LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Presents “Afro Latin Soul” with Choreographer Sekou McMiller on Friday, April 26

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (April 19, 2024) — The LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY (LAGCC) welcomes renowned choreographer Sekou McMiller and friends for an “Afro Latin Soul” performance on Friday, April 26, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. This one-night event of live music and dance will bring together a collection of artists to create visceral experiences, from the bandstand and stage to the theater.

“Sekou McMiller is renowned for bringing his unique fusion style to the forefront of the Afro Latin dance movement. His diverse career has spanned from off-Broadway performances to choreographing for the Radio City Rockettes, the Alvin Ailey School, and the Joffrey Ballet School. He has worked with top Latin artists including Gilberto Santa Rosa, Willie Colon, Ismael Miranda, Cheo Feliciano, Johnny Pacheco, Tito Rojas, Tito Nieves, and PitBull, as well as the pop icon Madonna,” said Handan Ozbilgin, Artistic Director of LPAC.

“Afro Latin Soul is a vibrant fusion of Caribbean dance and music culture that blends Afro-Caribbean essence with African American jazz and modern dance techniques. It puts the jazz and African roots of salsa dance and music on display and explores the connection between the black and brown communities through ritual, sound and movement. It’s a cultural reunion of once interconnected communities,” said Mr. McMiller. “From Cuba to New York, we celebrate the past, present and future intersections of communities that share a very rich ancestry from the African continent, with artists who radiate creativity, virtuosity, and love.”

Mr. McMiller’s choreographic work has been featured at Dance Chicago, New York Jazz Choreographers Festival, The Actors Fund Theater, APAP New York City Center, Peridance Salvatore Capezio Theater, Ailey CitiGroup Theater, Symphony Space, Edison Ballroom, United Palace Theater, the United Nations General assembly, Olympic Park Stadium in Seoul, S. Korea, the Great Wall of China, Habour Dance Vancouver and Winter Gardens in Blackpool, U.K.

Tickets are $25/each; click HERE to reserve. Audience members are encouraged to enter LaGuardia Community College at 45-50 Van Dam Street, Long Island City, Queens (see LaGuardia’s Maps and Directions). For more information, send an email to lpacboxoffice@lagcc.cuny.edu or call (718) 482-5151.

A master class that Sekou McMiller and friends will lead on Afro-Latin jazz and soul on Friday, April 19, is sold out.

Sekou McMiller’s residency and master class at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center are made possible through the support of the CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI). CDI receives major support from the Howard Gilman Foundation and Mertz Gilmore Foundation. Additional support is provided by the SHS Foundation, Harkness Foundation for Dance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. CDI is spearheaded by The Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College.

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The LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) welcomes vibrant storytellers to create theater, music, and dance to inspire conversation, connection, and change within our diverse community. It is the stage for productions of the award-winning Theater and Music Performance programs of LaGuardia Community College, as well as works from partner institutions, including Carnegie Hall, Joffrey Ballet School, and the Drama League of New York.

LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 degrees and certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to educate New Yorkers seeking new skills and careers. As an institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of underserved populations. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students while providing them with access to a high quality, affordable college education.

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