Deeply Rooted Dance Theater is the first American company to participate in JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience, an international festival in its 15th year in “Sister City” Durban, South Africa. During its 10-day residency, DRDT will present two performances, one a collaboration with Durban’s Flatfoot Dance Company, and participate in workshops and community-based outreach to rural and urban townships involving nearly 700 young people in Durban. The U.S. Consulate General in Durban sponsors Deeply Rooted Dance Theater with funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Arts Envoy Program.
“Deeply Rooted is honored to be the first U.S. company in this festival, which I find especially appealing due to its combination of contemporary and traditional African dance,” said DRDT Artistic Director/Co-Founder Kevin Iega Jeff. “I’m also looking forward to working with Flatfoot, which, like Deeply Rooted, is committed to using dance as a medium to engage in constructive social change.”
The internet connection has been pretty sketchy across the ocean, but Technical Director Julie Ballard used all the bandwidth in their hotel to send these photos from afar!
U.S. Consul General in Durban Taylor Ruggles. Photo by Julie E. Ballard
