 |
Becky Umeh | |
|---|---|
 Umeh in 2010 | |
| Born | Anambra State, Nigeria |
| Occupation(s) | Choreographer, dancer, actress |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Website | zomema |
Becky UzoAmaka Umeh is a Nigerian artistic director, choreographer, singer, actress, and dancer.
|
Becky Umeh | |
|---|---|
| Umeh in 2010 | |
| Born | Anambra State, Nigeria |
| Occupation(s) | Choreographer, dancer, actress |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Website | zomema |
Becky UzoAmaka Umeh is a Nigerian artistic director, choreographer, singer, actress, and dancer.
Umeh was born in Anambra State, Nigeria, but grew up in Lagos from the age of five. In 1992, she gained national visibility as an actress in the Nigerian Television Authority children's drama Tales by Moonlight. She was also cast in the independent films Jezebel, Twist of Fate, Living Ghost, Amazon, among others.
From 1994 to 1998, Umeh studied traditional and contemporary African dance, on full scholarship, at Ivory Dance Academy, founded by National Troupe of Nigeria member Steve James. While studying, she toured with the school's group Ivory Ambassadors, and conducted field research on traditional dance in Nigerian villages.
Upon graduation, Umeh served as the Dance Director of Ivory Dance Troupe for five years, directing and producing shows for Guinness, Mobile, Chevron, Seven-Up Bottling Company, etc. After a brief tour to Ghana, she travelled to Paris during the 1998 FIFA World Cup with the soccer team of Nigeria. Becky Umeh launched her singing career and founded her band, [1] and together they produced the album "Aiye".
From 1998 to 2001, Umeh co-hosted the TV show Dance Jam Competition. In 2002, following her production of the cultural fiesta Afrifest, [2] where she brought the dance troupes of Africa together, Umeh served as assistant choreographer for the Miss Nigeria beauty pageant and the winner became Miss World 2002. Places where Becky Umeh performed include: the French Cultural Center, the Goethe-Institut, the Nigeria Music Awards, and the federal capital Abuja. She was active in pressing the Nigerian Government to provide artists with forms of support which were not harnessed to the Government's own propaganda goals. [3] [4]
Since moving to Washington, D.C. in 2002, [5] Umeh has worked with producers such as Hugh Medrano, Nancy Havlik (stage director) and George Faison (New York choreographer).[ citation needed ] She has performed for non-profit organisations such as the Red Cross, the Nigerian Embassy, and many cultural centres, universities, and churches.[ citation needed ] In 2005, Umeh went on tour with Toby Foyeh and Orchestra Africa to North and South Carolina, Massachusetts, and New York's Syracuse Festival.[ citation needed ]
From 2004 till present, Umeh has continued to work and performed with the Malcolm X Drum Ensemble led by Doc Powel, and volunteered as Community Outreach Coordinator for UAA Foundation, a non-profit organisation with mission to raise awareness about violence against women www.UAAfoundation.org.[ citation needed ]
In 2006, Umeh choreographed the Lion King production sponsored by Metropolitan Fine Arts in Virginia. In 2009 Umeh formed the Zomema Dance Ensemble, [6] which performs traditional and contemporary African dance works under her direction.
In 2011, she wrote and published her first stage play "Legend of Abiku Zombeh".
Umeh was tapped as language facilitator and choreographer by Richmond University in their seasonal Stage production Things Fall Apart written by Nigerian novelist and poet Chinua Achebe.[ citation needed ]
| Year | Title | Producer | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Aiye | Nelson Brown | |
| 2000 | Sisi | ||
| 2009 | My Creation | Jamix (Abuja Nigeria) | CDBaby |
| 2010 | Zomema | Jamix (Abuja Nigeria) | |
| 2010 | Mama | Nelson Brown | |
| 2010 | Ayaya | Nkeng | OneMicStudio |
| 2010 | Stand up | Alejo, Nkeng | OneMicStudio |
| 2010 | Toron | A.J. Alemanji, Nkeng | OneMicStudio |
| 2010 | Geleleno | Jamix (Abuja Nigeria) | |
The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba. Since the early 20th century the term has been used in different countries to refer to distinct styles of music and dance, most of which are only tangentially related to the original Cuban rumba, if at all. The vague etymological origin of the term rumba, as well as its interchangeable use with guaracha in settings such as bufo theatre, is largely responsible for such worldwide polysemy of the term. In addition, "rumba" was the primary marketing term for Cuban music in North America, as well as West and Central Africa, during much of the 20th century, before the rise of mambo, pachanga and salsa.
Anna Sokolow was an American dancer and choreographer known for the social justice focus and theatricality of her work, and for her support of the development of Modern Dance in Mexico and in Israel.
The Batá drum is a double-headed drum shaped like an hourglass with one end larger than the other. The percussion instrument is still used for its original purpose as it is one of the most important drums in the yoruba land and used for traditional and religious activities among the Yoruba. Batá drums have been used in the religion known as Santería in Cuba since the 1800s, and in Puerto Rico and the United States since the 1950s. Today, they are also used for semi-religious musical entertainment in Nigeria and in secular, popular music. The early function of the batá was as a drum of different gods, of royalty, of ancestors and a drum of politicians, impacting all spheres of life in Yoruba land.
Yoruba music is the pattern/style of music practiced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Togo, and Benin. It is perhaps best known for its extremely advanced drumming tradition and techniques, especially using the gongon hourglass shape tension drums. Yoruba folk music became perhaps the most prominent kind of West African music in Afro-Latin and Caribbean musical styles; it left an especially important influence on the music used in Santería practice and the music of Cuba.
Ballet Magnificat! is a professional Christian ballet company founded in Mississippi in 1986 and located in the state capital, Jackson. It has been described as the premiere Christian dance company in the United States, and has spawned numerous dance companies and ministries. The 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry consists of a full-time touring company, pre-professional training program, school of the arts, Summer Dance Intensive, Jr. Dance Intensive, and Brazil satellite company and school.
Jaipongan, also known as Jaipong, is a popular traditional dance of Sundanese people from Indonesia. The dance was created by Gugum Gumbira, based on traditional Sundanese Ketuk Tilu music and pencak silat movements.
Jeffrey Glen Daniel is an American dancer, singer-songwriter, and choreographer, most notable for being a founding member of the R&B vocal group Shalamar. In Nigeria, he is best known as a judge on the first season of Nigerian Idol.
Rasta Kuzma Ramacandra was born on July 18, 1981 in San Francisco and is a dancer, martial artist, gymnast, and choreographer. Thomas is the founder of the Bad Boys of Dance and director/owner of the ShowBiz National Talent Competition. Thomas is a past winner of prestigious ballet competitions worldwide and has been a guest with numerous dance companies.
The Washington Ballet (TWB) is an ensemble of professional ballet dancers based in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1976 by Mary Day and has been directed by Julie Kent since 2016.
Rumba is a secular genre of Cuban music involving dance, percussion, and song. It originated in the northern regions of Cuba, mainly in urban Havana and Matanzas, during the late 19th century. It is based on African music and dance traditions, namely Abakuá and yuka, as well as the Spanish-based coros de clave. According to Argeliers León, rumba is one of the major "genre complexes" of Cuban music, and the term rumba complex is now commonly used by musicologists. This complex encompasses the three traditional forms of rumba, as well as their contemporary derivatives and other minor styles.
DanceAfrica is a heritage and community celebration equable on the manifold dance forms of the African Diaspora held annually in New York City, Washington, DC, and Chicago. Included are indoor and outdoor performance including live music, a film series, master classes, education programs, and an outdoor bazaar. Its current artistic director is Abdel R. Salaam.
Viengsay Valdés (1977) is a Cuban ballerina. Since 2003, Valdés is the Prima Ballerina Assoluta and since 2019 she is the Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Cuba.
Erika Chong Shuch is an American theatrical performer, director, choreographer, and educator based in San Francisco, California. Her work has appeared on stages in the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington, DC, and Seoul, South Korea.
Liz Lerman is an American dance choreographer and founder of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.
Kenneth L. Roberson is an American choreographer and dancer best known for his work on Avenue Q.
Victor Ekpuk is a Nigerian-born artist based in Washington, DC. Ekpuk came to prominence through his paintings and drawings, which reflect indigenous African philosophies of the Nsibidi and Uli art forms.
Nejla Y. Yatkin is a German-American choreographer.
Cleo Parker Robinson is an American dancer and choreographer. She is most known for being the founder, namesake and executive creative director of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. She was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1989, and named to the National Council on the Arts by President Bill Clinton in 1999. In 2005 she also received a Kennedy Center Medal of Honor during the Center's "Masters of African American Choreographers" series.
Jolie Ngemi is a dancer and performance artist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Amanda Villepastour (née Vincent is an Australian ethnomusicologist and former professional musician. She is best known for being the keyboardist of Australian new wave band Eurogliders between 1980 and 1987, and for her 21st-century research work and publications on Yorùbá music in Nigeria, and Afro-Cuban religious music in Cuba.
