Sankofa means "back to the root"; it refers to a complex philosophy of African origin that proposes the need to know the past as a fundamental condition for understanding the present and being able to dimension the future we desire. According to this philosophy, Afro-descendants are seen as agents, that is, active subjects capable of influencing their present and future through the use of their own knowledge.
This system of thought has guided the work of the Corporación Cultural Afrocolombiana Sankofa, founded by Rafael Palacios in 1997, as a space dedicated to training and creation in dance. In Sankofa, therefore, dance is not conceived as an empty expression, disconnected from the communities. On the contrary, the dances are a living link between the communities and the dancers, who possess a wealth of knowledge, techniques and wisdom that help them to survive and face the challenges of each stage of life.
Coproduction of Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo and Sankofa Danzafro
Artistic team
General direction and choreography | Rafael Palacios
Assistant to the choreographer | Yndira Perea Cuesta
Lighting and set designer | Álvaro Tobón
Costume designer | Diana Echandía
Research advisor | Carlos Correa
Music | Juan José Luna, Harold Enrique Tenorio y Kevin Leandro Cortes.
Cast
Artists on stage | William Camilo Perlaza, María Elena Murillo, Yndira Perea, Yeison Moreno, Maryeris Batista, Sandra Vanesa Murillo, Diego León de los Ríos, Liliana Hurtado, Yesid Quejada, Andrea Bonilla, Estayler Osorio, Daniela Hernández, Nicolás Mosquera y Jhoan Andrés Mosquera.
Live musicians | Harold Enrique Tenorio, Kevin Leandro Cortes y Juan José Luna.
Special thanks to: Plu con Pla, Fundación Escuela Folclórica de Pacifico Sur TUMAC, 14ª Fiesta del Libro y la Cultura, Teatro Metropolitano José Gutiérrez Gómez, Wangari Danza Afrocontemporánea, Escuela de Música Nuevo Horizonte - Tumaco, Casa de Integración Afrocolombiana – Alcaldía de Medellín, Museo Pedro Nel Gómez.
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