The Flynn to Present Step Afrika! & Martha Redbone This Fall

The Flynn has announced two new shows coming to the Main Stage this fall: Step Afrika! on September 28 at 7:30 pm and Martha Redbone on October 13 at 7:30 pm. Tickets for these shows are on sale now for Flynn members and to the public on July 1. Find out more and get tickets at flynnvt.org.

Coinciding with Indigenous Peoples' Day, Native and African-American vocalist, songwriter, composer, and educator Martha Redbone presents her new work, Bone Hill, at the Flynn on October 13. Redbone is celebrated for her unique gumbo of folk, blues, and gospel, drawing from her childhood in Harlan County, Kentucky, as well as many years living and working in Brooklyn. Harnessing her powerful vocal range, she broadens the boundaries of American roots music with songs and storytelling about her life experience as a Native and Black woman and mother in the new millennium. Bone Hill is an interdisciplinary musical theater work inspired by the lives of Redbone's family in the hills of coal-mining Appalachia, exploring her family's permanent bond to the land and culture despite its violent past, fraught present, and uncertain future.

Step Afrika!, founded in 1994 and based in Washington, DC, is the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping-a style of dance that creates intricate rhythms and sounds through footsteps, claps, and spoken word. Step Afrika! has performed at the White House, served as cultural ambassadors for the US around the world, and created an original off-Broadway production in 2017. The group now stands as one of the premier African-American dance companies in the country. Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African-American fraternities and sororities, traditional West and Southern African dances, and an array of contemporary dance and art forms. Their performances integrate songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation within a heart-pounding showcase of agility and pure energy.

Both of these groups will also perform special Student Matinee Series presentations this fall, so that area schools have a chance to experience these incredible, inspiring artists at the Flynn. Tickets for these Student Matinee Series performances will be available to schools on August 15.

Tickets for Step Afrika! and Martha Redbone are on sale now for Flynn members and to the public on July 1. Find out more about upcoming shows at the Flynn and get tickets at flynnvt.org.

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