DANCES OF GHANA AND WEST AFRICA BY KUUMBA DANCE ENSEMBLE

Sheron White Simpson, Choreographer and Director of Kuumba Dance Ensemble and its drummers has been rehearsing the troupe and its new students from Amherst County to perform at Second Stage Amherst, 194 Second Street, Amherst Mainstage on Feb. 8, 2025 at 4 pm.

Amherst Glebe Arts Response (AGAR) received a grant from Virginia Commission for the Arts for Kuumba Dance Ensemble and Mrs. Simpson to begin teaching a series of West African Dance workshops at Second Stage I Amherst from Virginia Commission.in November 2024. The Company has now been able to learn specific Ghanaian young women's dances from African College students who learned them at home before coming to the United States. Mrs. Simpson has been able to add their dances to her own choreography.

Amherst Glebe Arts Response (AGAR) received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts "BIG READ" in partnership with Arts Midwest for the adult community in Amherst to read "Homegoing"(2016) by Yaa Gyasi an award-winning African American novelist, born in Africa and raised in Alabama. AGAR felt that many activities being conducted in Amherst in conjunction with The Big Read, from book clubs to creative writing workshops to genealogy workshops, were aimed at adults. AGAR wanted to sponsor African cultural activities, particularly dance workshops and a premiere African dacne concert that would include elementary school aged dancers to senior citizen drummers and dancers. The concert is scheduled for February 8, 2025 at 4 pm.

Please note that AGAR gives free admission to families in the WIC program. Adult tickets are $10 and student tickets are $5.

Kuumba is a popular dance company in Greater Lynchburg performing African and African American traditional dances at many festivals and community amd holiday celebrations. Sheron White Simpson gre up, went to school in Lynchburg, then lived, danced and taught in Baltimore, Washington, DC and Africa. She recently returned to Lynchburg to care for her late mother, where she established and now runs oh-so-popular Kuumbs with support from the Lynchburg Recreation and Parks Departments and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

Lynn Kable, AGAAR's president, stresses how much fun the fall series of African Dance Workshops with Kuumba have been. "The Amherst Kuumba students are looking forward to auditioning and dancing in the Company's first Ghanaian dance concert in February" said Kable. "Sheron is an inspired teacher and everyone is having a great time."

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Second Stage | Amherst, 194 2nd Street, Amherst, United States