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Coro-Coro Cha-Cha-Cha, #1

Because we gonna keep dancing.

Coronavirus! Put ya an inna de er!

As the world-wide-wave of solidarity distancing and confinement washed from East to West, the world of black dance was eventually directly engaged – and active!

On March 17 the one and only Debbie Allen hosted a free class on Instagram, that was hilariously blogged. Shérane Figaro of Aurée Danse Création fame has moved her innovative ESANS technique classes online, too – shimmy on over to the Facebook group and get your yanvalou on every Saturday at 11 am. The legendary Alvin Ailey company is also broadcasting a performance every Monday at 7 pm. Be there, or be square!

Many thanks to my commère Émilie Jabouin for hepping me to Dancing Alone Together, which “aims to be a central resource for the dance world during this time of “social distancing”. Find online classes (which you can filter by genre, such as hint hint, African dance), peruse creation prompts and watch performances, all courtesy Katherine Disenhof (dancer, graphic designer, and arts administrator). For those who lean more Facebook dance movement therapist Lindsay Ann Sworski launched DisDANCING – Global ONLINE Dance Resources for Thriving During Pandemic.

Fellow Nyata Nyata alum dancer and dance historian Rhodnie Désir is using her Facebook to signal boost performing artists – check it out and maybe even reach out if you have a project you feel needs amplifying. Eva Yaa Assaantewa’s groundbreaking dance blog Infinite Body has a new series, Artists Reach Out: reflections in a time of isolation. Definitely to be put on the top of your reading list!

Like a number of events over the past month danceGathering Lagos pushed forward and simply moved online. The gathering brought together over 100 people to answer the question “how [to] dance together when our bodies are separated?” Follow the hashtag – #danceGATHERING2020.

Meanwhile, I’m waiting for the crop of choreographies come fall “anchored in the movement lexicon of coronavirus gestures”. Because, woo-wee! This is the typical routine of a Chinese doctor putting on PPE to treat COVID-19 patients.

For those of us missing club dancing, DJ D-Nice regularly breaks the internet with his Quarantine Parties, and DJ Gardy‘s sets are already a fixed date in my calendar. #DontTalkToMeImBusyBustinAGroove

Speaking of music, the Afrisopric stage lost two greats to covid-19, Aurlus Mabélé and the inimitable Manu Dibango. Read Léonora Miano‘s heartfelt goodbye letter to the musical great.

Didn’t see your fave? Please email me about anything and everything you know is going on with movement and dance of the African diaspora!

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