Strange Fruit Primus Analysis

Strange Fruit; a solo first performed in 1945, was created by a woman named Pearl Primus. She was in a dance company that encouraged her to address social issues through movement. The soloist performing Strange Fruit in a woman who is witnessing a lynching. Ms. Primus was reflecting on the struggle of black share croppers in the south. The message and purpose of this piece is clear. I am sure during its time it must have caused a stir in the audience. Even today I think it would cause discussion if performed in front of a general audience. One thing I noticed about this piece specifically the “music” drove the dance. I believe the poem is the leading force, in conveying the message. I think without it the piece could be interpreted into any form of feeling distressed. However the words of the poem, forces the audience to focus on the affect that lynching has had on the soloist. What I found interesting about the piece was the …show more content…
However I find subliminal similarities. One of the first things I notice was the use of other things besides dancing to help convey the purpose of the piece. The speaker in the poem, and the dirt on the stage gave the audience a sign of what direction the piece is going. Both of the pieces were unique, however to me the technique obtained by the dancers was still evident. Something that differed between the two pieces was the number of performers. The dancer’s intent was similar in both pieces in the aspect of distress and chaos. Yet, the increase in performers to me increased the level of chaos. Which cause me to wonder why Ms. Primus decided to make Strange Fruit a solo and how would adding more dancers change how the piece was received by the audience. I ask why the woman was the only one dancing. Was her loved one being lynched? Was she trying to be lynched? I am bowed to go back and watch the dance again in search for