In this all-ages event, Reg Pettibone, a champion pow-wow dancer from the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, and members of his family will come together to provide an understanding of Native American culture through dance, song, and narration with a strong environmental emphasis. Pettibone believes these dances existed from the moment humans stepped foot on Earth and should continue to be danced from one generation to the next.

For families with children of all ages.

Presented with ASL interpretation.

Composer/singer Sunitha Anathaswamy studied music in Bangalore and specializes in the vocal art of traditional Kannada Bhavageete and Ghazals, songs based on romantic poetry.

Multi-instrumentalist Xiao Dong Wei became a ‘Master of the Erhu’ (a two-string violin) at the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and also plays the pipa (a four-string lute) and guzheng (a 21-string zither).

Both artists settled in metro Detroit and became influential performers, educators, and now collaborators. This joyous performance will fuse music from both their cultures and include guest appearances by their friends and family.
 

Blending the warm, rich energy of piano and clarinet, the Australian-born duo CRUX present Finding Home — a new program that is a meditation on questions of voice, place, environment, and landscape.

Multifaceted keyboardist and vocalist Lisa Moore and woodwind virtuoso Lloyd Van’t Hoff perform solos and duos that include works with text, electronic backing tracks, and acoustic chamber instrumentation.

These include world premieres of works by Meadow Bridgham, Steve Reich, Randy Newman, Frederic Rzewski, and Detroit-born composer Harriet Steinke. 
 

The internationally acclaimed Sirius Quartet brings its genre-defying approach to contemporary music to the DIA. These conservatory-trained performer-composers shine with precision, soul and raw energy.

Sirius continues its commitment to innovation with original works by its own members, incorporating popular song forms, extended techniques, gripping improvisations, and contemporary grooves. 

Okaidja Afroso was born into a family of musicians and storytellers in the town of Kokrobite on the west coast of Ghana. He began his career as a dancer with the celebrated Ghana Dance Ensemble. As he toured internationally Afroso expanded his artistic reach, becoming a master multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and arranger.

His genre-defying songs, often performed in his native language, convey a range of experiences—joy, tragedy, and hope—and embrace what he calls “the rich complexity of the integrated world we inhabit.”

Through his distinctive style, which combines percussion instruments, vocals, guitar, and dance, Afroso explores ancestral traditions and creates a new, contemporary African oral tradition. This performance is in conjunction with the exhibition James Barnor: Accra/London—A Retrospective. 

Travel through the many different and beautiful regions of Mexico with Ballet Folklorico de Detroit, a community group of passionate dancers who dedicate their time and talent to preserve Mexican culture and traditions through dance.

With each style of dress, music, and footwork showcased in every performance, the dancers aim to delight viewers and ignite a spark of interest in, and respect for, Mexican culture.

After the performance, don’t miss the 11th installment of Ofrendas: Celebrating el Día de Muertos, running through November 5, 2023. Free with museum admission. 

Don’t miss the amazing talents of William Chapman Nyaho, a Ghanaian American pianist, solo recitalist, and chamber musician. Nyaho has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean, and has developed a repertoire focused on composers of African descent.

He is a guest artist at colleges and universities around the US, and is in high demand as a judge for national and international piano competitions. 

The Firewalkers are a hot new R&B, blues and rock band from Detroit, specializing in the pre-Motown sounds of the late 1950s and early '60s.

The band includes some of the city's finest musicians and is fronted by the fiery vocals of Laura Mendoza, (White Shag, The Ricky Rat Pack, Mark Farner’s American Band) featuring David James (Jon Rice Band) on guitar, Rudy Varner (Chris Casello Trio, JC and the Royal Keys) on upright bass, and Loney Charles (Jack Scott) on drums.  

DDCF’S Rivera Court Stage is a series of performance showcases taking place in the DIA’s Rivera Court that highlight local, national, and international talent and share diverse dance styles with the DDCF audience. Join us for three back-to-back showcases.

1 p.m. Performance

• Susie Thiel 
• Compañeros de Flamenco 
• Next Step Broadway 
• Grand Rapids Ballet 
• Haley Tarling & Dancers 
• Elizabeth Kattner 
• Company SIX 
• RESILIENCE Dance Company 
• dropshift dance 

2 p.m. Performance

• Smutek Dance
• Motive Forces 
• Ballet Folklorico Sones Mexicanos 
• Allison Lincoln 
• Winifred Haun & Dancers 
• Antonella Doblanovic 
• Embodied Arts Collective 

 3 p.m. Performance

• Animus Movement 
• sk|dancers 
• Mrudani School of Performing Arts 
• Embodied Arts Collective 
• Movement Reservoir Dance Company 
• Sophia & El Kronox 
• BGIRL MAMA 
• Xing Dance Theater - Competition Team 
• Diversiform Dance Project 

For the full festival lineup, go to detroitdancecityfestival.com 

Dance and Celebration is a favorite event for Detroit Dance City Festival audiences and features performances by world-renowned guest dancers and choreographers, this year including 

• ArtLab J I
• ArtLab J II
• ArtLab J for Grown-Ups
• Kelsey Lewinski
• Xing Dance Theater Student Company
• Seong Jeong Kim 

A major highlight of the weekend-long festival, you will not want to miss this celebratory performance!

Detroit Dance City Festival (DDCF) is an annual community building event curated by ArtLab J that celebrates dance in its various forms and disciplines. DDCF brings the work of renowned local, national, and international performing artists, choreographers, and companies to the stage in a weekend full of performances, master classes and networking events.