This special program will showcase dance techniques and movements from the SeneGambia region of West Africa, along with contemporary and traditional West African rhythms in a series of collaborative videos featuring Pittsburgh's own Toni Nadiyah Stowers and Thomas Chatman. The presentation will culminate with a West African dance and drum performance.

TONI NADIYAH STOWERS is one of Pittsburgh’s renowned choreographers and dancers. She is part of Pittsburgh’s woven fabric of African American Choreographers, Contemporary Black Dance Companies and Traditional African Dance. She was the original choreographer for Pittsburgh’s first “Black Nativity,” and has performed for Pittsburgh’s Black Arts Festival, CitiParks “Standing Ovation” Series, Pittsburgh’s “First Night,’ Three Rivers Arts Festival and Homewood’s Harambee Festival. Credits include: Artist Director for The Legacy Arts Project Inc., Dance Africa Pittsburgh 2016-2017, Artistic Director for “TEKERE DUAFE” Dance Company in Durham, NC, CoFounder Camp Artistic Director of “SAFARACE,” and dancer for “UMOJA,” both by African Dance Company in Pittsburgh, PA, “WOSE” African Dance Company in Washington, DC, “RETURN to GOREE” African Dance Company in Baltimore, MD, Ozanma Cultural Center Youth Summer Arts Program and dancer with Pittsburgh’s Black Dance Ensemble under the late Bob Johnson. Stowers has been a recipient of several arts awards such as The Pittsburgh Council Dance Consortium, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the Heinz Endowment 2016-2017 TAP Grant, and is one of the Pittsburgh’s Foundation Advancing Black Arts 2019 Awardees.

THOMAS CHATMAN is a native of Pittsburgh’s Historic Hill District, and is a performing and teaching artist, cultural arts administrator, and holistic wellness practitioner. He has studied extensively and performed with master dancers, musicians, teachers from the USA, Africa, and the Caribbean. As the co-founder and executive managing director of Pittsburgh Dance Ensemble-Cultural Arts Programs, and as the founder and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Arts Collective, Chatman has provided a broad scope of cultural arts education programs to K-12 Schools, colleges, universities and community based organizations alike.

The Black Transformative Arts Network (BTAN) is a growing community of Black teaching artists, caregivers and arts influencers that engages in programming and community arts education centering the needs and voices of Black children. BTAN is a reiteration of the 8 year work of the Heinz Transformative Arts Process. This group, led by I Medina Jackson of  the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development's P.R.I.D.E. Program (Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education), Sister IAsia Thomas of the Children’s Window to Africa, and Taliya Allen of CoCoHaus Creative Solutions with the support of Justin Laing of Hillombo, LLC, addresses the goals of uniting Africana Children, increasing the visibility of Africana Arts and Arts Educators in Pittsburgh, healing and building Africana knowledge, power and networks for participants and community. To keep up with BTAN, you can find them on Facebook under the Black Transformative Arts Network or email TAP.phase4@gmail.com

The Show Must Go On(line) is made possible thanks to generous support from the Benter Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, the Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds Foundation, the Opportunity Fund, The Pittsburgh Foundation, and an Anonymous Foundation.

West Africa through Movement and Rhythm presented by The Black Transformative Arts Network