Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theatre

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When

Feb. 16–24, 2024

Days Vary, Times vary

Cost: $0 – $25

Where

Performance Works NW

3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. Portland
OR 97202

The following description was submitted by the event organizer.

Black History Month 2024, Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theatre (RDDT) will premiere Rites of Passage, an evening of dance investigating community and personal transitions, drawing equally from contemporary, Diasporic and West African dance. .

Rites of Passage will include world premieres by two guest choreographers, Cleveland/NYC-based artist Antonio Brown and local celebrity Derrell Sekou Walker, a new duet by Oluyinka Akinjiola and Michael Galen, and a suite from The Sounds of Afrolitical Movement. Rejoice dancers will be joined by musicians and youth dancers from the Sebé Kan African drum and dance ensemble. Across dance forms and themes, Rites will be grounded in tradition while also looking forward to what we — as Black artists and community members — need to thrive. Drawing on traditional rites of passage (West African traditions marking puberty, Yoruba baby naming ceremonies and funeral celebrations) and imagine rituals to celebrate and recognize contemporary transitions.

Presented by Reed College Dance Department