Part 2 ~ UNGANISHA: Explore.Connect.Dance.

Exploring the importance of African origins in popular dance genres, this dance theatre production is a not-to-be-missed highlight for the 2021 Black History Month celebration.

UNGANISHA, a Swahili word for “connection,” invites all to share, learn and connect through the beauty and diversity of African arts and culture. On February 13 and 20, 2021 we are thrilled to be spotlighting some of the city’s best dance performers and choreographers while educating our audience about the lesser-known origins of popular dance forms in a two-part digital dance spectacle. We are revisiting our first-ever UNGANISHA production from 2018 to commemorate our 2021 UNGANISHA theme of “Rebirth.”

Through movement and storytelling of an interstellar love story, an all-Calgary team of dancers, actors, and choreographers journey through Tap, Jazz, Hip-hop, Samba, Capoeira, Step, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Caribbean, and Salsa to celebrate their genesis, their contemporary popularity, and their ability to connect people across cultures and continents. UNGANISHA identifies each style as owing to African traditions while distinctly belonging to modern popular culture to focus on the creative possibilities that emerge when different peoples, cultures, and artistic traditions intermingle.