DanceHouse Will Host Vancouver Premiere of Sankofa Danzafro's THE CITY OF OTHERS

DanceHouse will present the Vancouver premiere of Sankofa Danzafro’s episodic work, The City of Others (La Ciudad de los Otros), on stage February 21 at 8pm, and February 22 at 2pm & 8pm at the Vancouver Playhouse. Created in celebration of Colombia’s 159th anniversary of the abolition of slavery and choreographed by Sankofa Danzafro’s Artistic Director, Rafael Palacios, a legend of Latin American dance, The City of Others seeks to take apart the country’s history and culture to examine its complex and often agonizing past.

“We are excited to introduce Vancouver audiences to this incredible company,” says Jim Smith, Artistic and Executive Director of DanceHouse. “Colombia is home to Latin America’s second-largest Afro-descendant population, whose communities have long endured systemic injustice. In The City of Others, the dancers and live musicians reclaim the stage as a space for democracy, equality, and empowerment. This is their city—it is everyone’s city.”

Cities, for many, can be spaces of exclusion, loneliness, and prejudice. In The City of Others, Palacios draws on personal daily experiences of racism and oppression to envision a metropolis transformed into a place of shared strength and collective belonging, drawing inspiration from the extended family concept prevalent in rural communities: what I own is for everyone; under my roof, there is room for someone else.

Ten performers bring Palacios’ vision to life through striking movement vignettes, seamlessly blending contemporary dance forms with high-energy techno beats inspired by Latin and hip hop music, coupled with traditional Colombian songs, rhythms, and dances—including the Vallenato and Bullerengue from the Atlantic coast, the Currulao, and Abozao from the Pacific coast. Accompanied by both live and recorded music, the result is “exhilarating … [a] forward-looking use of tradition” that “evokes an urban environment where resilience meets harsh realities” (The New York Times).

In Akan, a Ghanaian language, Sankofa means "to return to the root”. More than a word, it is an African philosophy that proposes to know the past as a condition to understand the present; as a way to see the future. This thought has guided the path of the Afro-Colombian dance and music company Sankofa Danzafro. Founded by Palacios in 1997 with its home in Medellin, Colombia, Sankofa is dedicated to training and creation in dance as well as interacting with the community. Through the practice of dance, Sankofa’s mission is to bridge the gaps between the many African diaspora communities in Colombia – along with other populations whose human rights have been violated.

DanceHouse’s presentation of The City of Others will also feature a pre-show talk at 7:15pm for evening performances and 1:15pm for the matinee in the Upper Lobby. There will also be a post-show Social following Friday’s performance in the Salon.

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