multidisciplinary

bainbridge Island arts education

community consortium presents

ocheami ~International outreach

performances

West African drumming, dance, song, and storytelling from Ghana and Zimbabwe

November 13 & 14, 2008
Thursday @ 11:00 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Friday @ 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.

Tickets:
$6 per person; call or email Bonnie Showers @ 206.842.7901 or 206.855.7816
All teachers and chaperones receive 5 complimentary tickets per group of 25

Ocheami is a group of performers with a common goal, to study and share West African culture with their audiences. In the Ga Language (Ghana, Africa), Ocheami means linquist, the representative who speaks on behalf of the chief. Performers are speaking on behalf of West African people through drumming, dance, song and storytelling. Ocheami is currently celebrating 21+ years providing excellent performances in these disciplines. Ocheami's work is guided by deep beliefs in the celebration of diversity, and is based on the seven principles of Kwanzaa (an African-American holiday celebration): Umoja (unity), Kujichaguilia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work), Ujama (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). Come enjoy the magic, stories, melodies and enticing rhythms of West Africa with Ocheami!

Lora Lue Chiorah-Dye of the Sukutai Cultural Performing Ensemble joins the program to bring dance/music/stories of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. Lora Lue Chiorah-Dye, a native of Zimbabwe, has resided in the Northwest since the 1970s and is the artistic director of Sukutai Cultural Performing Ensemble. She has captivated American audiences with song, storytelling, music and dance from her native culture, the Shona People, and has been instrumental in the development of the Pacific Northwest African cultural scene. She has worked as an artist-in-residence with the Washington State Arts in Education Program for the past 30 years and as a recreation specialist at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center for 25 years. As a choreographer, she worked on Follow the Drinking Gourd for the Children's Theatre, Takunda for the Seattle Repertory and The Wiz with the Langston Hughes Summer Teens. Ms. Chiorah-Dye and her group have toured the United States and Canda, and have entertained the U.S. military in many countries, including Iceland, Denmark, England, Scotland.

Performances are 50 minutes to one hour and are recommended for all ages.