Former Philly choreographer launches international Rwanda remembrance

A few years ago, Rebecca Davis Dance Company got Philly’s attention with a series of world-premiere dance shows (at venues like the Arden Theatre, the Kimmel Center, and the Prince Music Theater) that tackled subjects like the Rwanda genocide, the lives of Vincent van Gogh and Helen Keller, and the Enron scandal. (I enjoyed those years as a board member at RDDC.) Now, after transitioning her company from Philadelphia performances to the use of dance as a tool for education and reconciliation in post-conflict countries like Rwanda, Guinea, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rebecca Davis (also a BSR contributor) is working on her next project.

RDDC’s “Kurema: Moving at the Speed of Peace” project will honor the 20th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide with a global dance class festival that is open to dance students and teachers in Philadelphia and all over the world.

The idea is simple. On Saturday, April 26, wherever they are in the world and whatever genre of dance they teach, teachers are invited to join the Kurema festival by sharing their class’s info with RDDC, and then holding one minute of silence during the class for the 1 million victims of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Afterward, participants are invited to share a photo or a short video of their April 26 class with RDDC via Facebook or Twitter, which the company will share as part of a global conversation about remembrance, healing, resilience, and the power of self-expression through dance.

So far, Kurema classes are happening in the United States in New York, Georgia, Illinois, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, as well as in India, Mauritania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Scotland, Senegal, Guinea, and Rwanda. RDDC is still adding participants, both students and teachers, from across the world. On April 26 and beyond, anyone can join the conversation on social media as teachers and dancers share their images with the world (look for the #Kurema hashtag on Twitter).

Rebecca Davis Dance Company’s “Kurema: Moving at the Speed of Peace” global 24-hour dance class event is coming up on April 26. For more information about the project, a full list of participating classes, or to find a class or register as a teacher, visit http://kurema.rebeccadavisdance.com/.