Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey (KCFAA) is pleased to present Setting the Stage on Wednesday, February 22, 7:00pm. The performance will be held in the historic Jazz District at the Gem Theater, 1601 East 18th Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Admission is free to the public.
Setting the Stage is a visual journey through African-American dance history that takes place during Black History Month. This multi-media story of African-American dance is interwoven into the broader tapestry of history, and gives insights into the legacies of African-American pioneers in modern dance in American history.Setting the Stage is performed by talented local and national artists demonstrating the varied dance styles since the Middle Passage against the backdrop of a large-screen narrated slide presentation.
Setting the Stage was developed and choreographed by Tyrone Aiken, KCFAA Executive Director, and inspired by the photo documentary Classic Black, which was originally presented at the Lincoln Center to commemorate African-Americans in classical dance prior to 1970.
Dance artists include Michele Cox, who has performed with New York’s Opus Dance Company, and Whitney Rickets, who has performed in several Starlight Theater musical productions, and Juanita Carter, an AileyCamp graduate who is currently a freshman majoring in dance at University of Missouri – Kansas City.
Latra Wilson and Winston ‘Dynamite’ Brown, who married in2006, are also Setting the Stage performers. Born in Tyler, Texas, Latra began her training at the Dance Factory under the tutelage of Pamela Erwin. She went on to study at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she received her BFA in Dance in May 2005. She performed numerous works by DeeAnna Hiett, Sabrina Madison-Cannon, Jennifer Medina, and Rodni Williams. Ms. Wilson was a two-time fellowship participant in the Alvin Ailey summer intensive program. She performed at the Kennedy Center at the National College Dance Festival, Setting the Stage with Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, and with Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company. From 2005-2009, Ms. Wilson was a member of Taylor 2.
Winston Dynamite Brown, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, started dancing at Smith Sisters Dance Studio. He continued his training at the Missouri State Ballet, the University of Missouri Kansas City, where he received his BFA, and The Center Dance under the mentorship of Tyrone Aiken. Winston has participated in numerous intensive programs – Kansas City Ballet, Alonzo King’s pre-professional program, Ailey summer intensive as three time fellowship recipient and the Ballet and Modern programs at Jacobs Pillow as the inaugural recipient of the Lorna Strassler Award. He has worked with the Wylliams/Henry Danse Theatre, Deeply Rooted Productions, Albany Berkshire Ballet, Metropolitan Opera and Taylor 2. Winston was a member of the Pilobolus touring company from 2009 through 2011.
Michele Cox, Whitney Rickets, Latra Wilson and Winston ‘Dynamite’ Brown have attended The Ailey School in New York City.
Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey is the only official second home of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II.
