Explore the diverse world of dance at the Charlotte Museum of History! Brought to you in partnership with Loose Leaves Legacy, this Dance Around the World children’s program will get young learners and their families on their feet to explore dance styles and cultures from around the world - right here in Charlotte!

Don’t expect to sit still during this interactive program. Participants will be able to move freely throughout the museum to stations that offer a range of hands-on activities specific to each genre! Learn short dance sequences from local dancers and choreographers of a variety of styles, explore the music, costumes, and props that make each dance style unique, and experience the many ways in which dance is used and enjoyed in different cultures! Participants will also enjoy a performance from the featured dancers at the beginning of the program.

Dance Around The World With Us!

MufukaWorks Dance Co. | Afro Russe Dance

MufukaWorks Dance Co. was established by Elsie Mufuka in 2010 with their own trademark dance style, Afro Russe. Afro Russe is a fusion of Zimbabwean African, Ballet, and Contemporary dance. They reside in Charlotte, NC. MufukaWorks will be presenting a drum/dance presentation and workshop class that they have been doing for 10 years now. Elsie Mufuka has been awarded Teacher of the Year and NC Dance Educator of the year. Her education is a Masters in Arts Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Communications. Baba Ayinde (Freddie Rivera) began drumming at the early age of five with the Cuban Conga drum. He began studying the Djembe Drum with Mr. Ronald Love (lead musician of Chuck Davis Dance Company). Baba Ayinde has performed with Alvin Ailey American Dance Company and has his own company in Charlotte, NC.

Charlotte Cultural Collective | Caribbean Dance

Charlotte Cultural Collective is a public dance troupe based out of Charlotte, North Carolina that aims to bring dance professionals of all skills, abilities, and styles together in an aim to further the Black dance culture that exists within our community of the Queen city. Founder and director, Lorraine Crittendon, specializes in various forms of African diasporic cultural dances, social dances of Latin America, and classical forms. Her original pedagogy of dance, Urban Blends, is a funky fusion of these influences to create a dynamic and fun experience for her audience. LCritt will be doing a demonstration of social dances of the Caribbean including: Salsa, Bachata, and Merengue. Guests will also get to discover Carnaval of Río de Janeiro, Brazil with Samba No Pé.

Priyadarshini Inman, Nritya Dhwani School | Sattriya Dance

Nritya Dhwani School of Performing Arts, is the USA's first Dance School which formally trains Sattriya Dance. Sattriya Dance is one of the eight classical Dances of India. This is the only living Dance form of India which has been practiced by the monks inside the monasteries of Assam. This unique traditional dance form is more than 500 years old.

Kim Parks | Jazz Dance

Kimberly Parks attended Florida State University, graduating with her BFA in Dance. Upon graduation, she worked as a professional contemporary ballet dancer with Florida Dance Theatre for five years. During this time, she was also an Adjunct Professor of dance at Southeastern University. Since relocating to Charlotte in 2010, Kim has worked as a freelance dancer performing alongside numerous local dance companies. Kim now co-directs Loose Leaves, a bi-annual choreographic showcase. She teaches for Expand Movement, a program for dancers with and without disabilities.

Amber Johnson | Ballet 

Amber Johnson is a Charlotte-based dance artist who began dancing at age seven and trained in ballet, modern, and jazz. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies with minors in French and dance from UNCC in 2010. From 2004-2019, she performed classical and contemporary ballet roles with Dance Central. Amber freelance dances professionally with local dance companies and choreographers in the Charlotte area. She has performed internationally in Belgium, France, and Canada. She is a teaching artist with the Charlotte Ballet and Expand Movement. Amber received an Artist Support Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council in 2022 to choreograph her new work, ‘Rôles Renversés.’ She is both honored and thrilled to announce she is a 2023 Arts & Science Council Emerging Creators Fellowship recipient.

About Loose Leaves Legacy

Loose Leaves Legacy is an annual showcase that aims to provide the opportunity for local choreographers who lack the resources to run a company with a chance to present their work in front of an audience. The showcase cultivates choreographic growth and encourages the further development of the community of dancers and choreographers in Charlotte, in addition to providing Charlotte audiences with access to a wide spectrum of choreographic styles and ideas.

The showcase got its name from the idea that all the choreographers are leaves loosely attached to the trunk of the show, that loose leaf paper lends itself to brainstorming, and that ideas brew like loose leaf tea.

Learn more: https://looseleavesclt.wordpress.com/