Dance Umbrella announces its first Youth Dance Camp:
African Arts - Dance & Drum
with Washington, DC based company, Coyaba Dance Theatre
AUSTIN, TX - African Arts - Dance & Drum Camp will take place July 27 -
August 7, Monday through Friday from 12:00 - 4:00pm. Students ages 7 -14
are eligible to participate. The camp will take place at St. James
Episcopal Church, 1941 Webberville Rd. and will culminate with two
performances at Akins High School on August 7 & 8. Drums will be
provided.
Coyaba Dance Theater (CDT) is a contemporary West African Dance Company
founded by Sylvia Soumah in 1997. The mission of Coyaba is to present
authentic portrayals of dance, music and other artistic and educational
programs focusing on the diverse ethnic groups of the African Diaspora and
the African American experience.
Coyaba Dance Theater are the 2001, 2004 recipients of the Washington DC
Dance Awards for Outstanding Group Performance. The company has performed
and toured at such venues as, World Culture Open in Seoul, Korea, Bouly
Sonko, Dakar Senegal, Le Bagatae, Moustapha Bangoura, Conakry, Guinea,
Dance Africa DC and Chicago, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts and the Bars of Wolf Trap.
Since its inception in 1977 the mission of Dance Umbrella has been to
promote the knowledge, appreciation and practice of dance. Throughout the
years, Dance Umbrella has engaged over 10,000 K-12 youth in its
educational programs - taking world class dance artists to schools for
performances and lecture/demonstrations. This summer, Dance Umbrella will
solidify its commitment to youth with its first Youth Dance Camp.
Executive Director, Phyllis Slattery states "These camps are for kids, not
dancers, (although some may be aspiring dancers), but our goal is to get
kids to move their bodies, free their imaginations and have FUN!"
Dance Umbrella presented CDT in Austin in 2006 at the State Theatre and
while in residence the company toured schools in Austin and Elgin and
performed for over 3,600 K- 6 students. During that time Artistic
Director, Sylvia Soumah and Slattery began talking about developing a
summer program for youth in Austin. Soumah has developed a reputation in
her home town of DC for her commitment to youth, community and education.
The fee to participate in the African Arts Dance & Drum Camp is $100.
Drums and costumes will be provided. For more information or to register,
contact Dance Umbrella at 512-450-0456.
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