Choreographed byRobin Wilson, in collaboration with cast

Scenic Designer Jungah Han

Rehearsal DirectorMarly Spieser-Schneider

Costume DesignerSarah M Oliver

Lighting DesignerJoseph R. Walls

Sound ComposerBradley Phillips

Sound DesignerJoshua Harrison

Filmmaker/Video EditorGinny Jiang

Photographer/FilmmakerChien-An Yuan

VocalistsD. Yarrow Halstead, Edith Lewis, Kathleen Moore, Robin Wilson

Vocals/FiddleRebekah Geller

Percussion/CajonAustin Nordhaus

Landrie Adams, CiCi Benn, Aaliyah Brown, Rachel Dunklee, Curry Jackson, Kennedy Marshall, Violeta Neuman, Emily Roitman, Jessica Serres, Brooke Shaw, Gabriele Shepheard, Najah Tucker

SwingsVivian Clay, Chelsea Wallington

UnderstudiesChloe Erwin, Jaclyn Dierkes, Mary Kacsur

In May of 1803, 75 enslaved Africans of the Igbo nation (from what is now called northern Nigeria) defiantly waded into the cool waters of Dunbar Creek on St. Simons, Georgia. Still chained together and having just overpowered their captors on a small vessel off the Georgia coast, they chose death over a life of enslavement in one of the largest mass suicides of enslaved West Africans in the history of chattel slavery.

Inspired by Virginia Hamilton’s picture book The people could fly and other related texts, “Flying Home: The People Could Fly” explores ideas around flight and return. The dance investigates the imagination of supernatural power and the soul’s return from exile through systems of flight. What if those Igbos DIDN’T drown but flew home? And if not home, back to Africa, where?

In Jason Young’s All God’s Children and Lorna McDaniel’s The Flying Africans retelling, the Igbo people were heard to be singing “Ku mbuba yandi, ku mbuba ntambe, ku nkonku yandi, ku nkonku ntambe,” the Luba proverb loosely translated to mean “He is tricky, so I will win by being tricky, too!”

I want to thank Dr. Jason Young and the late Dr. Lorna McDaniel for their invaluable research that pushed me to dig into the work, my music and video collaborators, and my inspirational cast of dancers.

Choreographed byFLOCK: Alice Klock and Florian Lochner

Rehearsal DirectorGinny Jiang

Costume DesignerSarah M Oliver

Lighting DesignerJoseph R. Walls

Sound Designer/EngineerAaron Kippola

DancersLandrie Adams, Paige Ashley, Alexandra Baron, CiCi Benn, Anna Bodescu, Vivian Clay, Robert Farr-Jones, Gabrielle Kiminyo, Jessica Knapp, Sarah Lau, Megan Piagentini, Madison Rogers, Emily Roitman, Brooke Shaw, Caitlyn Wade, Olivia Weber

UnderstudiesEve Anderson, Gabriella Boutiette, Julianne Doner, Sarah Gorman, Alyssa Hernandez, Mallory McKenna

Inspired by medieval stories and the richness of myths of knighthood, “ReQuest” celebrates the power of individuals coming together around a collective mission or journey. This new work explores the beauty and profundity of bravely following a sense of “calling” and emphasizes that it is through commitment that we can achieve unity and peace within our eternal questing.

ChoreographerBiza Sompa

Scenic DesignerJungah Han

Costume DesignerSarah M Oliver

Lighting DesignerJoseph R. Walls

Sound Designer/EngineerAaron Kippola

Rehearsal Director and DramaturgTamara Tucker-Ibarisha

DrummersAndoche Loubaki, Abraham Kayne, Billy Noah, Biza Sompa

SoloistsTamara Tucker-Ibarisha, Angelica White

DancersAva Barber, Anna Bodescu, Julianne Doner, Keara Eaton, Emerson Forbes, Ava Garland, Natalia Gomez, Gabrielle Kiminyo, Annie Laforet, Megan Piagentini, Bridghaite Rosario, Ladina Schaller, Erika Siblesz, Dahvi Simon, Angelica White, Natalie Yu

“Mabanza” is an evocative dance journey presented in three movements: ”Mama Mousayandi,” “Tata Sompa,” and “Ma Moundele.” Choreographed by Biza Sompa in loving tribute to his late mother, father, and grandmother (respectively) for whom the dances are named. Each dance explores the profound themes of transition, progress, and reunion in the afterlife. “Mama Mousayandi” moves with a slow, deliberate pace, capturing the delicate yet emerging acceptance of one’s journey into the afterlife. Dancers embody an uncertainty that accompanies the passage into the afterlife, moving with a grace that speaks to the weight of loss and letting go while also finding the courage to embrace what lies ahead. The song “Nao Tsetsa” is a Congolese folk song that hauntingly captures the voice of a young woman who drowns in the river, leaving a baby behind. Wistfully, the spirit of the woman calls to her mother who is now caring for the baby and asks them both to move on with life while also remembering her through the personal artifacts that she has left behind.

Excerpts from “Tata Sompa” are included in this staging of the choreography that Biza created in honor of his father. In stark contrast, “Ma Moundele” bursts forth as a joyous celebration, reflecting the exhilaration of reunion. Dancers come alive with a vibrant energy that is emblematic of Esombi, the foundational rhythm for this dance. The movements illustrate the soul’s embrace of joy as it reconnects with ancestors, finding its rightful place in the realm beyond. This piece radiates a spirit of togetherness and celebration, reminding us of the enduring bonds that transcend even death. Together, these works invite the audience to reflect on the nature of life, loss, and the transformative power of love.

–Tamara Tucker-Ibarisha, rehearsal director and dramaturg