The Rhythm Nation Hip Hop Dance program brought workshops and performances to the sunny shores of The Maldives as well as to the misty highlands of Sri Lanka from October 30 to November 10.
The Maldives: The capital city of Male’ was the setting for a Maldives-America friendship week celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. As part of the festivities, American Voices was asked to devise a Hip Hop dance program for Maldivian youth. Approximately fifty youth participated in these dance and music workshops over a one week period and an amazing amount of talent poured forth onto the stages of Male’. Other project partners included the National Center for the Arts and the Youth Center of Male’.
Sri Lanka: The American Voices trio spent one week in the capital city of Colombo and the central highlands city of Kandy, famous for its traditional dance and music. In addition to a rousing grand finale concerts in Colombo’s Town Hall, the program included several days spent with dance and music students in an arts center in a renovated tea plantation outside of Kandy. Though students of traditional dance, these young people took to the Hip Hop styles with gusto and put on an excellent show in Kandy.
Many thanks to the US Embassy Colombo and our project partners in Male’, Colombo and Kandy for their support of this project.