Urban Media Arts (UMA), in collaboration with the City of Malden, is delighted to invite the public to enjoy Ouvèti, a site-specific production, brought to Malden by Jean Appolon Expression (JAE). This offering of Haitian Folkloric dance as a class and community experience is the perfect opportunity to gather to acknowledge and celebrate Haiti, heal, and be together as support and community during such a time as this.

Cost: FREE with all donations going to support Earthquake relief efforts in the southwest of Haiti through partner organization ACEGA. ACEGA’s mission is first to accompany youth in Jeremie and around Grand’Anse, and to contribute to the education sector, particularly through arts and culture.

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUESTED 

About the event

Performance

Appolon’s latest work in development portrays feelings of isolation, fear, and ultimately hope and connection that people experiencing trauma might cycle through. Bringing together these emotions and experiences through dance, combined with the soundscape created by musician Val Jeanty. A short opening restorative justice circle will be led by JAE’s Cultural Strategist, Nadia Issa, to collectively welcome the community into the public space and set the “stage” for the site-specific performance.

Haitian Folkloric Dance

Prior to the performance, Jean Appolon will lead his Haitian Folkloric community dance class. This all-levels class begins with a complete warm-up that blends modern technique with Afro-Haitian styles of dance. Accompanied by live drummers, the dancers will learn movements and rhythms of Haiti including but not limited to Yanvalou, Ibo, Kongo, Nago, and Petwo. The movements are intricate and technical – yet loose and expressive at the same time.
This event is free and open to the public, with opportunities to donate to relief efforts in Haiti. Typical class fee is $20.

Event schedule

• 1:30-3:00 Haitian Folkloric community dance class with live drumming – example of class
• 3:00-3:30 Live drumming and local artisan shopping
• 3:30-4:00 Ouvèti Dance Performance

Also present on this occasion will be booths of Haitian art and crafts as well as opportunities to contribute to Haitian relief and earthquake recovery efforts.

About Jean Appolon Expressions (JAE)

Jean Appolon Expressions (JAE) is a contemporary dance company deeply rooted in Haitian-folkloric culture that nurtures a global community through professional performances, educational opportunities, dance training, and the joy of movement for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.

JAE shares the liberating power of Haitian-folkloric dance to cultivate hope and healing towards a more expressive and socially just world.

Aside from offering professional performances, education to all ages, Haitian connection, JAE builds community through its classes and workshops with community organizations in the greater Boston-area and gives movers and thinkers of all backgrounds the opportunity to learn about Haitian culture and their own healing by participating in dance and conversation.

JAE has received numerous honors and more recently, was one of 2021 Grantees of The MAP Fund, supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

A documentary of the recent work, Traka, which debuted May 31, was made with the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. https://www.gardnermuseum.org/experience/programs-gardner/amplifier-programs

JAE’s Artistic Director Jean Appolon, President of the Board Dan Koff, and one of the dancers Meghan Riling live in Malden.

Sample of Haitian Folkloric Dance Class

This event is made possible in part by a grant from the Malden Cultural Council, a local agency of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. https://massculturalcouncil.org/ . UMA also thanks the City of Malden for its support of this event as part of the #UniteMalden initiative and to the sponsors.