What others have said:
The OKRA Dance Company is wonderful. They are entertaining, professional, and, most importantly, educational. They are a delight.
Assemblyman Michael R. Benedetto
New York State Assembly
82nd District, Bronx, NY
Thank you for all the hard work you are doing. Your performances are engaging, fun, informative, and continue to be enjoyed by everyone at the museums!
Jordan Arnold
Media Relations,
Springfield Museums, MA
Okra Dance Company was engaging, relevant and informative…everyone left the theater more educated and aware of….the evolution of dance in a way that was completely joyful and memorable. I recommend them enthusiastically!
Rob Leitner
Director of Events
Unison Arts Center, NY
A special thank you for last night’s excellent performance–it was exactly what we were hoping for…[with] charismatic, engaging, and beautiful dancers. That was a real treat.
Brooklyn Prospect Charter School
PTA Multicultural
Committee
It was wonderful- very lively and vibrant. The two performers really did help the students travel with their imaginations around the world to learn about other cultures and their traditional dances. The students also enjoyed being able to participate in several of the dances. After the program I only received positive comments from the teachers and parents.
We will definitely be working with this very talented group in the future.
Susan K. Brustmann
Executive Director
-
- OKRA Dance Company-Brooklyn Public Library 2015
About the Company:
OKRA DANCE is a collective of highly accomplished and versatile professional dancers, musicians and artist-educators of African descent who use movement, rhythm, song and storytelling to honor and celebrate community traditions and innovations from all over the world, and in particular, those of the peoples of the Black African diaspora.
We are adept at seamlessly weaving history, dance, humor and audience interaction into a community-building experience unique to each event. Based in New York City, OKRA currently performs over 50 shows per year for youth and multigenerational audiences at schools, libraries, museums, festivals, and theater -“from Massachusetts to Miami” – including programs at such past venues as the Springfield Museums (MA); the JFK Presidential Library and Museum (MA); Tryon (NC) Children’s Theatre Festival; and NYC venues including Queens Theatre, Brooklyn Public Library, the Poppenheusen Institute and the Kupferberg Center for the Arts.
In addition to four repertory shows (American Dance: From Africa to Broadway; Roots to Rap: Evolutions of American Rhythm; Rhythm Dances from Around the World; Journeys into Africa), OKRA also offers residencies which use dance and the arts to make connections to key moments in American and world history; facilitates professional development for both emerging and experienced educators; and creates and produces customized interactive events which blur the lines between performers and audiences.
OKRA Dance, a decade ago
About the Director:
Shireen Dickson has directed OKRA since 2009. Shireen is a former: NYC DOE teacher; NBA cheerleader; Off-Broadway Equity performer; community engagement director for a MacArthur awardee; Jubilation Foundation and Women of Color in the Arts Fellow; and (founding) executive board member of the Collegium for African Diaspora Dance based at Duke University. In addition to directing OKRA, Shireen is a research associate managing and producing black live artists via the Theater/Dance departments of Northwestern University and also consults on a wide range of professional development and creative projects for both independent artists and emerging cultural organizations (including regular presentations for National Dance Education Organization and teacher mentoring via the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago).