Dance With The Gantt Community Class: West African Dance with CADDC
This program is made possible by the generous support of The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation
Join us for a fun and energetic dance class led by experienced West African Dance instructors. Get ready to move and groove to the beat of West African rhythms! Whether you're a beginner or an experienced dancer, this class is perfect for anyone looking to learn new moves, improve their technique, get a good sweat, and have a great time. No prior dance experience is necessary, and all skill levels are welcome. Just bring comfortable clothing and a water bottle, and get ready to move to the beat!
Don't miss this opportunity to experience the joy and energy of West African dance with Charlotte African Drum and Dance Collective (CADDC), a 501(c)(3) dedicated to sharing culture and building community through West African drum and dance. See you on the dance floor!
About The Instructor
Tinka Barnes, M.D. (CADDC Vice President/Co-Program Director/Dance Instructor) began her West African dance training in 1999 while in medical school. Baba Danny Diallo Hinds of Sundance Production groomed her dancing skills using the dance forms of Blkdance-Tek, West Afrikan, and Afro-Caribbean and while in Kansas City, she also danced with Grupo Axe presenting Samba. She performed and toured throughout her medical residency and in subsequent years. After relocating to Charlotte, Barnes performed with Shae Movement dance company and was a principal dancer with YAPRE Puerto Rican folkloric dance performing Bomba, Rumba, and Plena.
Barnes is passionate about the importance of "movement as medicine" as well as introducing youth to the expression of cultural arts through West African Dance and dances of the diaspora.
About The Gantt Golden Year Dancer-in-Residence
LaTanya Johnson’s rhythmic journey blends the art of movement and storytelling through voice, theater, and visual arts.
Johnson choreographed and provided movement coaching for many productions including, A Raisin in the Sun, Seven Guitars, Ain't Misbehavin’, The Bluest Eye, For the Love of Harlem, A Soldier's Play, and The Piano Lesson. She has worked with Theatre Charlotte, On Q Productions, Free Reign Theater Company, and Brand New Sheriff (BNS) Productions. In 2016, Johnson curated a dance series in celebration of the Gantt Center’s 40th Anniversary, entitled "Catch the Dance".
Johnson’s conservatory training includes Philadanco (Philadelphia Dance Company), Historical New Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia, and Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute, to name a few. She is the founder and artistic director of the Sycamore Project, a Charlotte-based “artivist” initiative using the arts to advocate and promote social and environmental justice.