Black Joy: An Ancestral Offering to Liberation

Overview

“Black Joy: An Ancestral Journey To Liberation” combines circus, documentary, and dance to present a vivid tapestry of the ancestral experiences of Twin Eclipse. They use this unique blend of artistic forms to tell their personal stories and honor their heritage. This performance celebrates the past, recognizes the present, and anticipates the future, paying tribute to those who came before us, those who stand with us today, and those yet to come. It’s a powerful exploration of identity and resilience, merging artistic expression with a deep respect for cultural history.

With over 100 offerings from rebellious circus, delicious dance, fearless theater and activist art to workshops, parties, and more Cannonball pushes the boundaries of live performance at four different venues this Fringe. Come as you are and stay past bedtime. Blaze your own trail at cannonballfestival.org.Learn More

About the Artist

Twin Eclipse, NYC's Premiere Black Aerialist Duo, is Queen Ravenden (she/her) & Jon Joni (he/they). Joni was born and raised in North Carolina, while Queen grew up between Baltimore, MD and St. Croix, USVI. Since forming in 2015, they have performed circus skills with artists such as Denzel Curry, Kacey Musgraves, and Nitty Scott. In addition to aerial performance, they hold a dance background in caribbean, african, modern, contemporary, ballet, and hip-hop dance.

Twin Eclipse creates circus pieces that clearly represent their love for African culture, Black culture, and the resilience of African and Indigenous people here in the USA. Their artwork revolves around ancestral celebration and cultural struggles with the goal of providing healing to the past traumas of these cultures while presenting them to a wider audience in a way that is both visually inspiring and full of historical context that is more easily digestible. Twin Eclipse creates art for those who have died as a way of carrying on their stories. Their melanated bodies represent the bodies that have been oppressed, abused, and somehow rose above it all (figuratively and literally through doing aerial). Queen Ravenden and Jon Joni stand on the shoulders of the ancestors who have come before them and as a beacon of light for generations to come.