\u201cWe believe that there is merit in all cultures and that we should strive to celebrate our similarities instead of focusing on our differences,\u201d says artistic director Regina Perry-Carr. \u201cWe\u2019re an African American organization, but we strive to celebrate humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Muntu evolved out of a drum and dance group called Unifying Humanity Through Cultural Creativity (UHCC), whose leaders were motivated by a desire to uplift their identities and cultures as African Americans while honoring their connections to West African culture and arts. In 1974, the group officially changed its name to Muntu, a Bantu word that means \u201cthe essence of humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
More than 50 years since its founding, it\u2019s clear that Muntu has always been ahead of the curve. Perry-Carr says that under the leadership of president Joan Gray in the 1980s, the organization became the first West African dance company in the United States to pay its dancers salaries and benefits. Then in 1993, they launched the Arts for Community Empowerment (ACE) program to teach local children and teens from kindergarten through grade 12 about various aspects of the African diaspora through dance, art, and music. Through ACE, they set a bold example of how arts organizations could prioritize community engagement through youth education.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Muntu\u2019s ACE program started, there really wasn\u2019t any other system like that in the city,\u201d Perry-Carr says. \u201cOur founders were really forward-thinking people, and they knew innately that it was really about more than just performing. It was also about preserving [culture] through education.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perry-Carr herself is partially a product of Muntu Dance Theatre\u2019s teachings. Her mother, Regina Taitts, was a dancer with the company in its early days, and the time Perry-Carr spent around the company in her childhood left a lasting impression. In 1994, Perry-Carr entered the company\u2019s workshop training program, and by 1998, she had worked her way up the ranks to become a full-time teaching artist and dancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing able to see that kind of representation and see examples of professionalism, artistry, and people living their passion through dance [at Muntu] impacted me and developed my passion for the arts,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Perry-Carr left Muntu in 2003, but she returned in 2020 as the company\u2019s fourth artistic director, working with executive director Sekou Conde, who also oversees the ACE program, which currently provides arts programming to six Chicago schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel responsibility in that, a lot of times, we\u2019re someone\u2019s first introduction to understanding African culture,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Despite its long history and stature within the dance community, Muntu Dance Theatre has continuously battled negative public perceptions and stereotypes about West African dance, which is often not taken as seriously as other dance forms, such as ballet. Perry-Carr says Muntu aims to shift that narrative.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we come to spaces, there\u2019s often still a lot of education that we have to do because of the many stereotypes that are placed on us,\u201d she says. \u201cWest African dance in general historically has been looked at as uncivilized, and that goes way back to the transatlantic slave trade.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2019, Muntu joined the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project (CBDLP). The goal of the project is to reduce inequities that Black-led dance companies have had to navigate for decades by providing a select cohort of organizations with funding, operational support, and performance opportunities.<\/p>\n
Muntu\u2019s participation in CBDLP has allowed Perry-Carr to find support and connect with leaders at other companies, who often navigate similar obstacles.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been an awesome coming-together space,\u201d Perry-Carr says. \u201cThe Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project has helped bring people together more frequently where we may not have crossed paths as often\u2014so it\u2019s created a space for us to build community and strength in numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n
In August, Muntu Dance Theatre will facilitate DanceAfrica Chicago, a three-day festival that brings together African and African American dancers and organizations from across the country for a weekend of dance, conversation, and community. Perry-Carr is optimistic that the festival will provide a much-needed space for participants to connect over their passion for the African diaspora and amplify the beauty of their art. In addition to the festival, Muntu Dance Theatre is developing a cultural exchange program with a dance company in Senegal, which will provide an opportunity for their dancers to hone their skills in West Africa.<\/p>\n
With so many projects underway, it\u2019s clear that Muntu Dance Theatre is on its way to becoming an artistic powerhouse on a truly global scale.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not only a voice for Muntu, but we\u2019re a voice for all West African or African diaspora culture workers,\u201d Perry-Carr says.<\/p>\n
The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project is a program of the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago. Their current cohort of local dance companies includes Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center & Hiplet Ballerinas, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, the Era Footwork Collective, Forward Momentum Chicago, Joel Hall Dancers & Center, M.A.D.D. Rhythms, Move Me Soul, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, NAJWA Dance Corps, and Praize Productions Inc. For more about CBDLP, visit chicagoblackdancelegacy.org, and chicagoreader.com\/special\/logan-center-for-the-arts-at-the-university-of-chicago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Muntu Dance Theatre is a Chicago-based West African dance company that\u2019s beloved for its commitment to innovation, community, and culture. Their stage work centers the African and African American experience, but their message is universal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12963,"featured_media":32614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,12],"tags":[7,30,14],"class_list":{"0":"post-32617","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-culture","8":"category-entertainment","9":"tag-apie-project","10":"tag-culture","11":"tag-entertainment"},"yoast_head":"\n