WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO FLY AGAIN?
BOUNCE shines a light on the wounds trauma leaves behind, and the resilience that carries us forward.
BOUNCE is a genre melding love letter to American Music, synthesizing a full palette of Rap, Hip-Hop, Jazz, EDM, and Gospel. Mirroring the ‘The Flight of Icarus,’ BOUNCE tells the story of high schooler Ike ‘Flight’ Harris, a basketball player bound for stardom who is shot during a street game on a basketball court. A story told through a marriage of basketball, music, and the performing arts, BOUNCE shines a light on the pressure to succeed, the struggles of growing up too fast, and the deep impact of trauma—while showing how healing, community, and mentorship can help young people fly again.
Our Award-Winning Creative and Production Team includes two-time Emmy Winner & conductor of four Presidential Inaugural Concerts Glen Roven (lead composer); two-time Coretta Scott King Award and multi award winner Charles R Smith Jr.(Lead Story & Libretto); Academy Award nominee and best-selling list author Beth Gutcheon (Additional Story and Libretto); Winner of the Lannan Poetry Fellowship Award, Poet Laureate of Kentucky & 2025 PEN American Literary Award for Poetry Collection Frank X Walker (Additional story & Lyrics); R&B/Global Soul and Blues musician Tomás Doncker (Additional Music); Golden Globe nominee & DJ Ansolo Ansel Elgort (HipHop & EDM tracks); founder of the American Spiritual Ensemble & artistic director of the National Choral at Lincoln Center - Dr. Everett McCorvey (Project Music Director); Alvin Ailey Choreographer Martell Ruffin; and song writer for Hip Hop & RnB superstars inc Trina, Lil Kim, Twista, Trick Daddy - Seth Ibarrondo (Additional Rap Lyrics). BOUNCE co-director is Each One Teach One basketball coach– Simon Green.
"One step beyond … Busting the boundaries of opera and theater!" NY Times
"One step beyond … Busting the boundaries of opera and theater!" NY Times
"A message of nonviolence [and] a theatrical marriage of basketball and opera." i-D Magazine
"A message of nonviolence [and] a theatrical marriage of basketball and opera." i-D Magazine
"The grandeur of operatic singing and the raw grit of ‘street rhythm’ come together to tell the story … of the harsh realities of gun violence." NYC-ARTS
"The grandeur of operatic singing and the raw grit of ‘street rhythm’ come together to tell the story … of the harsh realities of gun violence." NYC-ARTS
The MUSIC
30-second samples of the most iconic songs from BOUNCE.
Contact Us
