March 13, 2019
Page 9
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
Photo by C aMeron o uSley
An ensemble of multi-dimensional dancers and musicians under the artistic direction of Oluyinka Akinjiola comprise Portland’s Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater. This
weekend, the group brings the cultural energy of Harlem to Portland for performances of ‘A Midsummer Night at the Savoy’ at Self Enhancement, Inc.
Midsummer Night in Harlem
Celebrating artists of
color through history
An ensemble of multi-dimensional dancers
and musicians from Portland’s Rejoice! Diaspo-
ra Dance Theater group, under the artistic direc-
tion of Oluyinka Akinjiola, will celebrate artists
of color through history this weekend with two
performances that will bring the cultural energy
of Harlem to Portland.
“A Midsummer Night at the Savoy,” shows
Saturday, March 16 at 5 p.m. and Sunday,
March 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the new theater space
at Self-Enhancement, Inc., 3920 N. Kerby Ave.
The production is a take on Shakespeare’s ‘A
Midnight Summer Nights Dream’ and incorpo-
rates a recreated set of Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom
to celebrate the contributions of artists of color
through history and the spaces that allowed Af-
rican American arts to flourish. The Savoy was
the first integrated dance ballroom in the country
and an artistic incubator in the historical New
York neighborhood.
Tickets are $16 advance and $20 day of show.
Online ticket sales end 12 hours before each per-
formance. Visit rejoicediasporadance.com.