June is here! And with it comes my favorite performance of the year: Grown Women Dance Collective's annual Juneteenth concert. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Texas was the last state to hear the news of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19th,1865, TWO YEARS after the end of the Civil War.

 

In this show, stars of the dance world come together to celebrate dance, music, and American history. The dancers include former soloists with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Martha Graham Company, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, and over 40 Broadway shows, performing beautifully crafted pieces to songs by iconic musical artists. This arts and history event honors the memory of African American musical artists such as Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole, Phife Dawg, Michael Jackson, Maya Angelou, and Prince, as well as Civil Rights leaders such as  Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, and Maya Angelou. I sing "Amazing Grace," which to me is a statement that regardless of our race, we are all in this together. The movement towards equality requires effort from each and every one of us.

 

This show challenges the stereotypes of aging, creates cross cultural/cross generational connections, encourages dialogue, provokes thought, and builds racial harmony by using concert dance and music as common ground. It's not to be missed. Tickets are selling fast, so don't wait! You can purchase them here.

 

Whether you are able to attend or not, you can also make a donation that will allow a child to not only attend the show, but also take a dance class, back stage tour, photos with dancers, receive a history bio, and lunch! This experience has been life changing for hundreds of children over the years!