Ralph Lemon

Ralph Lemon was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 1, 1952, but he was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota [ Wilson, Schick, et al., ‘’Current Biography Yearbook’’ (New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1997), 314-317. ] . Lemon is still alive and creating art today. Lemon has been classified as many things; an African American dancer, a choreographer, company director, a writer and a visual artist but he chooses to categorize himself as a conceptualist [ Diana Stockon, ‘’Lemon, Ralph,’’ in ‘’International Dictionary of Modern Dance’’, ed. Taryn Benbow-Pfalzgraf (Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 1988), 464-467. ] . He was raised in a religious environment where as a child he developed his artistic creativity [ Diana Stockon, ‘’Lemon, Ralph,’’ in ‘’International Dictionary of Modern Dance’’, ed. Taryn Benbow-Pfalzgraf (Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 1988), 464-467. ] . When Lemon was younger he used painting as a source of expression, and as he discovered dance he utilized movement as a physical way of expression [ Diana Stockon, ‘’Lemon, Ralph,’’ in ‘’International Dictionary of Modern Dance’’, ed. Taryn Benbow-Pfalzgraf (Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 1988), 464-467. ] . Lemon began his educational career in literature and theater arts at the University of Minnesota.

Career and awards

Upon graduation from the University of Minnesota in 1975, Lemon trained with Nancy Hauser, who eventually asked Lemon to join her company. Before Lemon participated Nancy Hauser's company, he cofounded Mixed Blood Theater Company in 1976, in Minneapolis [ Craine, Debra. ‘’The Oxford dictionary of dance / Debra Craine and Judith Mackrell’’ (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), 295. ] . He eventually moved to New York where he met and danced with Meredith Monk and her company. Soon after Lemon left Monk’s company in 1985, he founded the Ralph Lemon Dance company. Over the length of his career he has worked with renowned companies such as the Limon Dance Company, Alvin Ailey’s Repertory Ensemble, the Geneva Opera Ballet, Jacob's Pillow Dance Ensemble, and Lyons Opera Ballet [ Diana Stockon, ‘’Lemon, Ralph,’’ in ‘’International Dictionary of Modern Dance’’, ed. Taryn Benbow-Pfalzgraf (Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 1988), 464-467. ] . Lemon also performed in a video documentary with choreographer Bebe Miller. Lemon is known for his collaborations in different media and with musicians. Ralph Lemon has been acknowledged for his artistic talents throughout his career with awards such as the National Endowment for the Arts choreographic fellowship; American Choreographers Award, 1987; Gold Medal, New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Award, 1987. With a decade of success behind the Ralph Lemon Company, Lemon made a crucial decision to disband the company for a combination of reasons from financial to the pursuit of broadening his artistic interest [ Wilson, Schick, et al., ‘’Current Biography Yearbook’’ (New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1997), 314-317. ] .

Geography Trilogy

Over a ten year span, Lemon created a trilogy that uses choreography to present social and political issues in numerous collaborative projects. Lemon recently finished ten year art project, "Geography Trilogy", which investigated an apparent collision of cultures and searched for personal and artistic identity within a broader spectrum [ ‘’Artist-in-Residence Ralph Lemon,’’ Biography, Walker Art Center, http://air.walkerart.org/project.wac?cat_id=-2840 (accessed March 25, 2008). ] . During Ralph Lemon’s ten year trilogy creation, he wrote two books entitled "Geography: Art, Race, Exile" to correlate to the dance "Geography" and "Tree: Belief, Culture, Balance" which relates to the dance "Tree". The third part of the trilogy, "Come Home Charley Patton", is not a book. He ended up creating these two books as a result of physicality, emotional conflicts, spiritual connections and specifically cultural contradictions that lead to the numerous collaborations and experiences he gained [ ‘’Cross Performance/Ralph Lemon,’’ Biography, Multiarts Projects and Productions, http://www.multiartsprojects.com/artist_index.php?artistid=2&sectionid=86 (accessed March 25, 2008). ] .

The overall synopsis of the "Geography Trilogy" is to create a link and understanding to other cultures histories while evolving and experimenting with his artistic works in three different continents [ ‘’Artist-in-Residence Ralph Lemon,’’ Biography, Walker Art Center, http://air.walkerart.org/project.wac?cat_id=-2840 (accessed March 25, 2008). ] . For example, "Geography" formulated in Africa, "Tree" originated in Asia, and "Come Home Charley Patton" brought Lemon back to the United States. Ralph Lemon’s creative journey began with "Geography" in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea. The journals he wrote gave insight into the life of an “American, African, brown, black, blue black, male, and artist” [ Ralph Lemon, ‘’ http://books.google.com/books?id=kXDe_DYXiBgC Geography: Art, Race, Exile] ’’, (Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press ; University Press of New England, 2000), page # . ] . Embodying these characteristics, Lemon sought not only to create art about his culture but to connect with his heritage during the duration of his visit [ ‘’Cross Performance/Ralph Lemon,’’ Biography, Multiarts Projects and Productions, http://www.multiartsprojects.com/artist_index.php?artistid=2&sectionid=86 (accessed March 25, 2008). ] . Lemon then ventured to Asia for his next piece in the trilogy "Tree". "Tree" is ritually structured through Buddhism, and reveals a conflict of cultural values pertaining to performance, race, identity, modernity and tradition [ ‘’Cross Performance/Ralph Lemon,’’ Biography, Multiarts Projects and Productions, http://www.multiartsprojects.com/artist_index.php?artistid=2&sectionid=86 (accessed March 25, 2008). ] . Lemon finished the trilogy in the United States with "Come Home Charley Patton", a piece that revisits a segregated time in history. The performance of "Come Home Charley Patton" shows how “different generations remember the same critical events and places; what kind of narratives do justice to traumatic memories; and what form memories can ultimately take through the aesthetic works of this project” [ ‘’Cross Performance/Ralph Lemon,’’ Biography, Multiarts Projects and Productions, http://www.multiartsprojects.com/artist_index.php?artistid=2&sectionid=86 (accessed March 25, 2008). ] .

Artistic style

Much of Lemon’s success is attributed to his unique ability to express dramatic and emotional content through movement using new art forms [ Wilson, Schick, et al., ‘’Current Biography Yearbook’’ (New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1997), 314-317. ] . Ralph Lemon is currently the artistic director of Cross Performance Inc. in New York [ ‘’Artist-in-Residence Ralph Lemon,’’ Biography, Walker Art Center, http://air.walkerart.org/project.wac?cat_id=-2840 (accessed March 25, 2008). ] . Lemon strives to invent and be innovative with each performance he creates by conveying different concepts and using different media [ ‘’USA FELLOWS 2006,’’ Biography, United States Artist, http://www.unitedstatesartists.org/Public/USAFellows2006/USAFellows2006/RalphLemon/index.cfm (accessed March 25, 2008). ] . The core of Ralph Lemon’s style in his earlier works was atmospherically showcased with strong costumes and props to visually help the audience understand the narrative [ Wilson, Schick, et al., ‘’Current Biography Yearbook’’ (New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1997), 314-317. ] . By the early 1990’s he strayed away from a theatrical style to a more movement oriented style by focusing on the body [ Wilson, Schick, et al., ‘’Current Biography Yearbook’’ (New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1997), 314-317. ] . Ralph Lemon uses both his art and anthropology backgrounds to influence his choreography, but he refrains from distorting the cultural importance of dance within traditions [ ‘’Artist-in-Residence Ralph Lemon,’’ Biography, Walker Art Center, http://air.walkerart.org/project.wac?cat_id=-2840 (accessed March 25, 2008). ] .

Performances

Works

1984-
*"Ant’s Burden" (mus. Bob Roman), solo
*"Romance" (mus. Tom Waites)
*"Folktales and Romance 4", evening-length performance produced by Dance Theatre Workshop, New York
*"Boundary Water" (mus. Beethoven), New Dance Ensemble of Minnesota
*"Folktales with Men and Oranges", for Dance on the Lower East Side Festival, New York
*"The Last Nights of Paris and Georgette", Dance Theatre Workshop

1985-
*"Plan de Liebe", CoDanceCo
*"Forest", (mus. Linda Bouchard), duet, American Dance Festival
*"And the Jungle Will Obliterate the Shrine/Seasons", RLC
*"Scarecrow", (mus. Hart)

1986-
*"Flock", (mus. Sibelius), Jacob’s Pillow Dance Ensemble
*"En Su Llama Mortal", Ballet Hispancio of New York
*"Two" w/Bebe Miller (mus. Hyams Hart)

1987-
*"Nightingales and Fisherman" (mus. Bach)
*"Les Noces" (mus. Ravel, Debussy), RLC
*"Waiting for Carnival", New Dance Ensemble

1988-
*"Happy Trails" (mus. country and western collage), RLC
*"Cherubino and the Nightingale" (mus. Mozart), RLC
*"Folkdance Duet" (mus. traditional Norwegian folk), RLC
*"Folkdance", Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble
*"Punchinello", Boston Ballet

1989-
*"Joy" (mus. Cale), RLC
*"Sleep" (mus. Faure), RLC

1990-
*"Joy" (Solo), (mus. Satie), RLC
*"Bogus Pomp", Lyons Opera Ballet
*"Civilian", solo

1991-
*"Persephone" (mus. Davis), RLC
*"Folkdance" Sextet (mus. Beethoven), RLC
*"Folkdance" Solo (mus. taped conversation), RLC
*"Don Juan", Graz Opera Ballet

1992-
*"Their Eyes Rolled Back in Ecstasy" (mus. Hyams Hart, Barret, chants), RLC
*"Their Eyes Rolled Back in Ecstasy" (Solo) (mus. Hyams Hart), RLC
*"Phrases Almost Biblical", RLC
*"My Tears Have Been My Meat Night and Day", Lyons Opera Ballet
*"Folkdance" (with Songs), Batsheva Dance Company

1993-
*"Folkdance Sextet", The Metropolitan Ballet of Michigan

1996-
*"Konbit", a video documentary collage
*"Persephone", collaboration between Philip Trager, Rita Dove, Eavan Boland, and Andrew Szegedy-Maszak

1997-
*"Geography", Part 1 in Geography Trilogy

1999-
*"Three", a film created by Bebe Miller, and Isaac Julien

2000-
*"Tree", Part 2 in Geography Trilogy
*"Temples", a mixed media installation of works related to Tree

2001-
*"Mirrors and Smoke", new media collaboration with Philip Mallory
*"The Geography Trilogy", visual art installation

2004-
*"Come home Charley Patton", Part 3 in Geography Trilogy

2007-
*"The Geography Trilogy" DVD Archive Collection
*"(The efflorescence of) Walter", Mixed media installation at The Kitchen, NYC May-June
*"(The efflorescence of) Walter" as part of Open-Ended (the art of engagement) exhibition at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN March-June

Publications

*"Persephone" With Eavan Boland, Rita Dove, and Phillip Trager, Middletown, Connecticut, 1996.

*"Geography: Art, Race, Exile". By Ralph Lemon. Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press, 2000

*"Tree: Belief, Culture, Balance". By Ralph Lemon.

References

External links

* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1335109202051617522&q=Ralph+Lemon+%28the+efflorescence+of%29+Walter&total=2&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0/ Ralph Lemon: (the efflorescence of) Walter, 2008 YOUtube LLC,]
*http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=403865483881035636