West African Dance

This class will consist of a short warm-up and will involve teaching the fundamentals of dance techniques from Guinea, and Senegal West Africa.  The dances focused on in this class are Sorsornea & Sunu. Sorsornea gives thanks to protect the children and is initiation dance from the Boke village, in Guinea, West Africa. However, it became so popular that everyone is dancing Sorsornea in Guinea, West Africa. Sunu this dance is performed to celebrate the harvest and the girls demonstrate  their grace and beauty and the boys demonstrate their strength and vigor. This dance is from Mali, West Africa.

Artist Bio

NAJWA Dance Corps (NDC) is a company of professional dancers and musicians dedicated to the preservation of dance styles and techniques of different eras which reflect the African-American dance heritage and experience. The company performs dance within a historical context or from an historical perspective that is both educational and entertaining. NDC has grown over the years through presenting traditional and contemporary dances of Africa such as dances from the Old Mali Empire and the Caribbean, traditional (swing) and contemporary jazz, tap, nostalgic dances such as the Cakewalk (1900s), and the developing hip hop styles of the 21st century.

The company stages and performs dance styles and techniques that will survive the millennium. The company performs dances from the African-American Diaspora which is comprised of African dance, Caribbean dance, and African-American dance. African dances are from various countries such as Liberia, the Sene-Gambia region, and Guinea. Caribbean dances such as Fire Dance and Limbo are from Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, and the Bahamas. The African-American dances include The Hoofers Club, Rent Party, and Duke Ellington Suite.

The Dance of Afro-Cuban Orishas

In this introductory class we will learn the basic steps of the dances of a few of the many Orishas in the Yoruba Pantheon. We will learn the isolation of body parts, grounded movement, and the cultural meaning of the steps. The class also explores how the same step can be executed differently, depending on which Orisha is the focus.

Artist Bio

Michel Rodiguez Cintra joined Lucky Plush in 2013, originated roles in The Queue, SuperStrip, Rooming House, Rink Life, and Happy Returns, and joined the touring cast of The Better Half and Cinderbox 2.0. Michel was born in Havana, and is a former principal member of Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, and danced with Hedwig Dances, Concert Dance Inc., and as a guest artist with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. As a founding member and co-choreographer with The Cambrians, Michel was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 To Watch” in 2014. Choreography credits include works for Hedwig Dances, one of which was a finalist in the A.W.A.R.D Show 2010, Visceral Dance Chicago’s Solus and Dance in the Parks, among others. Michel was named one of “The Men of 2010” by Time Out Chicago, and is the recipient of the 2013 3Arts Award in Dance. In addition to being an ensemble member of Lucky Plush, Michel is an adjunct faculty member at Columbia College Chicago and has taught master classes nationally and internationally.