Photo by: Edward Miller Photography ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ​ ​ ​ ​ EVENT: Dimensions Dance Theater's Sneak Peek (A Meet the Choreographers’ Showcase) ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ with choreographers Latanya d. Tigner and Andrea Vonny Lee ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ DATE: October 21, 2017 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ TIME: 8:00pm ​ ​ ​ VENUE: The Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1428 Alice Street, Oakland, CA 94612 ​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Tickets: Available through eventbrite.com ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ General Admission: $20.00 ​ ​ ​ ​ Students: $15.00 ​ ​ Join us Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 8:00pm for a unique Sneak Peek: Meet The Choreographers ​ ​ Event. Observe what it takes to stage dances on the company and how these themes uniquely evolve into dances destined to become part of Dimensions vast repertory. Meet choreographers Latanya d.Tigner and Andrea Vonny Lee to see what’s in the works; understand their creative process and learn about the inspirations that lead to their new work. Gain knowledge of their research and different methods used to create original choreography; have a conversation with these incredibly innovative women; moreover, have the opportunity to inquire and give feedback about their process. Meet the company dancers and alumni that will share their experience as the work unfolds as Latanya and Andrea communicate the ideas behind their work. What drives the choreography? And How they use movement, text and sound to tell the story. ​ ​ 1) Ain’t No Turning Back, a new work choreographed by Andrea V. Lee, based on the spirit and tenacity ​ of African American heroine Harriet Ross Tubman, a scout and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War. Freedom-seekers used the Underground Railroad- the first organized freedom movement in America. “Conductors” “freight” “tickets” had a will of steel, facing monstrous odds in their pursuit of liberty--or death. Ain’t No Turning Back will ultimately journey to Ghana, the origin of Harriet’s ​ ​ Grandmother. 2) Another new work, Untitled, choreographed by Latanya d. Tigner will speak to false perceptions and ​ ​ interpersonal narratives of being homeless but not hopeless. The work will explore attitudes of fear and judgements; moreover, the importance of shifting these opinions to bridge the divide that will mend cultural insensitivity about homeless life. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Both works will premiere in April 2018 for Dimensions’ 45th Anniversary at The Malonga Casquelourd ​ Center for the Arts. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Mission Statement: ​ ​ Dimensions Dance Theater is a dance company and school whose mission is to create, perform, and teach dance that reflects the lives and historical experience of the African Diaspora. We fulfill this mission through the presentation of traditional African dances and contemporary choreography drawn from African, jazz, and modern dance idioms. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The Company: ​ ​ Under the continuing artistic leadership of co-founder Deborah Brooks Vaughan, DDT performs the work of the artistic director along with that of some of the most acclaimed West African, South African, Afro-Haitian, and African American choreographers working today. DDT also regularly collaborates on work with such outstanding creative partners as Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company, Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, poet Nikki Giovanni, and composer Anthony Brown, to name just a few. In 2014, we premiered “Rhythms of Life/Down the Congo Line,” an ambitious collaboration with four outstanding traditional artist/choreographers, at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. In 2015 we premiered The Town, a work that spoke to gentrification and in 2016 we premiered a remake of Project Panther accompanied by composer Glen Pearson and quartet. The company also presents “It Takes a Village” annually in May. The company has toured Germany, Jordan, Cuba, Zimbabwe and regions of the United States. Since 1993 Dimensions has offered the Rites of Passage program, which has been acknowledged with a Channel 7 Jefferson Award and a Marcus Foster Foundation Award. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The Choreographers: ​ ​ Latanya d. Tigner has performed professionally with Dimensions Dance Theater since 1986, and has studied and toured nationally and internationally, performing multidisciplinary works rooted African diasporic dance forms. She holds a holds a B.A. in Physical Education/Dance and a Master's Degree in ​ Arts Administration, and currently teaches dance at Contra Costa College and UC Berkeley. She has ​ worked with numerous choreographers and dance companies, including KKDE, Art of Ballet, Robert Henry Johnson, Elwah Movement, Housin’ Authority, RaRa Toulimen, Fua Dia Congo, Urban Bush Women (SLI), Kiandanda Dance, Soul Nubian’s Global Street Dance, and many more. Tigner has created commissioned works for Dimensions Dance Theater, Black Choreographers Festival, Robert Moses’ Kin, and has presented work in SF Ethnic Dance Festival, Cuba Caribe, and Mabina Dance Festival (Congo-Brazzaville). She has also set choreography for Cal Shakes’ production of Black Odyssey, SF ​ ​ Shakespeare’s production of A Winter’s Tale, Umbuntu Theatre’s production of Dance of the Holy Ghost, ​ ​ ​ Delina Dream Production’s An Open Love Letter to Black Fathers, Li Smith’s production of Purlie ​ ​ Victorious, and Contra Costa College’s productions of In the Blood, For Colored Girls, and Godspell. ​ ​ ​ ​ Tigner currently directs Dimensions Extensions Performance Ensemble, Dimensions’ pre-professional ensemble. Andrea Vonny Lee, Oklahoma Native and descendant of Freedman, grew up in Richmond, CA. Her ​ dance career spans 25+ years as a performer; choreographer; dance educator. Educational accomplishments include transfer from Merritt College to SFSU to earn a B.A. Dance; Teaching Credential-Physical Education; M.A. Secondary Education; and current doctoral studies at San Diego State University in Community College Leadership. Lee attended dance schools in the Bay Area/New York and was fortunate to study multiple times in East St. Louis under the tutelage of 1st/2nd generation Dunham Master Instructors, including the legendary Katherine Dunham. Lee performed nationally and internationally as a principal dancer with Nuba Dance Theater, Petit la Croix, and Dimensions Dance Theater, under Artistic directors Evelyn Thomas, Blanche Brown, and Deborah Vaughan. Her work has been presented by Black Choreographer’s, San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival; African American Shakespeare, Nuba Dance Theater, San Francisco State, Laney College and more. Lee’s awards include California Arts Council’s Artist-in-Residency, Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, and Oakland Cultural Arts Community Service Award. Andrea is Department Chair/full-time Dance professor at Laney College where she co-founded Jikelele South African Dance Theater- serving as the volunteer Associate Director alongside Artistic Director, Thamsanqa Hlatywayo, 2012 - 2017. Founder/director of Cultural Links to Academic and Social Success, 2012, Andrea has led 12+ cultural connection tours to Ghana, Benin, Cuba and Ethiopia (upcoming), bridging international artists of the African Diaspora. Her research includes Preservation of African Dance in Community Colleges; Equity in Study Abroad; and Modern-Dance in the African Diaspora. “Ain’t No Turning Back” will be performed by Ghana’s National Dance and National Theater Ensembles as a full-evening work for the company’s 25th anniversary in ​ Ghana, West Africa, 2018. Andrea is the mother of one daughter in college. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ CONTACT INFORMATION: ​ ​ Email: [email protected] ​ ​​ Website: www.dimensionsdance.org ​ ​​ Phone: 510 465-3363 ​ ​ ​ ​ Fax: 510 465-3364 ​ ​ ​ ​.