The Making of a Monument
Black Box is rooted in veteran outreach and committed to telling the stories of our service members. Black Box in honored to partner with the USO, Brothers and Sister Like These, and Buncombe County Veteran Treatment Court to aid veterans in bringing their stories to life through movement. Weather it is performing Patriot, Warrior Resets, or sharing veteran stories in NC Schools, Black Box is proud to serve our vets and share their stories.
PATRIOT
In 2019, partnering with the NC Arts Council and the USO, Black Box Dance Theatre (BBDT) began the creation of PATRIOT, an evening-length work of multimedia dance, theater, and storytelling that is a living memorial of emotionally charged, virtuosic dancing examining the service and sacrifice of US veterans, active duty military and their families. In 2021 BBDT premiered PATRIOT in Morganton NC. Since its initial premiere, PATRIOT has been performed in many NC communities for veterans and their families. PATRIOT is a living artifact for veterans in North Carolina. Each time BBDT meets a new veteran they collect their story and incorporate it into the work. PATRIOT deals with veteran stories regarding ongoing mental wellness, deployment, reintegration, substance abuse, and grief. PATRIOT is an invitation for participants to bring their experiences and stories to a larger platform and watch their stories play out through the power of dance.
Photo Credit: Matt Kesterson
USO Warrior Resets
Building upon the principles of stress management, suicide prevention, relationship strengthening and camaraderie, the USO of NC Warrior Reset Program gives service members the tools to become more successful, resilient leaders. This 3 hour program is designed to serve up to 75 service members and their spouses. Working with military leadership, service members are selected based on being proven leaders, or up-in-coming leaders, within their unit and having at least one year left within the military.
I Feel Myself To Be Part Of Something
Black Box Dance Theatre is happy to announce that their work with the veteran community will be the subject of a new documentary entitled “I Feel Myself To Be Part Of Something”. This documentary will follow Black Box Dance Theatre for a week as they work with veterans in Asheville to restage PATRIOT.
Patriots Path: The Theseus Legacy
Part history, part personal reflection, and all profoundly human, this evening of high art invites audiences to witness the intersection of myth and memory in an immersive, heartfelt exploration of what it means to serve, struggle, and return home.
