Ayodele Drum and Dance Brings ‘Beauty and the Beat: Masked’ to the Dance Center
Ayodele Drum and Dance presents a culturally enriching West African dance and live drum experience. Photo by Marc Monaghan. The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago presents “Beauty and the Beat: Masked,” a powerful new work by Ayodele Drum and Dance, on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
Founded and led by Columbia dance faculty member T. Ayo Alston, Ayodele Drum and Dance transforms the Dance Center with an immersive performance inspired by Caribbean masquerade and African mask traditions. The company’s first evening-length concert at the venue follows Beauty, a young woman who faces rejection from her community and enters an imagined world brought to life through the sacred rhythms of drum and dance. Her journey evolves from struggle to joy, celebrating the healing power of heritage.
Drawing from mask dances of the Baga, Temine, Mandinye, Maninka, Bamana, and Gouro peoples, “Beauty and the Beat: Masked” connects traditional African movement to contemporary Chicago Footwork. The performance also includes an exhibition of masks and art, along with a vendor marketplace that opens one hour before each show.
“Beauty struggles with feelings of not belonging, a feeling too many of us experience every day,” says T. Ayo Alston, writer and director of the performance. “These concerts are a way to share the power these forms hold to incite joy.”
“Ayodele Drum and Dance brings you to your feet every time,” adds Meredith Sutton, artistic director of the Dance Center. “It’s a rush that transcends even the biggest Halloween sugar high.”
Performances take place Friday, Oct. 31, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 1, at noon.
Tickets are $30 for the public, $10 for non-Columbia students, and free for Columbia College Chicago students. Purchase tickets here.
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