The “Dance to Vote” campaign seeks to raise public awareness by promoting voter awareness and registration through performing dance as well as spoken word that addresses the history and significance of voting.

This project brings together local artists who seek to make a difference during this election season by getting people registered and committed to vote for the upcoming 2016 Primaries and General Elections.

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Dance the Vote Team and Participants

Creative Team:
Joan Lipkin, That Uppity Theatre Co
Anne Taussig and Sabrina Tyuse, Voter Registration
Ashley Tate, Ashliane Dance Company
Becky Galambos, Logistics
Jared Cambell, Marketing
Jake Kevrick, Intern

Participants:
Ashliane Dance Company
Karlovsky and Company Dance (led by Dawn Karlovsky)
Beyond Measure Dance Theater
The Afrokuumba Dancers
Innervision Dance Company
Washington University Dance Theatre
Watt it Is Productions/kids from Better Family Life

Spoken Word / Song Artists:
Anna Blair
Alderwoman Lyda Krewson
Chris Ware
Sahara “Sista Sols” Scott
Anna Jennings
Daniella Monae
Mariah Richardson
Pam Garvey
Fredrick Doss
Matamba
Dieta Pepsi

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WHO: That Uppity Theatre Company, Ashleyliane Dance Company, Karlovsky and Company Dance, Beyond Measure Dance Theater and the AfroKuumba Dancers, and other companies TBA, and spoken word artists Chris Ware and Katie Rodriguez Bannister

WHAT: The “Dance the Vote” campaign

WHEN: Saturday, October 1st from 2-5pm

WHERE:
Left Bank Books in the Central West End
399 N Euclid Ave
St. Louis, MO 63108

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What are people saying?

“St. Louis Arts Community Promotes Voter Registration Through Premiere of ‘Dance The Vote’”
Vital Voice
By Unknown
June 23, 2016

“Dance the Vote: A Call to Action”
ALIVE Magazine
By Maggie McCarthy
June 29, 2016

More...

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For Immediate Release:

St. Louis, Missouri, September 23, 2016 – The St. Louis arts’ community has teamed up to promote voter awareness and registration through the “Dance the Vote” campaign. This project brings together local artists who seek to make a difference during this election season by getting people registered and committed to vote before the October 12th voter registration deadline for the upcoming November 8th General Election.

The “Dance to Vote” campaign raises public awareness on the themes of voting and civic engagement featuring local choreographers and dancers from Ashleyliane Dance Company, Karlovsky and Company Dance, Beyond Measure Dance Theater and AfroKuumba Dancers, Watt It Is Productions, Washington University Dance Theatre, and Keith Tyrone Williams. Joining our line up of various dance companies, we will have spoken word artists including college professor Pam Garvey, disability rights activist Ana Jennings, poet Sarhara SistaSol Scott, among others.

The project is spearheaded by theatre artist and social activist Joan Lipkin, Artistic Director of That Uppity Theatre Company and Ashley Tate, Artistic Director of Ashleyliane Dance Company. The choreography will be based on various themes of the voting experience, including the experience of African Americans and women around voting, voting rights, voter suppression, voting in other countries, among other themes.

“As this is arguably the most important election of our lifetime, and as artists that care about the future of our country, we have to come together to offer our talents, vision, and passion to actively participate in promoting voting and voter registration. We are calling our project ‘Dance The Vote,’” said Joan Lipkin, Artistic Director of That Uppity Theatre Company.

Previous performances of “Dance the Vote” include outside Vintage Vinyl in the Delmar Loop and at St. Louis Black Pride. The third “Dance the Vote” performance will take place on Saturday, October 1st from 2-5pm at Left Bank Books in the Central West End. Non-partisan voter registration opportunities will be available on location to interested voters. Performances will be held within a three-hour time slot and each piece will be performed multiple times.

“Dance the Vote provides an opportunity to showcase the skills of St. Louis choreographers and dancers in service of community involvement. We are excited to create pieces tied to the history of voting to remind the community how important it is to exercise this fundamental right,” said Ashley Tate, Artistic Director of Ashleyliane Dance Company who is co-chairing Dance the Vote.