FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT:
Madeline Anderson
414-278-2784
andersonm@mpm.edu
KO-THI DANCE COMPANY TO HOST AFRICAN DRUM WORKSHOP AT MPM
FREE WORKSHOPS COINCIDE WITH KOHL’S THANK YOU THURSDAY ON MAY 5, 2022
MILWAUKEE — In celebration of Ko-Thi Dance Company’s 53rd birthday, the Milwaukee-based performing arts organization is partnering with Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) to host free community drum workshops at MPM on Thursday, May 5. The date also coincides with Kohl’s Thank You Thursday, when Museum visitors can enjoy free admission to permanent exhibits on the first Thursday of every month thanks to generous support from Kohl’s.
Ko-Thi’s interactive event will be led by Musical Director Kumasi Allen, who will teach visitors about the beloved West African djembe drum. Participants will have the opportunity to learn the drum’s basic hand patterns as well as a traditional musical rhythm.
“We are beyond delighted to collaborate with the Milwaukee Public Museum, especially on a day when admission is free, to expose new audiences to the beauty and magic of traditional West African drumming and music,” said Ko-Thi Artistic Director DeMar Walker. “I believe this will provide visitors with a more immersive Museum experience that parallels the vast cultural imprint from the continent of Africa and its influence throughout the world.”
Visitors can sign up for the drum classes at MPM on the day of the event.
The four 20-minute classes will be offered at 2:00-2:20 p.m., 2:30-2:50 p.m., 3:00-3:20 p.m., 3:30-3:50 p.m.
The classes will be held in the Africa gallery on the Museum’s Third Floor.
“We are thrilled to further our relationship with Ko-Thi, which began last summer during the Mandela special exhibition,” said Dawn Koceja, MPM Access and Inclusion Coordinator. “Not only will the event give Ko-Thi a new platform to connect with the community, it is the perfect way for MPM to showcase our new tactile exhibit that opened this spring in the very space where the drum workshops will be held.”
MPM visitors will also have the opportunity to receive more information about Ko-Thi’s history in MIlwaukee, upcoming events, dance/music classes and so much more throughout the day on May 5.
About the Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum is a natural and human history museum located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Museum was chartered in 1882 and opened to the public in 1884. MPM has three floors of exhibits that encompass life-size dioramas, walk-through villages, world cultures, dinosaurs, a rainforest, and a live butterfly garden as well as the Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium. The Museum houses more than 4 million objects and hosts some half a million visitors each year.
MPM is operated by Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc., a private, non-profit company, and its facilities and collections are held in trust and supported by Milwaukee County for the benefit of the public.
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