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Event
Jikelele Dance Theater Kicks-off Black History Month!!
JIKELELE DANCE THEATER KICKS-OFF BLACK HISTORY MONTH!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrea V. Lee
510.228.8969
thathahla@yahoo.com
JIKELELE DANCE THEATER PRESENTS
"Life in a South African Shanty Town"
~A South African Township Theater
Jikelele Dance Theater portrays life in a South African Shanty Town through dance, theater and live music.
Back by popular demand, Jikelele Dance Theater is pleased to announce another performance of "Life in a South African Shanty Town" which kicks off Black History Month with Friday and Saturday performances, February 1-2, 2013 at Laney College.
Black Township Theater was founded by Gibson Kente in the 1960's, who was the first South African to tackle poverty, crime and politics revolutionizing African Urban Theater through gospel and jazz-infused musicals. "Life in a South African Shanty Town" is a revival of Black Township Theater, now a dying art form in South Africa.
Artistic Director, Thamsanqa Hlatywayo, brings to Oakland a mixture of singing, dancing and story-telling of universal themes of life, hope and struggle through the lens of a South African Shanty Town.
About Thamsanqa Hlatywayo,
Director of "Life in a South African Shanty Town"
Thamsanqa Hlatywayo learned traditional dance and music growing up in South Africa. A performer, choreographer, drummer and a capella singer, he was co- founder and Artistic Director of Uzulu Dance Theater of South Africa and Khumbhula Dance Theater in Oakland, CA. Hlatywayo was a lead performer in the cast of the Broadway sensation and musical hit, "Sarafina," which received five Tony award nominations. While touring the US, and Canada, he taught master classes in New York, Washington D.C and Tampa. Inspired and dedicated to sharing aspects of South African culture with others, Hlatywayo has choreographed and collaborated with many companies and artists such as Bay Area's Dimensions Dance Theater and Soul and R& B singer-songwriter, Goapele.
Hlatywayo's most recent work, "Life in a South African Shanty Town" is a revival of Township Theater, a form of Black Theater developed during the apartheid era by the late Gibson Kente. Hlatywayo's use of text, music and dance carries a glimpse of South Africa and serves as a catalyst to propel direction in dialogue on contemporary issues of today. Resurrected from South African shanty towns to the Oakland stage and beyond, Hlatywayo's creative process is authentically township and as such, a message is organically discovered and wrapped in song, dance and live music. "Life in a South African Shanty Town" is more than a performance, but rather a metamorphosis of the individuals who enter into the township theater circle.
Hlatywayo collaborated with dancer/choreographer and dance educator, Andrea Vonny Lee. Together they have trained youth and adults throughout the Bay Area for over 15 years.
Mission Statement
Jikelele Dance Theater teaches, inspires and creates artistic works through the revival of Black Township Theater and other African-derived cultural traditions that are either dying out or rarely experienced. Jikelele Dance Theater embraces all who share the desire to pass the torch and renew African artistic expressions for the contemporary stage.
What: "Life in a South African Shanty Town"
performed by Jikelele Dance Theater
Director: Thamsanqa Hlatywayo
When:February 1-2, 2013 (Friday and Saturday)
Where:Laney College/Odell Johnson Performing Arts Center
900 Fallon Street
Oakland, CA 94609
Time:8:00PM
Tickets:Brown Paper Tickets
$25 General Admission Only
$15 (Students with ID)
More information about Thamsanqa Hlatywayo, "Life in a South African Shanty Town," Jikelele Dance Theater at www.jikelele.com.
Jikelele ("all around")
All around, we are connected. We live in one solid, round-breathing as one entity.
-Thamsanqa Hlatywayo
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LocationLaney College - Odell Johnson Theater (View)
900 Fallon Street
Oakland, CA 94602
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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