Za'Nia Coleman

 Saturday. Mornings and the Faces We Remember

Curated by Za’Nia Coleman, Saturday Mornings and The Faces We Remember, is an entry into the legacy and impact of Hollywood Studio of Dance, known by the purple awning on Broadway & Penn in North Minneapolis. The exhibition re-presents archival footage, photos, and documents focusing on a decade of memories, 1991 – 2001. As an archivist and former attendee of Miss Diana’s dance school, Coleman has meticulously curated a collection of artifacts that delve into the transformative experience of being part of this cherished studio. As a living archive, Saturday Mornings and The Faces We Remember seeks to present an engaging and accessible approach to history and invites community members to contribute their experiences.

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Curatorial Statment

This archival exhibition is a heartfelt homage to Hollywood Studio of Dance, an institution in North Minneapolis since 1991. Founded by Mrs. Diane Elliott Robinson, it stands as a notable dance studio, but also as a testament to a Black woman holding space for over 32 years, in contrast to prevailing narratives about North Minneapolis's Black community. In a rapidly changing time, I hold this gallery space as a starting point to a community conversation around collective archiving. Elevating what this studio was and is, for those who know the purple awning on Broadway and Penn as a visual landmark, amplifies the legacy of spaces like it for newcomers into North Minneapolis. 

At the intersections of nostalgia and memory, Saturday Mornings and The Faces We Remember offers a snapshot of a decade (1991-2001) in the legacy of Hollywood Studio of Dance. As the artist and curator, I welcome you to immerse yourself in the world of Saturday mornings that, for me, felt like cocoa butter, hair bobbles, barrettes, and little black ballet slippers. In the exhibition, there are preserved fragments of the past, photographs, videos, and newspaper articles that Mrs. Diane has kept over the years.

In my own narrative, this project is an ode to a Black girl who knew what it was to play, laugh, dance, and the Black woman who held the space ... a prequel to a coming-of-age story. My entry into this archival project was a home video my aunt took of a Saturday morning rehearsal at the studio in 1999, which I attended from 99-01. Even my own snapshots of my recital portraits and home videos include faces I recognize, and some that I don’t remember. This exhibition is an invitation to our community, welcoming everyone to participate by sharing their own oral stories, personal photographs, and home videos. By doing so we expand and deepen this living archive, transcending individual narrative for a collective representation of shared history. 

Saturday Mornings and The Faces We Remember invites everyone into the universal act of reflection that’s sparked when exploring archival materials. Within this archive, video and photo are re-represented through digital abstraction to commentate on the role of dance in Black girlhood and the development of Black femme identity.