A Celebration Of Black Joy At Camille A. Brown’s ‘I Am’ In Montclair

This Black History Month, the Alexander Kasser Theater will host a vibrant celebration of triumph and artistry. On Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m., PEAK Performances presents I AM, a New York Times Critics’ Pick by five-time Tony-nominated director and choreographer Camille A. Brown.

The performance serves as a powerful exploration of Black joy and cultural liberation, offering a bold, imaginative vision of the future. Driven by original music reimagined with nods to Dru Hill, Lil’ Kim, Method Man, Busta Rhymes, and Sounds of Blackness, I AM explores Black joy, cultural memory and liberation. 

“The show is very high energy and we love it when the audience gives us feedback, whether it’s through snaps and claps or hooting and hollering. It’s like the African diasporic practice of Call and Response. The audience knows and feels that their energy is needed for this work,” said Courtney Ross, who has performed with Camille A. Brown and Dancers since 2019.

Ross performs a section of the show, called Channelling, alongside some of her fellow dancers. This particular section is based around spirituality, something Ross was all too familiar with growing up. 

“I’m a preacher’s kid, and this focuses on our prayer life which makes me think about my grandma and our ancestors being in the kitchen and conjuring up these hymns,” she says. “It has a lot to do with resilience and the energy you have when you’re in that kind of spiritual environment. It’s like you’re revving up.” 

Other sections of I AM focus on community, joy, and beauty. The show originally had its world premiere in 2024 at Jacob’s Pillow followed by its New York premiere at the Joyce Theater in 2025. It became a New York Times Critic’s pick and received Bessie nominations for Best Choreography and Best Sound Design. 

“We’ve been watching Camille’s career since way back in 2015, where she made a series of pieces at Duke University in North Carolina and really started becoming a star,” says Wiley Hausam, Director of Arts and Cultural Programming in the Dean’s Office at the Montclair State College of the Arts. “I saw a private presentation of I AM in 2024 and just loved it. It’s incredibly powerful, vital, confident, strong, and of course, joyful. I knew we just had to have it here.” 

While there is a narrative flow to the performance, I AM doesn’t actually follow a particular story. But that shouldn’t deter anyone from what they’re seeing. 

“You see this and you just get it,” says Hausam. “It’s the energy of the street that captures anybody when they’re out and see something compelling, whether it’s dance or music. You feel like you’re seeing real life. It doesn’t have that separation like a lot of contemporary dance has where you’re wondering how you’re supposed to look at it and ask what it’s about.” 

The narrative for I AM was actually inspired by an episode of HBO’s Lovecraft Country of the same name while its rhythm takes a page from the movie Drumline.

“It shows that in your joy and liberation, you can choose to be whatever you want to be,” says Ross as she recalled the episode in question of Lovecraft Country. “That concept alone birthed the creation of this show we’re doing now.” 

Camille A. Brown and Dancers was founded in 2006 and blends modern hip hop, African, tap, and social dance with Black narratives based on race, culture, and identity. They are based in New York City. Their Social Dance for Social Change virtual school has had over 100 thousand students to date participate in free online lectures and social dance classes. 

PEAK Performances, a part of Montclair State University, develops live performances from dance to film, master classes, music, theater, and opera while making the arts accessible to Montclair and Northern New Jersey residents. 

“Considering the times we’re living in now, I think I AM will leave people feeling great,” says Hausam. “They’ll be able to walk out a little stronger, more confident, and just know that everything’s going to be ok.” Tickets for the show can be found online at https://www.peakperfs.org or by calling the Box Office at (973) 655-5112. The Alexander Kasser Theater is located at 1 Normal Ave., Montclair.