Sankofa Danzafro

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Colombian dance company Sankofa Danzafro returns to the Celebrity Series for an hour of timely and thought-provoking dance and live music. “Accommodating Lie,” the latest work by founder Rafael Palacios, features seven dancers and live musicians to “reaffirm the need for self-representation of Afro-descendant communities” in a forceful dismantling of stereotypes, clichés, and falsehoods about Black bodies and the meaning of being of African descent.

Throughout the performance, the Sankofa dancers rewrite history from the perspective of subjugated and colonized Colombians—and, in doing so, offer insight not only into Colombia’s racial and class history, but also interrogate issues with more far-reaching implications, including here in the United States. The work fits powerfully with the company’s ethos; “sankofa,” an African philosophy meaning “to return to the root,” suggests that the past is a keyhole through which to view the present and consider the future. 

This event is part of The Movement Series. Learn more >>

The 2021/22 Dance Series is sponsored by
Leslie & Howard Appleby, Stephanie L. Brown Foundation, Foley & Lardner LLP, Cynthia & John S. Reed Foundation, and Royal Little Family Foundation.

This performance is made possible in part by support from Celebrity Series' LIVE PERFORMANCE! Arts for All Endowment and Innovation Funds, with generous leadership support from Stephanie L. Brown Foundation.