Biography
Nadia Dieudonné & Feet of Rhythm is an Afro-Haitian folkloric dance company created to preserve and promote the rich culture of Haiti. Since 1994, the nonprofit group has personified Haitian pride by performing at cultural events worldwide including the Wasshoi International Dance & Music festival in Saki, Japan; Brooklyn Museum of Art; several cultural festivals in Canada, Downtown Dance Festival in Battery Park; Prospect Bark-Band shell, Bryant Park, The African Heritage Guggenheim Festival, The Dance Theater Workshop/NYC, Schomburg and Lincoln Center-Out of Doors.
Feet of Rhythm specializes in theater, concert, festival, and band performances and is capable of presenting Haitian folklore tales in theatrical manners. Each choreo-drama reflects traditional Vodou dances, which is fused with Dieudonné unique contemporary movements.
Feet of Rhythm..s trademark is in the energy of its dancers and drummers. Each dynamic choreography is based on an original arrangement of live drumming with chanting and sounds of nature. Visual effects are as important as the dance performance; therefore, specific setting and props are built to allow better understanding of each dance, and the traditional Afro-Haitian costumes are redesigned with new touches that correspond with the performance. The modern touch to traditional choreographies and costumes helps to reach a younger audience thirsty for their ancestry.
Feet of Rhythm is not just a dance group it is an educational presentation of the African and Haitian heritages. A workshop often precedes the performance that is based on historical dance description in relation to the sound of the drums.
Nadia Dieudonné is a talented choreographer, dancer and teacher who began dancing at an early age. By the age of 12 Nadia was performing with well known Haitian folk singer and activist Mrs. Myriam Dorismé. Nadia..s innate talent as an Afro-Haitian dancer grew stronger in 1990, as she began to travel back to her homeland to research and study the origins, purposes of Haitian dance and its connections to Africa. Today, after more than 15 years of dancing and performing, Nadia is known as the best Banda dancer outside of Haiti. Her expertise comes out of her diligent study of the folkloric heritage of Haitian dance. She honed her skills by attending several Lakous (communities that preserve and practice specific Vodou ceremonies) in the countryside and dance schools in Port-au-Prince. She also has been guided under the tutelage of the renowned school of Haitian dancer Viviane Gauthier along with independent study with various esteemed folkloric dance companies. In 1994, she founded Feet of Rhythm, an Afro-Haitian dance company where she creates, develops and fuses the traditional Vodou dances with her own unique contemporary style. She has worked with Masters in the field, such as Haitian icon Jean-Léon Destiné & his Afro-Haitian Dance Company, and the acclaimed Dinizulu African drummers, singers, and dancers. She has also danced with Forces of Nature and Charles Moore Dance Theater. Nadia performs and conducts master classes throughout the US and abroad..Canada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Holland, Japan and Trinidad
View Feet Of Rhythm's EPK http://blog.showbizfm.com/?p=709
February 18th, 2008
“Feet of Rhythm” To Perform in Belgium
Ralph Delly
[Showbiz News Wire] Brussels - Feet of Rhythm, a New York based dance company led by Nadia Dieudonné has been invited to perform in Belgium this summer at the Edegem International Festival and Dendermonde Dance Festival. More than twenty members of the Feet of Rhythn Dance Company will travel to Belgium in August for a one-month tour, where the company will perform as the only Haiti’s representative at the two major international dance festivals. The Edegem opening night gala celebration, will feature performing stars of France, Mexico, Germany and will be aired on national Belgium Television. In addition to visiting Brussels, the Feet of Rhythm dancers will have the opportunity to travel to Bulgaria and give additional presentations ad the Tornovo Dance Festival..
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Love, Kathleen