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Bi-Okoto Drum & Dance Theatre Biography
Bi-Okoto Drum & Dance Theatre established in August 1996 and incorporated as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit multicultural performing arts organization. Our mission is to preserve traditional African drum and dance heritage and promote cultural understanding by educating audiences of all ages about African countries through language, music and movement for a better appreciation of diversity. The organization is committed to sharing knowledge, building long lasting cooperative relationships with their community patrons, and developing professional artists that will produce quality productions.
The artists are mainly comprised of Nigerians, Ghanaians and Americans that are members of the Guild of Nigerian Dancers with a sister organization in Lagos, Nigeria and Accra, Ghana. Bi-Okoto presents a repertoire of over ninety authentic traditional dances, music, dance dramas, operas and new contemporary works from Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Kenya and South Africa. The artists have performed nationally in many states such as California, Washington D.C., Virginia, New York, Alabama, Mississippi, Chicago, New Jersey, Nebraska, and in 1998 Disney World's opening of Animal Kingdom and McDonald's commercial spots. They have toured internationally representing Nigeria in South Korea's Youth Festival, Presidential welcomes in Italy, Germany, Bulgaria and France.
In 2003 & 2004, Bi-Okoto received the high honor to perform for the United States & United Nations military forces in Europe. The sponsor of the tour, The United States Department of Defense Armed Forces Entertainment chose Bi-Okoto from hundreds of available entertainment groups from around the country. Seven artists from the organization-toured the United Kingdom, Norway, The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany presenting 35 performances over the course of 5 ½ weeks (Jan. 28th-March 8th). The purpose of the tour was to entertain the military men and women overseas by lifting their spirits and morale, to provide a touch of home and to remind them they are remembered and loved by those here in the United States.
Bi-Okoto Drum & Dance Theatre is a recipient of many residency grants. Our arts education programs have reached over 175,000 adults and children during 2003-2004 at schools, recreation and senior center and organizations with special needs constituents have used our services to help integrate arts curriculum as a way of therapy, improving critical thinking skills or understanding differences. Some of the most recent:
· Batesville Middle School, Batesville, Indiana (January 2002 & March 2004) - A week Movement and Music residency for Junior High students. The students were able to learn various Nigerian & Ghanaian music rhythms, differences of instruments, movement patterns and songs. The final day culminated into a large facilitated drum and dance circle & performance with all the students playing various instruments, dancing and singing in Yoruba & Ga languages for the school and community.
· Cumberland Trace Elementary School, Bowling Green, Kentucky (March 2004) – A 3 day Movement and Music residency for 5th & 6th grade students in preparation for KERA testing.
· Carver Cultural Community Center - San Antonio, Texas (February 2002) - Artists from Bi-Okoto Drum & Dance Theatre worked closely with the with support from the National Performance Network, to present over 20 arts education workshops for schools, a community performance and 15 classes of dance, music and language throughout the entire community and colleges.
· Mills Lawn Elementary- Yellow Springs, Ohio (August 2002 - June 2003 school year) – Bi-Okoto artists conducted a yearlong arts education residency as a part of a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in Washington D.C. The Mills Lawn staff wrote the grant. Mills Lawn was one of only two school districts in the entire country to receive a grant in 2002. With the support of the Ohio Arts Council, the residency began in the summer of 2002 with a Teacher Institute in August. Eight artists were sponsored by the grant although; Bi-Okoto artists were the only artists that worked with every grade level during the 2002-2003 school year.
· Withrow International High School- Cincinnati, Ohio (10 week residency 2002-2003) - A dance residency teaching High School students language, songs, and cultural dances from Nigeria, Ghana and Togo. Through the residency the students were able to gain an understanding of discipline, respect, social interaction, and performance experience for graduation credits.
· Englewood Hills Elementary - Dayton, Ohio (December 2002) – A week movement & music residency with kindergarten students giving them an experience of West African culture and creating a Ghanaian dance piece.
· Jessamine County, (outside Louisville) Kentucky Schools (January & March 2003) - In January & March 2003, we presented 21 lecture demonstration programs to all 11 schools in Jessamine County Kentucky as a part of the Kentucky Center for the Arts educational programs. Funded by Kentucky Arts Council.
· Montgomery County Board of Education, Montgomery County, Kentucky (June & July 2003) – Over 300 students in grades 2-6 and parents traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio multiple trips throughout the summer to participate in our “Images of Afrika” Summer Camp. This program was a unique introduction of West African culture. The students will work with professional artists to explore and create “Images of Africa” through music, dance, languages, theatre, and hand-made crafts while learning self-esteem, cooperation, respect and understanding cultural similarities and differences. The end of the camp featured a presentation by the students for their parents.
· Public Housing Authority of Covington, Covington, Kentucky (June 2003 – December 2004) – Bi-Okoto artist worked with students and staff during their summer camp program and during the after school program teaching West African dance, drumming, songs and language. The students completed a 10-week course and then performed with Bi-Okoto Drum & Dance Theatre’s professional company at the end of quarter production, which is open to the public. (This is an ongoing residency through December 2004).
Company Affiliations:
¨ Association for the Advancement of Arts Education – Participating organization offering professional development programs for educators, administration and students
¨ Adopt-A-School - Relationship w/Artlinks and (3) Tri-State area school districts teaching interdisciplinary arts & performance-based curriculum for a 2-year residency. Our artists visit each school monthly.
¨ Arts & Humanities Resource Center for Older Adults (AHRC) – Presenting 25 workshops and performances for senior centers throughout the Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Indiana and Kentucky areas
¨ Artability Relationship w/Artlinks and area service organizations – Presenting movement & music workshops at Drake Center, Stepping Stones, Children’s Hospital, and Shiner’s Burns, and Board of MRDD that fosters creativity and awareness for adults & children who are physically and mentally challenged
¨ Cincinnati Arts Association/Aronoff Center for the Arts - Presents over 30-lecture demonstrations within 16 counties. We are an Artist-on-Tour Interdisciplinary Arts Education resident company (1998 – 2008)
¨ Centre East North Shore for the Performing Arts Center Skokie, Illinois – Performances, residencies and lecture demonstrations for schools, arts organization, libraries etc. in the Chicago and Wisconsin areas (Annual since 2003)
¨ Cincinnati Institute of the Fine Artist – Fine Arts Fund – Entertainers for organizations and schools
¨ Cincinnati Ballet Summer Program Faculty (1997-1999)
¨ Cincinnati Enquirer’s Newspaper in Education – featured organization in the newsletter every other year
¨ Kentucky Center for the Arts – Arts Education performing presenters – Presenting over 30-lecture demonstrations and residencies throughout the entire state of Kentucky. (Annual since 2000)
¨ National Performance Network –Residency and performances for partnering arts councils throughout the U.S.
¨ OhioDance – Offering Master classes, workshops and professional development workshops throughout Ohio to performing arts schools and colleges (Company Manager is a Board of Trustees member since 1998)
¨ Ohio Arts Presenters Network – Residency and performances for organizations throughout Ohio
¨ The Overture Awards – Annually provide judges for dance discipline scholarship competition
¨ Uptown Arts – instructors for dance and music serving underprivileged children in Over-The-Rhine, Mt. Auburn, Clifton, Lower Price Hill, Newport and Covington, Kentucky (2001)
¨ YWCA – instructor for dance and music serving at risk children ages 7-12 in Over-The-Rhine, Mt. Auburn, Clifton, Lower Price Hill, Newport and Covington, Kentucky (2001-2002)
¨ YoArt! - Arts Mentoring program with ArtLinks - Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Project Succeed, St. Bernard and Taft High School and other area junior high and high schools
Some of our significant performances, workshops include:
¨ Americore – Unity Festival – Lincoln, Nebraska – (June 2001)
¨ Aronoff Center for the Arts, Cincinnati, Ohio - Gala Opening (1996)
¨ Black Achievers (Melrose YMCA awards) - (June 2003)
¨ Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio) – Ohio Dance Festival Master Classes (October 2001)
¨ Chatfield College - Presidential Inaugural Celebration (October 2002)
¨ Chili Fest (July 2001)
¨ Cincinnati Ballet Summer Program Faculty (1997-1999)
¨ Cincinnati Opera Outreach Night (1995)
¨ Cincinnati Museum Center’s - African Cultural Festival (Annually since 1996)
¨ Cincinnati Pops at Riverbend – International Festival (Summer 1999)
¨ Cincinnati Hamilton County Public Library – Martin Luther King Day Celebration (January 2004)
¨ Cincinnati Symphony Educational Outreach Performance Series 1997,1998
¨ Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (Home for the Holidays) (December 1998)
¨ Cincinnati Zoo – Music for “Out of Africa” exhibit 1995
¨ Cincinnati Zoo – “Zoofari Fundraiser” (September 2002)
¨ City of Oxford Parks & Recreation – Summer Camp – (July 2003)
¨ Eastern Kentucky University – Master Classes, school and community performances (March 2002 & March 2003)
¨ Enjoy the Arts Start 20/20 Event – Columbia Tusculum/East End Performance Tour (October 2002)
¨ Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend – Classes, lecture demonstrations and performances (1996-present)
¨ Fraze Pavilion – Lincoln Park – Kettering, Ohio - “The Festival of Nations” (August 2001)
¨ Franciscan Sisters of the Poor – Movement and Music Workshops (April 2002)
¨ General Electric Aircraft Engines - African Celebration Week – (October 2003)
¨ Gottesman Bat mitzvah, Blue Ash, Ohio - (August 2003)
¨ Impact Over-The-Rhine, South African Ambassador welcome & Anniversary performance (1995 & November 2003)
¨ Inclusion Network Award Banquet - feature performers for Artists and Student Inclusion (January 2000 & 2002)
¨ Jack & Jill Association of Cincinnati – Kwanzaa Celebration (December 2002)
¨ Juneteenth performances (Eden Park – 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002)
¨ Kent State University, Kent, Ohio - African American History Month (February 2004)
¨ Len’s Crafters Worldwide Cultural Diversity Performance – (July 2002)
¨ Locust Grove Music Festival, Louisville, Kentucky - (October 2001)
¨ Main Street Music Festival – (August 2001)
¨ Miller South School for Visual and Performing Arts, Akron Ohio - (April 2003)
¨ National Conference for Community Justice – Student performances (April 2002)
¨ Over-The-Rhine Cultural Festival – (June 1998)
¨ Ohio State University, Lima, Ohio (September 2001)
¨ Playhouse in the Park – Rosenthal’s Next Generational Series Performance – (February 2002)
¨ Raymond Walters College – University of Cincinnati - (February 2003)
¨ Sundays in the City – Downtown Cincinnati Incorporated - (May 2002)
¨ National Conference for Community Justice “Walk As One” – Channel 9 WCPO – (July 2001 & July 2002)
¨ World Peace Bell – Newport, Kentucky (December 1999)
¨ Ujima Cinci-Bration (July 2001)
¨ Unity Church – Kwanzaa Celebration (December 2002 & December 2003)
¨ University of Cincinnati World Festival (1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003)
¨ University of Cincinnati - Ohio Dance Festival Master Classes – (2002)
¨ University of Cincinnati Clermont College – Blue Jewel performance
¨ Walk As Onc Celebration & Run – (October 2001, 2002
¨ WCET Channel 48, Cincinnati Art Museum, AAAE – “Behind the Glass” – provided traditional music and songs
for DVD Educational kit; distributed nationally to schools and universities (Fall 2000 – present)
¨ Wilmington College – Artists and Issues Series – Performance – February 2000
¨ Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio – Ohio Dance Festival Master Classes – (1998)
¨ Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio – African Heritage Festival (November 2003)
¨ Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio – Black History Month dance workshops & performance - (February 2004)
(A complete listing of performances, educational performances and residencies for schools, hospitals, service organizations, health institutions, nursing homes, adult day & senior centers are available upon request)
CONTACT INFORMATION:
2511 Essex Place
Cincinnati, Ohio 45206
Tel: 513-221-6112
Fax: 775-521-1307
Email: bi-okoto@bi-okoto.com
www.Bi-Okoto.com
Booking
information: 513-253-5454
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