6th Annual Performance Art – August 2

Columbia based non-profit Artists For Africa is hosting its 6th Annual Performance Art Event on Wednesday, August 2, 2017, at 1208 Washington Street in Columbia, SC. Beginning at 6:30 PM, guests will enjoy a cocktail hour with delicious hors d’oeuvres provided by Catering and Beyond’s Eddie Green. Artisan items from Kenya as well as artwork will be on sale during the event. Presented in cabaret style this year, the theme for the 2017 celebration is Rising Up.

Highlighting this year’s performances will be a reunion pas de deux by Columbia native, Artists For Africa’s founder and Executive Director Cooper Rust and her former dance partner Bo Busby, formerly with the Boston Ballet and currently with Columbia City Ballet. Also on hand to steal hearts and dance to Ms. Rust’s choreography are the student dancers from Artists For Africa’s programs in Kenya who are in Columbia to participate in the SC Summer Dance Conservatory under the directorship of Professor Susan Anderson and the USC School of Dance. Some of The Midlands’ finest professional talent will also take the stage on August 2nd, including song master Lanny Spires, local dance group Fuse Artist Allianz, award winning Dreher High School Choir Director Walter Graham accompanied by Dr. Jason Carpenter, Town Theater’s Charlie Goodrich and many more.

Joel Kioko, Artists For Africa’s student, scholarship recipient and instructor will also dance at the event after completing his second year at the Cincinnati Ballet Summer Intensive Program, third year at the SC Summer Dance Conservatory and before heading to London where has received a full-ride scholarship to the prestigious English National Ballet School in London. Joel is the first Kenyan to ever receive this honor and only the second non-UK citizen to be granted a scholarship to this renowned institution. He will begin his training and education in the Fall of 2017.

Artists For Africa was founded in 2012 by Ms. Rust. After serving a summer internship with Anno’s Africa in Kibera slum, Nairobi, Ms. Rust was so profoundly moved by the children of Kenya and her experience that she returned to South Carolina determined to do more. She organized family and friends to form Artists For Africa and relocated to Nairobi to teach dance full time. In addition to free arts education programs, Artists for Africa also provides academic support and limited housing. Opened in September of 2016, The A4A House provides safe, supervised lodging, clean water, nutritious meals, clothing, academic support and safe transportation for scholarship students. In the short span of five years, Ms. Rust has also founded Dance Centre Kenya, a pre-professional dance academy to give students opportunities to dance full length programs such as The Nutcracker, Giselle and in the Spring of 2018, Cinderella.

There will be two international news crews at the Performance Art Event to film the performances and document the event for Artists For Africa’s growing international audience. For more information about Artists For Africa’s programs and services and to purchase tickets for the 6th Annual Performance Art Event, please visit www.artistsforafricausa.org.