2/8/2023 – Live Arts Miami presents the world premiere of Urban Bush Women’s (UBW) latest dance-theater work, Haint Blu in Miami featuring an immersive audience experience at the Historic Hampton House, March 9 – 12. Audiences will also enjoy curated local food and beverage vendors plus an opportunity to tour the restored hotel and museum.
The culmination of a multi-year project commissioned by Live Arts Miami, Haint Blu honors local Black history, recalling the movements, magic, and stories of the Brownsville community using performance as a center and source of healing.
“It has been thrilling to create a site-specific performance with Urban Bush Women in Miami, one that is tailored to this incredibly historic space which speaks directly to the Black experience in our community,” said Kathryn Garcia, Live Arts Miami’s executive director. “Audiences can expect a magical evening with surprises around every corner.”
Featuring the iconic Urban Bush Women Ensemble, along with a prestigious team of visual artists, designers, musicians and writers, as well as the inclusion of Miami based artists and movers, Haint Blu provides an immersive and interactive experience. The performers will activate various spaces within the Historic Hampton House, once the “Social Center for the South” and a hotspot for black luminaries such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Sammy Davis Jr., Duke Ellington, Nancy Wilson, Louis Armstrong, LaVern Baker, Malcolm X, and Muhammad Ali.
“Haint Blu aims to take audiences through movement into stillness and rest: remembering, reclaiming, releasing, and restoring,” said Mame Diarra Speis, UBW co-artistic director. “The Hampton House is particularly important as it contains many histories and stories of Miami’s Black community. It is important to be in conversation with those stories and to honor the safe haven the place has been for many people over time.”
UBW’s socially relevant work lifts the perspectives of stories not necessarily told to mainstream audiences. Honoring and absorbing local history, each Haint Blu performance is a container of moments that are unique to each community.
“The Hampton House is a valuable piece of Miami’s history, and it’s the only segregated hotel of that era still standing,” said Jacqui Colyer, the Historic Hampton House’s Executive Director. “We are honored to have the world-renowned Urban Bush Women activate our space with this singular work of art.”
Learn more about the artists at www.liveartsmiami.orgx
