the OPULENCE of INTEGRITY
Christal Brown, Artistic Director
“I came I saw I loved” — Marlies Yearby, Tony-nominated choreographer of Rent on Broadway
The Opulence of Integrity, a multimedia ensemble work inspired by the public life and inner searching of boxing's outspoken superstar, Muhammad Ali. Inspired by Ali’s career as a boxer and life as a social activist, public martyr, and human being, choreographer Christal Brown deploys her eclectic movement vernacular to illustrate the turmoil of a life infused by divinity yet misinterpreted by humanity.
By using Ali as an archetype, The Opulence of Integrity explores the homogeneous inner struggle for identity as it pertains to men of color in the United States. This work takes an intimate and expansive look at the social, economic, and spiritual trappings that continually prohibit freedom, while drawing clear parallels of war, resistance, and perseverance through a historical lens. It is no wonder that seemingly different communities like Middlebury, VT and Brooklyn, NY have given this work standing ovations.