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Festival Of Firsts Brings Haitian Dance Troupe To Pittsburgh

Ayikodans
The Ayikodans dance troupe was founded in 1988 by choreographer Jeanguy Saintus.

Jeanguy Saintus says it’s an uphill battle to showcase works from the Caribbean in the United States.

He's the founder of the Haitian dance troupe, Ayikodans, and unlike troupes from Germany or the United Kingdom, he says, audiences have harsh preconceived notions of his country.

“[People think of Haiti as just] poverty, political turmoil, poverty again and earthquakes,” Saintus said.

But on Monday, he and his dance troupe stepped foot in Pittsburgh for the first time.

The group is here to perform Cri de Nago at the International Festival of Firsts at the August Wilson Center this weekend.

Saintus’s mission is to use dance to show audiences a mix of Caribbean culture and contemporary artistry.

“Sometimes the audience never has the chance to discover what we could do as an artist despite the circumstances,” Saintus said. “The audience will be discovering something different than what they’ve been hearing about Haiti.”

But this isn’t the first time Ayikodans has showcased in the United States; the troupe has traveled to Miami, New York and other spots in the country.

On Friday, Ayikodans will open up with Reflection 30. In May, the company celebrated its 30th anniversary, and this work acts as a “resume” of the performances Saintus has choreographed.

The second half, Cri de Nago, follows the story of a man possessed by a Haitian Vodou spirit called a Loa (sometimes spelled ‘lwa’).

Saintus said he keeps his audience in mind while piecing his production together. Cri de Nago incorporates a cappella, classical music and traditional drumming.

After Pittsburgh, Ayikodans will travel to Jamaica and then the United Kingdom.

The show runs until Oct. 28.