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Photo courtesy of Kelsey Maloney.
The River to River Festival continues on with Dance my Life! Against the scenic background of glittering water at Pier 15, and in front of a sizable audience for hot weather in the middle of a workday, crowd were captivated with the rhythmic movements of Souleymane Baldo’s Dance my Life.
Badolo and his fellow dancer, Sylvestre Akakpo, took turns both taking center stage solos and moving in sync together. They were backed by the fast paced beats of drummer percussionist Mamoudou Konate…some of the time. The two also performed an almost pantomime routine with only the sounds of boats in the distance for a few sets. Unafraid to shift from high energy movements to slow and calming moments of quiet, the routine was a rousing success.
Souleymane Badolo created the Dance my Life routine for the purpose of “the shared experiences of people everywhere, despite cultural differences and contrasting paces of life.” It included a unique mix of traditional African Dance and modern dance techniques. It was performed three times, June 19-22.
The River to River Festival will be continuing on through this week. Be sure to check out our list of River to River events.
-by Alyssa Bajek