The Hayti Heritage Center will “Celebrate Kwanzaa” on Saturday and Sunday, December 26 & 27 nightly at 7:30 pm in the historic St. Joseph’s Performance Hall, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham. Doors open at 6:30 pm where a variety of vendors have been invited to display and sell their cultural offerings to the community. At 7:30 renowned chorographer, founder and artistic director of the African American Dance Ensemble, Baba Chuck Davis will light the Kinara, while providing words off wisdom and explanation of the Kwanzaa principals UMOJA- Unity and KUJICHAGULIA- Self Determination. The event is free and open to the public.
The two day celebration is a focus on movement featuring The Magic of African Rhythm, on the 26th and Collage Dance Company, under the director of Sadia Shukar and Toni K. Hall, Hayti’s dance company- in-residence on the 27th.
The Magic of African Rhythm’s (The Shabu Family) unforgettable performances display the vibrancy of Africa’s many rhythms. “Dundun! Sangban!, Kenkeni!” Audiences chant the names of newly learned drums making music on and off the stage. Meaningful stories are told in both authentic song and original dance choreography. In the midst of the drama, skilled dancers appear to fly, leaving onlookers in an awe of swirling raffia skirts and headdresses. Drums, dance, costumes, song and story carry audiences across the colorful spectrum of the entire continent. Acclaimed for our unique ability to communicate and engage multitudes of ages, races, and abilities, audiences join us onstage in jubilant celebration.
Collage Dance Company is a group of young dancers and musicians working together to explore African and African American dance and music traditions. Members ranging in ages from 9 – 20, represent youth from across the Triangle including Cary, Raleigh, Garner, and Durham. Company members serve as role models of self-determination and unity for other African American youth today in our community. Beyond performance, the company is also known for the unique learning environment it provides its members. Former dancers describe it as a cross between a finishing school and a nurturing, extended family–a place where “you see girls transforming before your eyes into vibrant, confident, assertive young people.
On January 1st, 2010 the community will join the African American Dance Ensemble and Chuck Davis for the culminating program at the Durham Armory, downtown for KWANZAAFEST 2010. Doors open at 12 noon until 6pm. This event is free and open to the public.
Kwanzaa is an African American holiday celebrated from December 26 through January 1. It is based on the agricultural celebration of Africa called “the first fruits” celebrations, which celebrate the times of harvest, gathering, reverence, commemoration of the past, recommitment to cultural ideals and celebration of the good.
Kwanzaa was created out of the philosophy of Kawaida, which is a cultural nationalist philosophy that argues that the key challenge in black peoples’ lives is the challenge of culture, and that what Africans must do is to discover and bring forth the best of their culture, both ancient and current, and use it as a foundation to bring into being models of human excellence and possibilities to enrich and expand our lives.
It was created in the midst of our struggles of liberation in the 1960’s and was part of our organization US” efforts to create, recreate and circulate African culture as an aid to building community, enriching black consciousness, and reaffirming the value of culture grounding for life and struggle.
Kwanzaa is celebrated by millions of people of African descent through out the world African community. As a cultural holiday, Africans practice it from all religions, traditions, all classes, all ages and generations, and all political persuasions on the common ground of their African ness in all its historical and cultural diversity and unity.
To find out more about KwanzaaFest contact AADE at (919) 560-2729 or HHC at (919) 683-1709. You can also visit our web site at http://africanamericandance.org.
