The DuSable Museum of African American History presents an evening-length sampling of African performance at the Harris Theater, some traditional—as with Ghanaian company Tatjj Drama ‘N’ Dance Ensemble—some contemporary and inspired by the diaspora—as with music, poetry and dance group Giwayen Mata. The program is advertised as an arm of the museum’s permanent collection—a new live component to flesh out the ongoing “Africa Speaks,” an exhibition that tours African culture region by region.
Also performing are Chicago-based theatrical dance-fusion company the Andrea Kelly Dance Ensemble, a group dedicated to urban youth outreach, and multidisciplinary arts collective POETREE (yes, it’s an acronym, albeit an ungainly one). POETREE is a collaboration between musicians, emcees and poets that strives to create urban music with a positive message. The Odyssey promises to be an upbeat, family-oriented presentation of both African and African American performance art. (Sharon Hoyer)
At the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 East Randolph, (312)334-7777, October 31.
Related Stories
Perception and the Body: A preview of The Way You Look (at me) Tonight at the MCA It’s all these quite big concepts of philosophy and intersectionality and identity, but it’s also fun and lighthearted as well.
Seen, Unseen: A Preview of “What Remains” at the MCA Warehouse This multidisciplinary performance at the MCA's off-site warehouse space addresses issues of race, opposition, hostility, identity and disappearance, bringing into question what it means to be simultaneously surveyed and ignored as a black person in society.
Bringing People Together: A Preview of the Instigation Festival A festival that aspires to combine music and dance, southern sound and Chicago performance movement.
Fall Theater Preview: 2019 Edition A guide to our city's most abundant theatrical season.
Raw Talent Refined: A Preview of "Body Passages" Poetry and dance have always shared a denigrated status across cultures for not commanding the material value of the other art forms and their attendant cultural sway, so it’s nice to see the two team up in defiance.
Testing Bounds: A Preview of Unwinding at the Studebaker Theater Pranita (Jain) Nayar, executive artistic director of Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, is testing the bounds of the highly formal dance style she has worked in for over thirty years: the Indian classical dance Bharatanatyam.
