>> COMMUNITY EVENT
Allied Arts is partnering with dance instructor Jason Aryeh to host African Dance classes for the community.
Aryeh has been dancing since he was a child through his educational career. He holds a BFA in Dance and African Studies from the University of Ghana and a MFA in Choreography and Performance from the State University of New York, College at Brockport. Presently, Aryeh is the artistic director and choreographer for the African Alive Dance Company, a professional, project-oriented contemporary afro-infusion dance company.
“Dance has been part of me since day one, and I always say, ‘I didn't choose dance. Dance chose me,” said Aryeh. “I became interested in dance because it gave me a sacred place to go and live within. A place where I find liberation and connections to do it all and be fulfilled.”
Aryeh recalls memories with his late “auntie” who would take him to small towns and villages to dance “from one event, as rites of passage, to the other.” While growing up in Ghana, dance was treated as an extracurricular activity in school and performed as entertainment at events. Aryeh stated, however, that it was discouraged as a career choice by many and still is.
“The art of dance was seen as a cultural activity meant for entertainment purposes. Society looked down and continues to do so at the thought of any art form being a profession,” said Aryeh. “It is a struggle that is not only faced in Ghana or West Africa, but in the world we live in.”
Aryeh was able to broaden his perception of dance during his study of dance movement and culture during his degree program at the University of Ghana. He was transformed and inspired by the many dance forms and “the technical capacity of the human body to articulate movement.”
“My educational experience has shaped my thoughts on movement and the approach to teaching a variety of dance forms and styles both theoretically and practically. I critically take into consideration the human body when teaching and how to guide one to find their voice within through movement,” said Aryeh.
Aryeh’s class will start with a warm-up and flow into a slow movement sequence “to find coordination within the body and engage in synchronizing the upper and lower body parts in tune with the music.”
According to Aryeh, as the class becomes in sync, they will flow in a movement sequence and “technically explore movement specifics through body articulation, contraction and finding the inner connectivity for an outer expression through movement.”
The class will teach a challenging sequence and, by the end, students will perform it in small groups.
“Dance is an art form that is complicated to create but beautiful and magical through the eyes of the audience. It is an art that triggers all senses of the human body and adds fulfillment to the human experience,” said Aryeh.
Aryeh will also provide this experience to youth by instructing a dance class and performing at Baldwin High School and Oak Hill Middle School on Jan. 19. The community class will take place on Jan. 20 with a class from 10 a.m. to noon and a performance from 1-3 p.m. in Allen’s Market on 101 W. Mcintosh St.
“The one thing I would love for students to take away is the celebration of everyone present, not just the individual. African dance celebrates us all through movement and music. Building a community as one,” said Aryeh.
To join the community class or sign up to watch his performance, visit milledgevillealliedarts.com to RSVP.