Heart of Brick by serpentwithfeet

A groundbreaking tribute to the Black Queer community

Serpentwithfeet joins forces with MacArthur Fellow Wu Tsang and visionary choreographer Raja Feather Kelly to unveil Heart of Brick, celebrating love in a gay dance hall.

About Heart of Brick:

Accompanied by an all-star team, notable neo-soul artist serpentwithfeet will perform music from his upcoming album in this original dance theatre production, presented by The Joyce Theater, Heart of Brick. With a cast of seven queer Black male dancers, the work explores the complexities and culture of Black queer nightlife spaces and the communities they create. Multi-award-winning choreographer Raja Feather Kelly will lend his radical surrealist take on pop and queer culture to the production. This work will be directed by MacArthur award recipient, Wu Tsang, who has had her hybrid of narrative and documentary film featured in contemporary exhibitions across the globe. Together, these artists craft a world as poignant as serpentwithfeet’s musical landscape.

Featuring: Dylan M. Contreras, Chrystion Dudley, Justin Daniels, Brandon Gray, Nelson “Nellie” Enrique Mejia, Jr., Shaquelle Charles, and Matthew Deloch.

Heart of Brick’s Creative Team includes: serpentwithfeet, (Creator and Co-Writer), serpent, Wu Tsang, (Director), Raja Feather Kelly (Choreographer), Carlos Soto (Scenic Designer), Luke Rolls (Lighting Designer), Donte Collins (Co-Writer).

“serpentwithfeet’s experimental electronic music explores passion and love between gay Black folks so tenderly,” The Guardian said of his 2021 record DEACON, “There can be few albums this year more wholesome, soppy, or unabashedly life-affirming.” Combining music created for the performance with material from serpentwithfeet’s new album, as well as older songs, Heart of Brick is an evocative new work that embodies the sweetness and sincerity at serpent’s core.

Co-Commissioned by: The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, The Joyce Theater Foundation, The International Summer Festival (Kampnagel), The LA Phil – with generous support from Linda and David Shaheen, Seattle Theatre Group, Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa