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NY TIMES FEATURE! |
The nation’s largest festival of African dance pays homage to the ancestral energy of Haiti with the theme Vwa zanset yo: y’ap pale, n’ap danse!, in Haitian Creole, or “Ancestral voices: they speak… we dance!”
This virtual program of dance premieres draws inspiration from the Lwa, spirits of Haitian Vodou, and brings together a community from near and far. DanceAfrica Artistic Director Baba Abdel R. Salaam commissioned pieces by HaitiDansco in Cap Haitien, Haiti, Rara Tou Limen Haitian Dance Company in Oakland, Ase Dance Theatre Collective in Brooklyn, and The Fritzation Experience in Brooklyn. Including a virtual Libation ceremony and Procession of the Council of Elders that crosses the country, this unprecedented DanceAfrica performance stretches from coast to coast to coast. |
NY TIMES FEATURE! |
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The 2020 Apprenticeship Program cohort of 32 artists (16 pairs) represents California’s breadth of cultural diversity and intergenerational learning. The pairs range from mentor artists in their 70s to a 12-year old apprentice, spanning from San Diego to Contra Costa Counties. These apprenticeships continue thriving traditions, including indigenous California cultural practices like the Southern California tribal sport Waw’kish. Others celebrate traditions which have taken root in California, and originally hail from the Philippines, Laos, India, Iran, Haiti, Peru, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, West Africa, and the Andes of South America. |
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HAITIAN FOLKLORIC DANCE
In 2020, master traditional dancer Portsha Jefferson is joined by apprentice Halima Marshall in the study of Haitian Folkloric Dance rooted in the African spiritual practices of Vodou. The goal of the apprenticeship is to deepen Halima’s knowledge of Haitian folkloric dance and culture through the study of the distinctions and nuances of dances. More specifically, the apprenticeship will focus on technique, style and performance. Because dance is deeply intertwined with spirituality in Haitian folkloric dance and culture, the apprenticeship will include the historical study of folkloric Haitian dance forms and styles, as well as the meaning, energy and spirit attributed to them. |
This isn’t simply “dance steps” or a “how to” process.
There is a curriculum: Mama Lola - A Vodou Priest in Brooklyn, is used as a resource + tool to connect my apprentice and her personal journey as a women to Vodou. The current chapter of study highlights the Ezili’s. La Sirene’s energy is strong with this one, so a site specific session was a must! We took it to the beach! Black August. The month I’ve reserved since 2014 to travel for artistic, personal and spiritual development. I was scheduled to return to Benin on Monday morning. Full itinerary with a few days in Togo too! Instead, I’m on this soil, as an active participant in my dear sister’s development, nurturing the process, while watching it unfold. Time. Dedication. Focus. COMMITMENT with intention! It’s a beautiful thing. Thank you community for cheering Halima on! The dance legacy continues... |
Excerpt: Several female spirits belong to the group called Ezili. The three most important are La Sirene, the mermaid who links ancient African senses of woman power and water power; Ezili Dantò, the hardworking, solitary, sometimes raging mother; and Ezili Freda, the sensual and elegant, flirtatious and frustrated one. This chapter focuses on each of these powerful women spirits, in turn; all three are discussed in one chapter because each is more understandable in the relation to the others. Taken together, they give a remarkably accurate and detailed portrait of the forces that shape women’s lives both in contemporary Haiti and in Haitian immigrant communities such as the one in which Alourdes lives.
Source: Mama Lola x Karen McCarthy Brown Apprentice: Halima Marshall 🎥: Portsha T. Jefferson |
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SWA KONGO!!!
The sweetness of Kongo is always a VIBE! Just what we needed. Sun. Smiles. Skirts. Trees. ...and the DRUM! What a JOYFUL VIBE! |
Saturday • Dance SALUTE!
Meditation + Libations were in order to open the space. Water, Rum, heartfelt prayers, and reflections around our activated tree that serves as our Poto Mitan... Fly, sis Efeya, FLY! Sweet Ascension, fierce, amazing, beautiful dancer! We danced in your honor. This Parigol/Mayi Pop Up Session was right on time. Give thanks to my Dance Mission & Malonga students who came for the medicine. I’m honored to provide a sacred, safe, space. We are HERE... using dance & music to heal. |
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A visionary. A cultural icon.
The “matriarch and queen mother of black dance”. All of this and more describes dancer and choreographer Katherine Dunham. Ashkenaz celebrates her legacy with an evening of community dance, storytelling, and performance. Come and try an Introduction to Dunham Technique led by Eyla Josie Moore. Then Danielle Hall will share her reflections on the Life and Legacy of Ms. Dunham followed by historic video footage. The evening will culminate with a special performance by the renowned dance company Rara Tou Limen. Come and join us on the 108th occasion of her birthday! Dance lesson 7:00PM - $10 Presentation/Performance 8:00 – 9:00 - $15 Dance Lesson and Presentation/Performance 7 – 9:00 - $20 |
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About Dance To Save Lives
At Dance To Save Lives, we provide kids in need the necessary resources to keep them off the streets. We train them in Haitian folkloric and modern dance forms. These accessible activities and services are provided daily for free in the city of Jacmel, Haiti. The students are immersed into the world of dance, allowing them to learn what it takes to be a professional performing artist, choreographer and/or dance Instructor. They also gain experience by touring as performers across the country of Haiti. We maximize the potential of our youth by exposing them to the rich traditional and contemporary aspects of Haitian culture through the lens of the performing arts.
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Dance To Save Lives hopes to increase the number of opportunities for these students to become successful performing artists of the future in Haiti. We are working hard to have a big impact on this community as a whole with our efforts. It is crucial that people in our community understand and acknowledge the importance of dance in our society. For more info about DANCE TO SAVE LIVES please go to www.dancetosavelives.com or e-mail Dieufel Lamisere at [email protected] or call directly (509) 44505319 |
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