Denison: Africa Moves!

Denison University's 4th annual "Africa Moves!" concert will take place at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday on April 23 and 24, and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at Doane Dance Performance Center, (231 West College Street). The concert is free and open to the public. Reservations are highly recommended, contact 740-587-5718 or dance@denison.edu. The box office will return calls and emails on or after April 13, 2015. Visiting Professor Souleymane ?Solo? Badolo will present three new works; one solo and two pieces featuring Denison University students. Badolo's extensive professional career began with the founding of his own dance company, "Kongo Ba Teria" in his native Burkina Faso in 1993. Since then, he has shown work internationally, with extensive showings in New York City festivals. In 2011, he was nominated for a Bessie Award as Outstanding Emerging Choreographer. His style merges traditional African dance and contemporary Western dance aesthetics. Badolo's work for the "Africa Moves!" concert looks at African dance within a global context and questions what it means to be an "African dancer." He questions the need to label and define himself as an African dancer, preferring to define himself within the context of a global family. In Solo's solo "Solo de Solo," he does not dance traditional dances, as such, but rather presents dances of "survival" and "sharing" which transcend the boundaries of genre. While in residence, Badolo also hs choreographed two works for Denison students. The first, "Days of 14," is named for the 14 dancers in the piece, and is a reminder that on stage we see each performer in his or her individuality ? 14 days, 14 personalities and 14 lives. While some choreographers aim to tell a story, Badolo is interested in the audience finding their own interpretations and truths when witnessing the piece. "The 'life' of the piece," he says, "is in the audience's sharing of their experience later with their friends and family." Referencing African oral tradition, he asserts the "life" of the dance is in how the story lives on. The second, "Danser Ma Vie," is a prayer and a proposition for individuals to accept each other's flaws and weaknesses, and cultivate more love and attention for each other. Audience members will witness the dancers' battles with themselves as they struggle to find themselves and one another. This work highlights our human responsibilities for the world in which we live. Please join Badolo and Denison University students as they share their work with their family - the entire human family to which we all belong.