AAAI's African American Dance Company will present its 14th Annual Dance Workshop on February 24-25 at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center (NMBCC) on the IU Bloomington campus. The mission of the dance workshop is to expose participants to dance from the African American and African Diaspora perspectives through master dance classes, panel discussions and enlightening dialogues. This year's workshop features four distinguished guest artists (more biographical details are below).
REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED ONLINE. To register, click here. Full registration fees (Friday and Saturday) is $120 for all ages. Saturday registration only (includes three classes) is $70 for all ages. Single class fees are $25. The workshop's luncheon is $10 per person. For more information, contact Professor Iris Rosa, Director, at rosa@indiana.edu or call (812) 855-8079.
To see the class registration list, click here. For our use, please fill this form out and return to Professor Iris Rosa. Remember to also register online for payment.
Registration in Bridgwaters Lounge: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Modern Dance ~ Hall in A217: 1:30 p.m.
West Indian ~ Baker in A217: 3:00 p.m.
Panel Discussion with the artists! Free to the public in the Grand Hall: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Registration in Bridgewaters Lounge: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
9:30 a.m.
Modern Dance ~ Hall in Grand Hall
Afro-Cuban Traditional ~ Kindelan in A217
Cuban Modern Dance ~ LaO in A200
11:00 a.m.
West Indian ~ Baker in A200
Afro-Cuban Traditional ~ Kindelan in Grand Hall
Cuban Modern Dance ~ LaO in A217
Luncheon in Grand Hall: 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
Salsa ~ Kindelan in Grand Hall
Cuban Modern Dance Choreographic Workshop (15 Advanced Students Only) ~ LaO in HPER Dance Studio
West Indian Choreographic Workshop ~ Baker in A200
Modern Dance Choreographic Workshop ~ Hall in A217
DANCE SHOWCASE (Free to the public) ~ Neal Marshall Black Culture Center: 7:00 p.m.
REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED ONLINE. To register, click here.
Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Fred Baker started dancing at the age of six and embarked on a tour of the West Indies at the age of 10. On returning to Jamaica, Baker received his first professional dance training from Mr. Alan Ivanhoe, who was trained by the National Dance Theatre of Jamaica. He studied under Madam Ashkin, Neville Black, Mr. Boscoe Holder, and immersed himself in Jazz, Ballet, Dunham, and Graham technique classes. In his native hometown of Montego Bay, he took the challenge. In 1971, Mr. Baker founded and served as artistic director and choreographer of hte Western Jamaica Folk Dance Co., which later evolved into the West Indian Folk Dance Company to be more inclusive of other Caribbean Nationals. Mr. Baker has held a prominent position in Chicago for more than two decades, as a standard-bearer for African diasporic dance and folkloric music, and he remains a vital part of Chicago cultural arts education community. Mr. Baker founding director of the WIFDC, has performed and taught Afro-Caribbean dance forms internationally - from the islands, to Europe & the U.S.
Joseph "Joel" Hall was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 20, 1949. Hall began his dancing career in 1968 under the tutelage of Ed Parrish, and the following year, he moved to New York City, where he studied under Denise Jefferson. Returning to Chicago, he earned his B.A. degree in sociology from Northeastern Illinois University in 1972. In 1974, Hall and Joseph Ehrenberg co-founded the Chicago City Theatre Company, which later became the Joel Hall Dance Center. Hall now serves as the artistic director and principal choreographer for the Joel Hall Dancers, and director and chief instructor of the training studio. Over the years, the Joel Hall Dancers have gained an international reputation and Hall has been widely acclaimed as a choreographer. His company has performed three seasons at the prestigious Joyce Theater in New York, and he has led the company on nine international tours, beginning with the Glasgow May Fest in 1985. Hall has created ballets for the Chicago City Ballet, the Zenon Dance Company in Minneapolis and Ballet Tennessee in Chattanooga, as well as choreographing the opera "The Pearl Fishers" at the Chicago Opera Theatre. In addition to these and many other productions, he has created more than forty ballets for his own company. He has also taught internationally, conducting classes in Liverpool, Glasgow, Inverness, Kirkcaldy, Belfast, and the United Kingdom. The signature dance style of the Joel Hall Dancers ("JHD") incorporates ballet, jazz, modern, funk, and "street dance" using contemporary jazz and house music to create an innovative and continuously evolving dance style that is appealing, relevant, and approachable for those frequently underserved by the arts. The Joel Hall Dancers maintain a citywide, national, and international reputation not only for their diversity and innovation but also for their substantive sociological content and engaging aesthetic style.
Mr. Kindelan Nordet is from Guantanamo, Cuba and is an accomplished dancer, vocalist, and percussionist in the following styles: Merengue Haitiano, Rumba, Gaga, Palo, Vodu, Tumba Francesa, Tajon and Chancleta. His family of folkloric musicians and dancers of Haitian descent nurtured his talents encouraging him to pursue his career as a percussionist. He earned his degree (equivalent to an MFA) from the Centro Nacional de Superacion de la Ensenanza Artistica (CNSEA) in Havana (National University for the performing arts). He became Director of the Folkloric Studies Dept. at CNSEA from 1982-1985, and acted as Professor of Folkloric Percussion at CNSEA, Pablo Milanes Foundation and La Escuela Nacional De Artes. He has provided instruction at Caribbean Music and Dance's Cuban Salsa workshops in San Francisco, the California Academy of Arts and Sciences, Alhambra Academy, Santa Clara University, Sacramento City College, Alice Arts Center in Oakland, Mission Cultural Club and Humboldt State University. His performing career includes lead percussionist for numerous groups including Projecto Folklorico, Banrara, Ballet de Belgium and Conjunto Folklorico Cutumba de Santiago, Cuba. Mr. Kindelan-Nordet will be teaching the Oriente dance traditions with Mr. Silfredo LaO.
Mr. La O is a professional dancer in the Afro-Cuban and Haitian tradition, modern contemporary dance, popular Latin dance. He is a graduate of the National School of Art in Havana, Cuba where he obtained a B.A. in Modern Dance and Afro Cuban Dance. He toured professionally with Cutumba: Ballet Folklorico Afro Cubano for five years and with the modern dance company ODC in San Francisco from 2001-2003. He now resides in San Diego and currently teaches at Palomar College as a Dance Professor. He is also the Musical Director of the Palomar College Drum and Dance Ensemble. Mr. La O is a visual artist as well and has shown his work at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco and ODC Gallery in San Francisco. Mr. La O will be teaching Technica Cubana, the Cuban Modern dance tradition and modern dance warm-up technique from the a codified style of modern dance practiced in Cuba.
