Cultural Awareness

A performance dedicated to who we are as a people and where we come from, different countries and cultures. America and North Macedonia are a world apart, yet artists are coming together to create a breathtakingly brilliant work, The Way of the Clave.
North Macedonian jazz guitarist Toni Kitanovski and his Romani band let the music flow into a score as DBDT dancer/choreographer Claude Alexander III feels the music and transforms it into passionate movements for DBDT dancers. The result, a live music and dance world premiere woven from the tapestry of this cultural collage.

Mesmerized eyes are transfixed as they observe Awassa Astrige/Ostrich regally glide across the stage, no matter how many times they have experienced this classic 89-year-old work. A male soloist becomes The Ostrich. A powerful presence along with fluid and awe-inspiring controlled movements are reasons why this work has become an audience favorite. Sierra Leone native Asadata Dafora created the majestic work in 1932 with musical accompaniment of hypnotic, percussive African rhythms.

“Edgy, thrilling, and evocative.” That is how The Berkshire Edge described Night Run by international choreographer Christopher L. Huggins as it unfolded at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2021. Huggins combined modern dance and classical ballet over Flamenco-influenced guitar and a slow waltz in the work, as he explored the transformation of social interactions when night falls and time seems to become an illusion.