Dear Friends,
2008 was a pretty special year for 651 ARTS. As we move into 2009 (and our 20th anniversary season!), I thought I would take this time to share with you some of my favorite highlights from the past year where we turned our attention to the rich cultural heritage of the Mississippi Delta; hosted eleven theater artists from East Africa (Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda) for a three and a half week residency in collaboration with Dartmouth College, Theater Without Borders and the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center/CUNY; and in October, I traveled to Kenya and Tanzania with Brooklyn-based choreographers Nora Chipaumire, Reggie Wilson and Christalyn Wright.
Click through to read more about what 651 ARTS was up to in 2008.
Continue Reading January 9th, 2009
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Nora teaching a workshop
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Reggie and a student
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Christalyn’s workshop
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Dancers from workshop in Zanzibar
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
November 13th, 2008
This past October, at the invitation of the US State Department, 651 ARTS brought three of Brooklyn’s most talented choreographers, Reggie Wilson, Nora Chipaumire and Christalyn Wright, to Kenya and Tanzania as part of 651 ARTS ongoing Africa Exchange program. Wilson, Chipaumire and Wright led workshops and performed at Nairobi, Kenya’s GoDown Performing Arts Center, as well as participated in the first contemporary dance fesival in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Check out the slideshow to see some photos taken by 651 ARTS Managing Director, Anna Glass, from their whirlwind trip. And make sure to check back in the coming days to read about the amazing people Nora, Reggie, Christalyn and Anna met and some their experiences of Kenya, Tanzania.
November 11th, 2008
