October 29, 2008

Contemporary dance, hip-hop troupe to perform at Purdue

The "When the Delta Speaks" contemporary dance concert will be performed at 7 p.m. in the Loeb Playhouse. The concert, choreographed by Millicent Johnnie, focuses on Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. The performance utilizes the hip-hop aesthetic as a vehicle for providing an artistic response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Johnnie has traveled internationally to research dance and has choreographed performances around the country. A native of Lafayette, La., she has researched the connection between indigenous Louisiana dance forms to that of Brazil and Cuba through the Atlantic Slave Trade. Johnnie served on the dance faculty at Tulane and Dillard universities and has toured as resident choreographer and rehearsal director for the Urban Bush Women. Her choreography has been featured on ESPN, the Sunshine Network, Dancenow/NYC Dance Harlem, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Lincoln Center in New York, and the New Orleans Jazz Dance Project.

The performance is part of the Black Cultural Center's semester-long examination of the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the retention of African-American culture and art.

Established in 1969, the Black Cultural Center is nationally recognized and acknowledged by the Association of Black Cultural Centers as one of the best centers of its kind. The center's director Renee Thomas said the center helps the community gain a greater understanding of African-American heritage and supports and enhances cultural diversity in the community. More information about the Black Cultural Center is available at https://purdue.edu/BCC.

Writer: Clyde Hughes, (765) 494-2073, jchughes@purdue.edu

Source:  Renee A. Thomas, (765) 494-3019, rathomas@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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