Jonah Bokaer’s World Premiere of “Did I Remember”

During Bokaer’s residency at LRP he spent a succession of multi-week stays in Jacksonville, where he orchestrated a series of collaborations and research meetings. The choreography was conceived there with the members of the modern dance company.

“Did I Remember” was inspired by Lenape Tavern, a 1920s jazz club within the former Genovar’s Hall in the historic suburb of LaVilla, Florida. Once a town bursting with life and culture (from being the birthplace of author and politician James Weldon Johnson, to hosting artists like Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong during the Jazz Age), now all that is left are the crumbling remains of failed preservation attempts. It is through Bokaer’s work that the dancers of JDT tell the many stories and mythos of the club, seeking to revive the rich history of LaVilla.

Presented in conjunction with the performance on September 26, was a corresponding published edition of printed visual works on paper, made in collaboration with master printmaker, Patrick Miko.