Drumfolk
They took the drums away, but they could not take the beat.
FROM WASHINGTON, DCJUL 22–AUG 01, 2020
Powerful. Precise. Persistent. Political.
The drum is talking. The music is calling.
When Africans lost the right to use their drums, the beats found their way into the body of the people — the Drumfolk. New percussive art forms took root and made way for tap, beatboxing and the African American tradition of stepping. From hambone to hip-hop, an extraordinary ensemble of dancers, drummers and musicians takes us from West Africa to Washington D.C. to reveal the hidden histories and resounding rhythms that transformed America. Inspired by the Stono Rebellion of 1739 and Negro Act of 1740, Drumfolk is a percussive exploration of American history, placing a spotlight on the rhythmic cycle of life that bonds all of us together.
"In the bodies of these skilled performers, the beat is obviously UNSTOPPABLE.
Defiant and UNIFIED AND INSPIRING."
– New York Times
STEP AFRIKA! IN ACTION
FROM WASHINGTON, DCJUL 22–AUG 01, 2020
SHOW INFO
- Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre
219 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02116 - 1 hour 45 minutes, including one intermission
- Tickets from $25
- Ages 7+
- Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket to be admitted to this production, including babes in arms.
ARTISTS
- Company: Step Afrika!
- Producer: C. Brian Williams
- Creator and Director: Jakari Sherman
- Artistic Director: Mfoniso Akpan
- Drumfolk was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Lead Commissioning Support provided by ArtsEmerson, Hancher Auditorium, Eugene Lang Foundation and the Strathmore Performing Arts Center. Additional support provided by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, The New Victory Theater, Delaware Art Museum, Meany Center for the Performing Arts, The Soraya and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
