Amadi Washington (foreground) and Sam Pratt (background) of Baye & Asa. (Photo courtesy of the artists)
Baye & Asa, an award-winning team of New York City-based choreographers, will visit campus Wednesday, Oct. 29, as part of a collaborative dance residency between the Department of Theatre and Dance and the Dance Department at Skidmore College.
Recently awarded a 2025 fellowship in choreography from the New York State Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), Baye & Asa is a company creating movement art projects directed and choreographed by Amadi ‘Baye’ Washington and Sam ‘Asa’ Pratt. Hip-hop and African dance languages serve as the foundation of their technique, which inform the way they confront contemporary dance, theater and film.
Baye & Asa’s work has been performed nationally and internationally. They have been commissioned by Martha Graham Dance Company, BODYTRAFFIC and Alvin Ailey II. Their films have won numerous awards. Their visits to Union and Skidmore’s campuses will mark their first Capital Region appearances.
“Union students were introduced to Baye & Asa this past April when they witnessed their work Cortège, performed by the Martha Graham Dance Company at the Joyce Theater in New York City,” said Laurie Zabele Cawley, the Gustave L. Davis ’59 and Susan S. Davis Director of Dance. “They were transformed by the choreography—the work spoke powerfully to this generation and resonated deeply with everyone in the room.”
“Their work was absolutely breathtaking and brought me to tears,” said Hailey Dunn ‘28. “Their choreography was incredibly dynamic and unlike anything I have ever seen before, which is what made it so mesmerizing to watch.”
Baye & Asa will start their day at Union teaching a combined class for dance and theatre students. They will then offer two free activities open to the Union community and general public: an advanced beginner/intermediate dance technique class in the Henle Dance Pavilion from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and in partnership with the Film Studies program, a screening of their dance film, “Second Seed,” in Old Chapel from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Sam Pratt (left) and Amadi Washington of Baye & Asa. (Photo courtesy of the artists)
In the film, Baye & Asa respond choreographically to D.W. Griffith's 1915 silent film, “The Birth of a Nation,” based on Thomas Dixon's novel “The Clansman.” According to the artists, ‘Second Seed’ is our collision with this American artifact.”
The screening will be followed by a discussion moderated by James de Sève, senior artist-in-residence, film studies, and co-director of the Film Studies Program.
For more information on the public events, contact Union’s Department of Theatre and Dance at (518) 388-7129 or danceprogram@union.edu.
The choreographers will spend Thursday, October 30, at Skidmore, where they will teach three classes as well as engage in dialogue with the institution’s Miranda Fellows, a program intended to create access for students to education and long-term support that helps to advance careers in theater, dance, music and arts administration.
“The Skidmore Dance Department is excited to be partnering with Union College in bringing Baye & Asa to the Capital Region,” said Jason Ohlberg, chair of the department. “This residency promises to be an immersive experience for students as they delve into the thought provoking and engaging work of these incredible artists.”