On Saturday, Baltimore-based biblical performing arts group Namyanka will hold their first Black History Month performance since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
The event will feature a presentation highlighting prominent Black figures throughout history and a spiritual dance performance to celebrate abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
Laurene Blake, director of the non-profit organization, has always centered the Black History Month performance around Tubman.
“It’s important for people to know her history, to know, first of all, that she’s from Maryland,” said Blake, a 73-year-old Pikesville resident.
As part of the performance, a PowerPoint presentation will depict African American culture and feature figures like abolitionist Fredrick Douglass and former Vice President Kamala Harris. During the presentation, 13 performers will dance in Dunham style, a mixture of African and ballet, to African spiritual music including “Swing Low” by UB40 and some songs Blake arranged.
Blake said about the group, “You don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been, and that we need to make sure that we know our culture and our heritage.”
Namyanka, which derives its name from an African word for “God’s Gift,” was founded in 1994 and marks its 31st anniversary in Baltimore this year. The performance group usually has three concerts per year, their first in November called An Evening of Worship, the Black History Month dance in February and their final scholarship fundraising performance in June.
“We make sure that we’re focusing on our heritage, on our cultural heritage,”Blake said about the performance.
The performance is this Saturday, Feb. 22, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 3106 Liberty Heights Ave. in Baltimore. Tickets are $17.85 for general admission and can be purchased here.
