"BlueGrass/BrownEarth:" The Sankofa Dance Project Summer Intensive Final Dance Concert
Master teacher and artist Chuck Davis, director of DanceAfrica and the African American Dance Ensemble, will lead a stellar faculty in a week-long exploration of Cultural Rejuvenation: A Legacy Revealed, culminating in this final concert.
This new staging of Davis' ballet "BlueGrass/BrownEarth: From Africa to Bluegrass" features original choreography by Davis and his teaching staff fused with a highly energetic blend of African dance, rhythms, traditional banjo, and bluegrass music. The performance, rooted in the history of African culture, embraces American traditions to tell the story of Africa's contribution to Bluegrass music - the iconic banjo.
"It is an unanticipated surprise," says Davis.
Davis' concept for the ballet is inspired by the Akonting, the West African string instrument that gave birth to the banjo. Davis hopes this cultural arts fusion will generate diverse audiences and educate them about the multicultural influences in contemporary expressions of art. Davis believes that divine providence brought this opportunity together.
"Many people don't know the origins of the banjo," he says. "And many black people turn their noses up at [banjo music] because they don't know where it came from."
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