ACGK sponsors Zulu Connection
for Fun Fest 2008

The World's Greatest Stilt Dancers Coming to Kingsport for Fun Fest 2008

"As masters of the African form of stilt-dancing and ancient mystical masquerades, Zulu Connection spellbinds its audiences with colorful and elaborate costumes, tremendous heights, extraordinary acrobatics and magnificent dance moves."

As one of the sponsors, the Arts Council of Greater Kingsport is proud to announce that Zulu Connection will make its Fun Fest debut at the Mardi Gras kick-off celebration on Friday, July 11 at 2:30 p.m. There will also be performances at the Crazy 8's Race on Saturday, July 12 and at Rhythm in Riverview on Monday, July 14 at 6 p.m.

In addition to these exhilarating performances, children will have the opportunity to interact directly with Zulu Connection during interactive workshops led by the artists. These workshops will be held on Monday, July 14 and will educate on African customs, history, musical instruments, masquerades and legends. Participants will have the opportunity to learn actual rhythms and songs of various West African dances that the company has performed on stages and venues all over the world. The ancient artform of stilt dancing will also be discussed; students will learn where stilt dancing originated and the reasons why it exists. The first workshop will take place at Kids Central, 11 a.m., at Johnson Elementary as an ACGK Arts4Kids program, and the second at Rhythm in Riverview from 1-3 p.m. All of these performances and workshops are free and open to the public.

Zulu Connection, one of the country's finest and most popular performing arts companies was born in the capital of music and culture, New Orleans, Louisiana. Since its start in 1990, the company has pioneered the appearance of works by both African and African-American choreographers and has been dedicated to preserving the rich culture of Africa, the Caribbean, and Haiti. The highly rhythmic music that accompanies each performance has been characterized as captivating and invigorating, pushing most audience members to get up and dance. In the course of a concert the program entertains, but also educates audiences to the cultural arts of these nations in order to foster cross-cultural appreciation and understanding across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Bermuda.

Zulu Connection's emergence at Fun Fest is funded in part by the Arts Council of Greater Kingsport, through a grant from the Southern Arts Federation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Fun Fest is the coordinating agency for Zulu's performances and workshops, with assistance provided by the South Central Kingsport Development Corporation and the Kingsport Housing Redevelopment Corporation.