Tales of Origination - An Evening of Drums and Dance

It is said that the music of the Bwiti  intiation rite is designed to activate the 5-8 simultaneously clocks that we use to coordinate our movement, our hearts, our being. That the combination of polyrythmic splendor and pyschedelic/dissociative drug Ibogaine allows one to reach states of trance which are unimaginable with only one. Tonight we carry forth our traditions to alter conciousness, to create community, to restore a powerful continuinity which has been lost. This is an evening of percussion and movement pairings featuring three variations on non-idiom. It is free, it is improvised. It is whole.

Doors 7:30

Show 8pm

$10 to $20 for our wonderful artists and venue 

No Booze please.

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Tracy Lisk x Asimina Chremos 

Nick Neuburg  x Mijkalena Smith

Kevin Murray X Vyette Tiya

Bios

Tracy Lisk is a percussionist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ms. Lisk’s history as a painter informs the substance of her improvisations which contain references to rhythmic structures while maintaining a fluid, suspended continuity. She has lead percussion ensembles, and regularly tours as a drummer in the US and Europe. She has collaborated with William Parker, saxophonist Gary Hassay, Andrea Pensado (electronics/voice), dancer Ryuzo Fukuhara (JP, SI), Mia Zabelka (AU), and cellist Helena Espvall (PT), among others.

Vyette Tiya (she/her) is a Kenyan-American dancer and performance artist based in Philadelphia. Vyette’s  work explores ideas around ancestry, lineage, interpersonal dynamics,  belongingness, and external stimuli. Her movement vocabulary includes  African, hip hop, contemporary, and jazz. She  is most interested in interdisciplinary collaboration, improvisation as  practice, and centering movement as a way to tap into our authentic  selves. Among  others, Vyette has performed in works by Keila Cordova/3 Pony Show,  Britta Joy Peterson, Omari Wiles, Davalois Fearon, and Extreme Lengths  Productions. Currently, Vyette is an administrator and teaching artist  with Philly Dance Class Share, a collective that hosts classes for all  levels and forms. 

Originally from South Florida and having previously lived in Boston, Nick Neuburg has been part of the experimental/improvised music community in NYC since 2018. Solo work has been a primary focus of his practice since 2020, and his first solo album, “Cryptic Exaltations” was released on 1039 Records in 2023.

Asimina Chremos is a multimedia artist working on dance, textile art, writing, and beyond. She is also a curator, educator, and artist career consultant. She has over thirty years of experience in field of arts and culture, including spans as artistic director of Links Hall Chicago, award-winning choreographer and dancer, two-time performer at the High Zero festival of experimental free improvisation, dance editor at Time Out Chicago, program specialist at the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, practitioner of Continuum with Mary Abrams and Contemplative Dance Practice with Barbara Dilley, and Aikido with the Aikikai of Philadelphia (receiving her Black Belt in 2023). Her current workshop series SCREENBODIES artistically and creatively touches on the relationship between human body-mind and the use of videoconferencing through laptops and phones. Her name Asimina (ah-see-MEE-na) means “silvery” in Greek. Website: https://asiminachremos.space/

Mijkalena (Mijka) Smith is a Philadelphia-based dance artist originating from Elverson, Pennsylvania. Mijka earned her BFA in Dance from Temple University, graduating Magna Cum Laude of her class and receiving the Frances Bowden Award for Excellence in Dance. Trained in Ballet, Modern, African Diasporic, Hip Hop, and Improvisational techniques, Mijka has had the honor of studying under renowned dancers and choreographers such as Clyde Evans, Kyle Clark, Kun-Yang Lin, Antoinette Coward-Gilmore, Wayne St. David, and Abdur-Rahim Jackson. She has trained as a member of Academy of PHRESH, under the guidance of Mark “Smart Mark” Boston and Shanika “QP,” and took part in the 2021 Troupe Intensive led by Antoine Troupe.

In addition to her work as an educator and administrator, Mijka performs, choreographs, and curates productions independently in Philadelphia and New York. She frequently partners with musicians and visual artists, working as a member of the People’s Music Supply and performing with the Mijkalena Smith Quartet in collaboration with Philadelphia artists Aaron Pond, Sonali Singh, and Michnari Robinson. Her current choreographic interest is in integrating poetry, movement, and music to create a rich artistic experience.