Dance on Dunham with Aimée Gelinas, Dan Cohen, Noel Staples-Freeman, and The Berkshire Rhythm Keepers

On Friday, June 6, Dunham Mall, 100 North Street, will feature Dance on Dunham with Aimée Gelinas, Dan Cohen, Noel Staples-Freeman, and The Berkshire Rhythm Keepers from 5 to 8 pm.

This dynamic performance features stories and the cultural context of the rhythms, audience participation, and guest dancers.

The schedule will be as follows:

5:15 to 6 pm: Berkshire Rhythm Keepers led by Aimee & Dan with Noel as a guest dancer

6:15 to 7 pm: Interactive dance with Noel and audience participation plus live drumming and recorded music

7 to 7:15 pm: Berkshire Rhythm Keepers led by Aimee & Dan with Noel as a guest dancer

7:15 to 8 pm: Interactive dance with Noel and audience participation plus live drumming and recorded music

The Berkshire Rhythm Keepers are an intergenerational, multi-level community drum and song group founded and led by Aimée Gelinas M.Ed, Director of the Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center and co-founder of Gaia Roots and Trio Candela. The group is assisted by Dan Cohen. BRK participants attend Aimee’s weekly Monday evening drum and song classes at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in Pittsfield, which is open to beginners, intermediate and advanced drummers. The group performs traditional music on folkloric instruments from West Africa and the Caribbean, as well as original creations. Members of BRK have been studying and performing together for 15+ years.

Aimée Gelinas M.Ed is a musician and naturalist educator who has been performing and facilitating educational programs for 30+ years. She is a skilled and seasoned nature educator and outdoor guide as well as a master percussionist and singer specializing in West African and Caribbean music specifically folkloric percussion such as Djembe, Doun Doun, Conga, Shekere, and more.

Daniel Cohen is a musician, music educator and outdoorsman. He co-founded and is the trails & intern coordinator for the Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center in Windsor, MA. Dan is a master guitarist in both electric and acoustic styles and skilled percussionist specializing in West African Doun Doun drums and percussion. He is a member of the world music ensemble Gaia Roots and co-founder of the groups Trio Candela and Sifer. He assists leading two intergenerational student drum performance ensembles: The Berkshire and The Valley Rhythm Keepers.

Noel Staples-Freeman is a lifelong educator, performer, and cultural ambassador based in Pittsfield. A graduate of Emerson College with a B.S. in Children’s Theatre/Performing Arts and Dance, Noel has dedicated over five decades to teaching and the performing arts both locally and internationally. Her formal dance training began at age 11 at The Billie Pope School of Dance in Roxbury, MA, and continued at The Boston Conservatory of Music, The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts in Dorchester, The Art of Black Dance and Music in Cambridge, and the Koumpo West African Dance Company in Boston. Noel’s distinguished career includes notable performances such as the celebration of Nelson Mandela’s historic visit to Boston in 1990, appearances in DanceAfrica at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and performances at Jacob’s Pillow, where she also served as a teaching artist. Her work at Jacob’s Pillow helped introduce audiences and students to the richness of African and African Diaspora dance traditions. Guided by a deep commitment to being in community and with the people, Noel’s journey has brought her to Jamaica, Antigua, Senegal, Benin, and Ghana. These experiences have deepened her understanding of cultural traditions and reinforced her mission to honor and uplift the voices, movements, and stories of the African Diaspora.

Dance on Dunham is presented in partnership with Mill Town Foundation.

In the case of inclement weather, Dance on Dunham will be at WANDER Berkshires, 34 Depot Street, Suite 101.