Anna Glass on Africa Exchange and her recent trip to Kenya and Tanzania…
Ever since I returned from East Africa, the first question people tend to ask me is ‘what kind of work is 651 ARTS doing there?’ and the second question is ‘how did all of this happen?’
Here’s a little background…
Last October 2007, Executive Director Georgiana Pickett and I traveled to East Africa to meet and engage with the artistic communities in the region as part of our Africa Exchange program. Through Africa Exchange, 651 ARTS provides opportunities for US artists and African artists to engage with one another.
On this particular trip, Georgiana and I both went to Kenya. She traveled to Uganda and I traveled to Tanzania. While we were there, in addition to meeting with artists, we took the opportunity to meet with the Public Diplomacy Officers of the US Embassies in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda to introduce them to the work of 651 ARTS.
Fast forward to June 2008. I received an e-mail from the US Embassy in Tanzania stating that a contemporary dance festival was taking place this year in Dar es Salaam and would 651 ARTS identify three artists who would be interested in participating. Shortly thereafter, we received word that the embassy in Nairobi was also very interested in having the artists teach and perform at the GoDown Arts Center.
Georgiana and I determined that Nora Chipaumire, Reggie Wilson and Christalyn Wright would be perfect for this trip. They all have very strong teaching backgrounds, which would be a very important part of the engagement, but also have very different choreographic aesthetics. All three artists also have a long relationship with 651 ARTS.
The artists performed and taught in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as well as in Nairobi, Kenya.
My favorite moment of the trip has to be the day that Reggie, Nora and Christalyn taught a workshop in Zanzibar. First of all, it’s Zanzibar. It’s beautiful – there’s no other way to describe it. On this particular day, Reggie, Nora and Christalyn together taught members of a traditional dance group. There were also a couple of students from the Dhow Music Academy that also participated. Check out the link to the Academy here: http://www.zanzibarmusic.org/
Everyone who participated in this workshop danced their hearts out! Even though contemporary dance was brand new to them, every single person put their all into every step. You could see the joy in everyone’s faces. The images above are from that very special day. ~Anna
Add comment November 13th, 2008
