Celebrate the grand opening of Afoutayi's very own dance studio in the Twin Cities! Join us for mini classes from Afoutayi instructors, as well as the return of our monthly one-night-only shows featuring special guest artists, as we welcome AfroContIgbo and Papa Shalita! Don't miss this family-friendly performance served with tasty bites and refreshments.

11:00 am - Alanna Morris

12 noon - Laura Levinson

1:00 pm - Peace Madimutsa & AJ van Arneman

2:00 pm - Athena Estimé

3:00 pm - Voice of Culture/ Kenna Cottman

BREAK

7:00 pm Warm up set by Zangi - "Beauvois Anilus"

7:30 pm - Papa Shalita (1st set)

8:00 pm AfroContIgbo - "Korma Aguh" intermission performance

8:15 pm - Papa Shalita (2nd set)

9:00 pm - End of the program

We are making this Rasanble financially accessible to everyone this month and welcome everyone free of charge. For those who can afford it, we are collecting freewill donations to cover the costs of renovating our new community dance studio to add mirrors, Marley floors, etc. We are also collecting contributions to our GoFundMe campaign at https://gofund.me/3ca5f321

Bios

Alanna Morris is a Dancer-Choreographer, Educator, Artist Organizer, and Curator. Morris danced with TU Dance (St. Paul) under Artistic Directors, Toni Pierce-Sands and Uri Sands from 2007–2017. In 2020, they served as the company’s Artistic Associate and is a founding teaching artist at the School at TU Dance Center. In 2018 they were named Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch!” In 2019, Minneapolis’ City Pages’ Artist of the Year and Best Choreographer for their solo, "Yam, Potatoe an Fish!" They have received fellowships from the McKnight Foundation for Dance (2015) and Choreography (2021) and is a Springboard Danse Montréal Fellow (2022). Alanna returns from working in Montréal for the month of June, researching and presenting her choreography for an ensemble of danseurs. Morris is the Artistic Director of I A.M. Arts (formerly Alanna Morris-Van Tassel Productions), founded in 2017 to produce collaborative solo dance works and global commissions that uplift and inspire our humanity; educational programs that utilize the creative arts as a tool for self-development; and community-building initiatives that assist mid-career women Creatives with spiritual, professional, and economic resources to thrive. Morris is currently developing a thesis around the divinity of black-ness, being researched in phases over multiple years and collaborative solo performance. Its last presentation was co-presented by The Great Northern, Cowles Center for Dance, and Northrop February 2022 for in-person and livestream audiences. Morris is currently touring Let The Crows Come with Ashwini Ramaswamy and collaborators. She is a Visiting Professor of Dance at Carleton College and a graduate of the Juilliard School and LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and the Performing Arts (NY). Learn more at www.iamartss.com.

Laura Levinson (they/them), who also goes by Or אור, is a performing artist, arts organizer, and healer who feels most at home in motion. They call on the magic of queer Jewish diaspora to remind us that love in transit still has its roots in the earth. We belong to the land - ani l'dodi v'dodi li. They currently serve as Managing Artistic Director for Don't You Feel It Too?, a public movement project transforming peoples’ relationships to body, land, and history through immersive art experiences. Past workshops have included "Gut, Bones, Ground," which brings together deep body awareness, bone- and land-stories, and herbal wisdom; and “Swimming Home,” co-created with Leila Awadallah and following the threads of diaspora, ancestry, body-as-homeland, and river water as divine anticolonial/borderless guide.

Peace Madimutsa is a visionary from Zimbabwe who found dance as a passion at 13. He studies multiple Afro-diasporic dance techniques which include House, Hip hop, Krump, Traditional and Urban Southern African. He has shared space in several Minnesota productions including Rooted, Momentum, I’m From Vol 2. to mention a few. He strives to spread purpose for dismantling systems that distort performing artists’ visions. In addition, he seeks to create work that transcends humans, space and time.

Athena Estimé: I have been an artist since the very early years of my life. My artist name is Vibrant Hues and I am the owner of Vibrant Hues LLC. Vibrant Hues LLC was created not only to share my healing art and workshops but to uplift the communities I am apart of by demystifying the arts. Unlocking my passions as a creative has brought many fulfilling opportunities my way and I intend to assist others on their journey as well.

VOICE of Culture is a Black Family sharing and creating West African rhythms and movements with a Black American twist.  Since 2008, V. O. C. has provided culturally based engagement to the community.  We, the people in VOICE of Culture are cultural artists practicing skills that promote mental health and physical wellbeing as we honor the art and traditions of our ancestors.

Beauvois Anilus "Zangi" is an international Haitian drummer and singer specializing in Haitian music. He start drumming at the age of 10 in Haiti and soon became part of some of the world-famous Haitian bands like Alovi Yawe, Boukman Experience, Erol Josue, and Chandel to name a few. He also was the lead drummer at different dance companies like the ballet folkloric of Haiti BFH, Expression dance company, and more. He is the lead drummer for different Vodou organizations in Port-au prince. He was the music teacher at ENARTS the school of arts in Haiti for over five years where he taught basic level drumming as well as master classes. He travels all around Haiti as a touring artist to provide community drumming workshops for underserved communities. He leads different carnival bands all around Haiti. He has been traveling and collaborating with different artists from all over the world in Europe, Caribbean South America, as well as the U.S. He, is currently the lead drummer and music director for Afoutayi.

Afro-Cont-Igbo is an African Contemporary Igbo dance company founded by Korma in 2015. Korma is from the Igbo tribe in Nigeria. Afrocontigbo dancers mix traditional and modern African dance moves. They teach Afrobeats dance classes and do performances across the twin cities. The music is invigorating, and the moves are joyful. Get ready to join Afrocontigbo on the dance floor if the spirit moves you. Add "Afrocontigbo" on social media for more information on classes, challenges and performances. IG: @Afrocontigo Website: www.afrocontigbo.com

Papa Shalita: Long before Somali became synonymous with African, African music in Minnesota had one name: Shalita. It was Loketo, Kanda Bongo Man, Prince Nico meets Kassav in Jamaica. It was African music with no continental borders. It would be years before I realized Shalita was not only the name of that band I first heard at the Blue Nile Restaurant and Lounge many years back, but actually the name of one man in particular: Joe Shalita, lead vocal and guitar. Joe Shalita’s history in the Twin Cities shares some of the same chapters with the history of African music in the Twin Cities.  After moving from The University of Wisconsin at Platteville and working in Dubuque Iowa, Joe moved to Minneapolis in 1979. While looking for a job, he took the lead guitar position with the then only Afro (reggae, soca, and African vibes) band in the Twin Cities area, Sweet Taste of Africa. The rest, as they say, is history!   On celebrating Afoutayi's new home in Golden Valley,  Joe will be with a Quartet comprising of  Sei Kpolar Ace Bass player with International Reggae All Stars, young great musicians Josh and Prince on Keyboards and Drums. Come and dance as they take us on a tour of Rumba, Reggae, Konpa and Zouk.