Putney Obatala (1988)



Arthur Hall Collection

Putney Obatala

(16mm, 1988, 4:31 minutes, silent)

The last public performance by the Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble before Arthur
Hall left Philadelphia for Memphis at the end of 1988. The company came to the now defunct
Windham College in Putney, Vermont, and arrived in time for lunch at an African caravan
that served fried chicken and pulled pork. They then visited Bruce Williams at his home in
Townsend, Vermont. During the evening performance, Bruce's two year-old daughter Aislinn
kept trying to crawl up on stage and between each number called for "More Dance!"

Arthur Hall Collection 16mm camera rolls
Digutal copy by Northeast Historic Film (July 2017)
Original 16mm film shot by Bruce Williams is now in the
Arthur Hall Collection, Special Collections Research Center
Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, PA
Numbered AHC_688_001

Materials and information sought

Index of Materials in the Arthur Hall Collection

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