A dynamic and empowering performance on tour from Medelin, Colombia, shares The City of Others at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre (VDPAC) Tuesday.
Colombia’s leading contemporary dance company Sankofa Danzafro is in town for the Feb. 18 show at 7:30 p.m.
The City of Others was created by Sankofa Danzafro in celebration of Colombia’s 159th anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery, commissioned by the mayor’s office of Medellin, Casa de Integracion Afrocolombiana, in 2010.
The City of Others is a high-powered, high-energy Afro-Colombian musical and dance performance with a dramatic flare for storytelling that “showcases the company’s exploration of inclusion, resilience and collective belonging through powerful movement and live music”, writes Vicki Duong, The Georgia Straight. “It draws on Colombia’s complex history, particularly the experiences of its Afro-descendant communities. Inspired by the Ghanian concept of Sankofa (meaning “to return to the root”), it emphasizes the importance of understanding the past to shape the future.”
In this performance, these communities and other marginalized peoples, who have been treated in the same dismissive manner - as second class citizens - claim political and social power, transcending racism and prejudice for an ultimately exulting and empowering climax.
Founded by Rafael Palacios, artistic director, Sankofa Danzafro has become a powerful vehicle for cultural expression and social commentary: “In The City of Others, this is their city—it is everyone’s city.”
“We are repeatedly amazed by our internationally-touring contemporary dance companies,” says VDPAC executive director, Jim Harding. “They are always bold in their interpretation, theatrical in their staging, and make the most of their obvious artistry they share with our audiences—that’s why we want to feature these artists in our SPOTLIGHT Seasons.”
Tickets are available at the Ticket Seller Box Office (250-549-7469) and online at: http://www.ticketseller.ca
Audience Advisory: Features intense themes of racial discrimination and struggle, which may evoke strong emotional responses.
