Aftermath

Aftermath explores the lives of four Black male characters after police violence has torn apart their community. This 60-minute work combines live jazz and hip hop music with Moore-Dunson’s choreographic style of “Urban Midwest Storytelling”. Seated in the round, the audience gets an intimate view of the healing process needed in many black communities today.

The creation of Aftermath was shaped by one-on-one interviews between Moore-Dunson and Akron community stakeholders, police officers, and criminal justice workers, as well as those outside the region. Presenters and audience members are encouraged to listen to the podcast inCOPnegro: Black & Blue before seeing the show as it offers context for the choreography, music, and spoken word.

Inspiration for this project came from Moore-Dunson’s own life experiences. He explains, “As a Black man, I have been pulled over by police no less than 45 times in my life. Then after the death of George Floyd in 2020, as a father-to-be, I realized for the first time I didn’t only have to worry for my own safety, but that of my unborn son. I began reaching across my network asking Black parents, ‘How do you teach your kids about the police?’, and the overwhelming answer was, ‘You just teach them to get home.’”

Production Credits:

  • Directed and Choreographed by Dominic Moore-Dunson

  • Original Music by Chris Coles & Floco Torres

  • Original Lyrics by Floco Torres

  • Original Text by Dominic Moore-Dunson


To book Aftermath please contact Simon Shaw or Sherri Leathers at
Shaw Entertainment Group

“Aftermath was unlike any piece I had seen before. It was impactful not only because of the message, but because of the vulnerability of the performers. It was thought-provoking in ways I have trouble putting into words, partly because it doesn't focus on the act of police violence instead it focuses on the part people don't see, what happens after and how a community attempts to heal.”

-Audience Member

Community Response

Watch the community response to the premiere of Aftermath in Akron, Ohio (2023) following the performances.