“Feeling the rhythms of Africa and seeing the beautiful dance and stories, your heart will melt and expand. An incredible joy washes over you,” said Malena Amusa, founder of the entertainment company Addlife! World. “But also, people will fall in love again, with Africa, with life, and the soul of black people who continue to inspire this world.”
In honor of Black History Month, Adlife! will present “Africa: We Love to Dance” at 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 25 at The Lux (2619 Washington Blvd).
The show is jam-packed with live music, songs, and dances inspired by Africa, from Guinea, the Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast and Egypt. This concert is one of Amusa’s biggest –providing audiences with high doses of joy and fun, along with the dance and choreography.
Coming off the heels of Valentine’s Day, “We Love to Dance” focuses on love, and the power of coming together for a bigger cause. Choreographers include Amusa, Robert ‘RauTu’ Harris, who toured extensively with Destiny’s Child, and Carrie Collins-Whitfield, an African-American ballet force.
Amusa feels that one of the most exciting elements of what she offers as an artist is the weaving together of African and African-American expressions, movements, and experiences.
“In one breath, my choreography can be as fierce as Shango, the African deity, and as smooth and lyrical as a Marvin Gaye ballad in the next,” said Amusa, a Nigerian-American born in St. Louis.
The show pulls from Amusa’s extensive study of dance across Africa and the U.S. The cast will perform the captivating Gumboot dance from South Africa – a foot-stomping stepdance which Amusa learned 12 years ago while on a trip to Johannesburg, and later as a company member of the Las Vegas-based Cirque Zuma Zuma.
“I’m really excited about the Gumboot dance because it’s so complex, yet captivating,” Amusa said. “It takes you straight to South Africa, where the creative struggle to resist oppression rocked the world.”
In addition to the entertainment, Amusa ultimately hopes to reconnect people with the power of love and togetherness.
“I hope by honoring our past and present, I can put forth a vision for the future,” Amusa said. “One where families, communities, couples and individuals work together to achieve great things.”
“Africa: We Love to Dance” will take place 7pm at The Lux Theater at 2619 Washington Ave in St. Louis. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are $10 to $35. For tickets and more information, call (314) 458 – 4282 or visit Africawelovetodance.com.
