Sankofa, Forces of Nature featured at annual BFL festival
Better Family Life will host its 22nd annual Black Dance U.S.A. May 16-20 at the Center of Contemporary Arts (COCA), 524 Trinity Avenue in University City.
In the education component, classes will be offered in Caribbean, Congolese, Dunham Technique, Hip-Hop, Tap, Ivory Coast, West African, North African (Belly Dancing) and Afro Jazz dance, plus African percussion, songs and stiltwalking.
The annual event will culminate on Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by the Forces of Nature Dance Theatre Company of New York, under the direction of Abdel R. Salaam at the Center of Contemporary Arts Theatre.
The company will perform “Eclipse: Visions of the Crescent and the Cross.” Eclipse is a dance theatre masterpiece that explores the cultural, historical and mythical conflicts and similarities between Christianity and Islam. The piece works its way from the Crusades to the present, highlighting topics such as the Moorish ghettos of ancient Britain, Andalusian Spain, Black Muslim/Christian dialects in America and the events of September 11. The
The New York Times described s December 2006 concert as “a sprawling, visionary piece, astonishing in its ambition, hope and faith.”
Deborah Ahmed of Better Family said “Eclipse: Vision of the Crescent & the Cross” is “a choreodrama that tells a story in a full evening length concert. The topic is relevant to a world conflict that has created tremendous controversy.”
She also said this year’s festival has two host dance companies, Sankofa Productions of Barbados and Forces of Nature at the Blanche Touhill Performing Arts Center at UMSL.
“Abdel Salaam, founding artistic director of Forces, is one of the most creative minds in the world,” Ahmed said.
“He addresses themes and topics through movements that are controversial and inspiring, and then finds dancers and musicians who can execute his vision at the highest artistic levels. His themes can take both artist and audience to the edge.”
