FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kairos Alive! to Facilitate Intergenerational Dance Halls
Kairos Collaborating with Minnesota Historical Society to Promote Intercultural Exchanges within Latino and African American Communities
MINNEAPOLIS – April 28, 2016 – Kairos Alive!, pioneers in participatory art and the creative arts and aging movement, in collaboration with Minnesota Historical Society, will implement Intergenerational Dance Halls™ at Centro Minneapolis and the Southwest Senior Center.
Kairos, whose research-based, award winning arts programs actively engage people of all ages and abilities through participatory dance, music and story – along with its collaborating partners – seek to enrich the lives of participants and create vibrant communities.
The Intergenerational Dance Hall™ is a revival of the dance hall as the community intersection of artistic, physical and social involvement – designed for all ages and abilities, with elders at the center. These intercultural, intergenerational events provide opportunities for people ages 1-101 to share their creativity – no matter their abilities – with their peers, families and friends in an inclusive and lively event with live music, dancing and storytelling. They are designed as a creative collaboration between participants and professional artists where the boundaries between performer and audience are dissolved.
Intended to promote arts participation, health education, and personal and community well-being, the objective of these dance halls are in alignment with those of Centro Minneapolis, serving the Latino community, and of the Southwest Senior Center, serving the African American community.
These events are funded via Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) through Together in Time, a Community Anchors project funded by IMLS’s Museums for America program that aims to meet the needs of a diverse, aging population by empowering them as lifelong learners, encouraging them to tell stories and supporting their caregivers in their essential roles.
“As part of this grant, MNHS aims to build an understanding of the needs and challenges of African American and Latino caregivers,” said Maren Levad, Museum Access Specialist at Minnesota Historical Society. “MNHS and partners will also explore any barriers caregivers encounter using the current tools and programs available through cultural organizations for people with memory loss. Working with Kairos allows MNHS to explore potential education outreach and community building within this target group.”
“We are excited for this collaboration with Minnesota Historical Society and these upcoming dance halls,” said Maria Genne, Founder/Director of Kairos Alive!. “Our collective ability to positively impact communities, and individuals of all ages and cultures, is something to be recognized and celebrated. We are actively demonstrating the value of participatory art, and its relationship to aging and health. We believe this model of intercultural exchange we’re doing at Centro and Southwest Senior Center can be replicated among other communities.”
The Kairos Alive! Intergenerational Dance Halls™ will be held:
May 7th at 1-3 pm at the Southwest Senior Center, 3612 Bryant Ave S, Minneapolis 55409, voamnwi.org/southwest-center
Live music by Kevin Washington Quintet
May 21st at 11 am -1 pm at Centro Minneapolis, 1915 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis 55404, centromn.org
Live music by Malamanya
About the Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history. For more, visit www.mnhs.org.
About Kairos Alive!
A 501(c)3 non-profit performing arts and arts learning organization, Kairos Alive! Choreography of Care™ transforms lives through dance and story, and raises awareness of the importance of creative involvement across the lifespan for verifiable health benefits. We use the power of participatory, creative dance theater to make connections, stir the imagination, and create resilience in intergenerational communities. In supporting the artistic work of Maria Genné, our Choreography of Care™ programs and services promote personal and community wellbeing among all ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds. For more, visit kairosalive.org
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Contact:
Parker Genne
612.926.5454
