VCU Dance presents Nora Chipaumire performances and discussions

Zimbabwe-born dancer continues her investigations on the black body and on Africa

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The Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Dance & Choreography will present performances and a discussion with Zimbabwe-born dancer and choreographer Nora Chipaumire this weekend.

Chipaumire will perform “portrait of myself as my father” Friday and Saturday, Oct. 28 and 29, at 8 p.m. at Dogtown Dance Theatre, 109 W. 15th St. A discussion will follow the Friday performance.

In addition, on Saturday, Chipaumire will present “Conversations on the Black Body and African Aesthetics,” a lecture-demonstration, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the VCU Dance Center, 10 N. Brunswick St., with refreshments and a follow-up discussion facilitated by Elegba Folklore Society in the Dance Center Lobby. The lecture is free and open to the public, and is recommended for adults and children age 14 and older. Participants should bring a journal and writing instrument and wear loose, comfortable clothing.

“Portrait of myself as my father” takes place in a simulated boxing ring, in which Chipaumire and Senegalese dancer Pape Ibrahima Ndiaye, also known as Kaolack, are tied together in an exhausting and symbolic dance-ritual. They are joined by Jamaican-born, Brooklyn-based dancer Shamar Watt, who plays the coach/corner man/cheerleader/shadow.In the performance, the spectres of the estranged father dance, struggle, and fight against prejudices, social pressures, the weight of traditions and history. The piece considers the African male through the lens of capitalism, Christianity, colonialism and liberation struggles — and how these political and cultural traditions impact the African family and society on a global scale. The imaginary daughter and father are tethered to the stage and to each other: They are both linked and opposed, and the elastic bands are a literal and figurative connection that questions family ties. The show also celebrates and critiques masculinity — its presence, presentation and representation. This timely examination of black maleness asks: What is it about the black male body that we fear?

Tickets for the Friday and Saturday performances — $15 for the general public and $10 for students — are available at Showclix.com or by calling 804-828-2020Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. For more information on the Saturday lecture, call 804-828-1711.