Dancing to the rhythm of Juneteenth’s spirit

CHARLOTTE DRUM AND DANCE COLLECTIVE

The Charlotte African Drum and Dance Collective, which was founded last year, will perform at the Juneteenth Festival of the Carolinas.

Juneteenth has been a heavily celebrated holiday for the African American and African communities, especially in the Charlotte metro area where African dance continues to evolve.

The Charlotte African Drum and Dance Collective got its start around this time last year after a couple of dance performances with Shea Movement for the 2022 Juneteenth festival. The core group stayed together through WhatsApp chats that led to CADDC’s official formation in September.

Karen Phelps, Narayana Hall, Tinka Barnes, and Cheick Sissoko practiced at Hornet’s Nest Park until they were able to find a studio of their own. It was from that point that Phelps, CADDC’s president, realized the group had the potential to make an impact.  

“The four of us decided maybe we should consider organizing formally, she said. “That way, we can spread more of what we know and share it with the broader community.”  
CADDC started teaching classes last September, and in October, Phelps found practice space.  

“It just really feels like it's bigger than you,” she said. “You’re doing something that is for just really pure purposes, to uplift your community, to preserve this art and this culture, and to create an environment that's inclusive, that is welcoming, that is just free. Just really felt like our ancestors had a hand in it.”  

Phelps emphasizes that CADDC is for everyone and there are public community classes every week. Adult dance classes are every Sunday at 4:30 p.m., while children’s classes are first and third Sundays of every month. People who want to perform at private events have to attend auditions. The first round of auditions was April 23, but Phelps said anyone who is interested should be on the lookout for more and experience isn’t required.

“We wouldn't want anyone to feel discouraged or feel that they have to be at a certain professional level,” she said. “This was just the first round of auditions that we posted, but we intend to hold them again in the future.”

With CADDC coming up on its one-year celebration, the biggest thing the founders have noticed has been the amount of attention they have received.  
“One thing that has been really refreshing is the attention that CADDC has gotten from people who are new to the area, new transplants to Charlotte, in and of itself from all over the United States,” Phelps said.  

Despite the goals that have been hit so far, Phelps and the team had more to accomplish. One task is increasing class size for adult and children’s classes. Adult classes average between 15-25 students, but Phelps wants to get that number to 40. The other task is to get their own studio space. Although they have space right now, it is rented.  
Once that goal is reached, they will have to move into their own studio to accommodate bigger classes.

Another goal is to move more people into leadership positions. Members of the executive board also teach classes, coordinate programs, and market the company. Phelps said juggling those roles has been their hardest challenge.

“It would be great to have more hands-on-deck to kind of delegate some of these responsibilities,” she said. “Our board is still very small right now, but we have already entertained the idea of adding on others to join us so that we won't have to hold so many hats. I’m the president, but I’m also the secretary. The vice president is also the treasurer. The assistant vice president is also one of the CO artistic directors,” Phelps said.  

Phelps said CADDC is opening a position for content creation and marketing.  

“It would be really great to have somebody who could assist us with marketing with social media, specifically, someone who is tech savvy when it comes to content creation, and all of that has a knack and interest in it and would be able to help us with it,” Phelps said.

The dance and drum company will make its first appearance at the 26th annual Juneteenth Festival of the Carolinas, the largest and oldest showcase of its kind in the Carolinas.  

The troupe will perform June 17 from 1-1:45 p.m. before a 2 p.m. tribute to Juneteenth supporter Shirley Fulton at House of Africa, 1215 Thomas Ave.

Fulton, who died last year, was Mecklenburg County’s first Black assistant district attorney, North Carolina’s first Black woman Superior Court judge and went on to become a senior resident Superior Court judge. She was also a part of the Juneteenth committee for several years.

An invitation-only luncheon will honor her legacy.  

“This is one space that is inclusive of everyone regardless of age, of sexual orientation, of gender, of race,” Phelps said. “The primary goal is to just strengthen the community here in Charlotte through spreading more knowledge and awareness and education of traditional West African drum and dance.”  

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