arts; and with which legendary, epic conflicts and clashes could be conveyed, just as they had been for centuries in Chinese (and Asian) literature, theater/opera, and legend. 

Since I was very young, black music and radical politics has greatly inspired and catalyzed my own unique role in life as both an artist and activist. My Afro-Asian political and cultural sensibility would connect urban hip-hop and the martial arts (e.g. Shaolin hip-hop), just as urban youth have been doing for several decades (cf. Wu-Tang Clan), finding Afro-Asian connectivity in a myriad of cross-fertilized forms. 

Q: How does the story of Muhammad Ali influence the choreography?

EB: His story inspires the ideology of the choreography, specific movements in the choreography, some of the fun of it... things like that.

Q: Manny, how did you arrive at your acrobatic/martial arts style of dance?
Emmanuel (Manny) Brown: I began martial arts when I was pretty young and had been tumbling before that. I also did competitions where acrobatics and martial arts were mixed together. While in college I began dancing with a hip-hop crew, which is how that became a part of my style.

I personally spoke to both Fred and Manny who both complimented Deshi's performance and talents as a martial artist. Could this be the beginning of a NEW career for Deshi? Stay tuned...