Highlights include nationally known guest artists, a week of community
events, and a weekend African marketplace

DALLAS, Sep. 24, 2009 – the 4th Annual Dance Africa returns to Dallas,
Friday, October 9, 2009 through Saturday, October 10, 2009.  Presented by
Target, the Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents a week-long event filled
with community events, an outdoor African marketplace and two evening
performances. 

Celebrating 33 years as DanceAfrica Founder, Dr. Chuck Davis (Africa
American Dance Ensemble, North Carolina), returns to Dallas to lead
DanceAfrica packed with dance, music, art and food celebrating the history
and spirit of Africa.  North Texas will get a chance to experience the
songs, rhythms, instruments and dances that celebrate the beauty and
richness of African culture with Dallas Black Dance Theatre and guest artist
Giwayen Mata of Atlanta and Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago. 

“Audiences will come into the aisles with this unique synthesis of dance,
rhythm and song,” says DBDT Founder/Artistic Director, Ann M. Williams.
“Dance Africa is always a crowd pleaser.”

The evening performances will be held at Dallas’ Majestic Theatre, Friday,
October 9, 2009 and Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.  Audience
members should come in their finest African regalia and plan to enjoy an
evening of traditional African rituals, music, dance and celebration. 

“Target is proud to present an opportunity for the community to come
together and celebrate the culture and traditions of Africa,” says Kim
Strong, Target Regional Vice President of Human Resources.

The free outdoor marketplace, planned for Saturday, October 10, 2009 from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Dallas Arts District sponsored, in part, by Texas
Commission on the Arts, Arts District Foundation, and Office of Cultural
Affairs – City of Dallas will be full of dance, music, entertainment and
poetry community groups from across Dallas.

Free to the community, the marketplace will feed your soul with food vendors
from across the metroplex, arts and crafts, fashion and African product
vendors.   Audience members will also get a chance to enjoy a fashion show
highlighting African fashions with a show by Simply Afrosheek by Velile.
Enjoy music from The Mambos (Zimbabwean group) and get an early peak into
the evening’s performances as Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, Giwayen Mata
of Atlanta, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre kick off the day’s performances.

Local artists performing include:  Happy Nia Dance Theater, Grupo Folklorico
Mexico Lindo, Concord Missionary Baptist Church Youth Praise Dancers -
GEiMs, Lisbon Elementary School “Character Counts” Dance Company and Booker
T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts African
American Dance Ensemble and Rep II. 

Hill Harper, author of the bestsellers Letters to a Young Brother and New
York Times bestseller Letters to a Young Sister, will make an appearance and
do book signings for his new book The Conversation:  How Black Men and Women
Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships. 

On Wednesday, October 7, Chuck Davis will lead an open Master Class in
African Dance.  From 6:30-8:00pm . The Master Class will take place at the
Dallas Black Dance Theatre Studios, 2700 Flora Street, Dallas.  Free to
participants, space is limited and must be reserved in advance by calling
the Dallas Black Dance Academy at (214) 871-2387.

Tickets start at $10 and are on sale now and available at www.dbdt.com
<http://www.dbdt.com/>  or by calling (214) 631-ARTS (2787).

About the Dallas Black Dance Theatre

Founded in 1976 by Ann Williams, the mission of the Dallas Black Dance
Theatre is to create and produce contemporary modern dance at its highest
level of artistic excellence through performances and educational programs
that bridge cultures and reach diverse communities.  With an ever-expanding
national and global audience, the company employs a diverse, multi-ethnic
troupe of dancers, performing for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
The ensemble, a contemporary modern dance company, consists of 12
professional, full-time dancers performing a mixed repertory of modern jazz,
ethnic, and spiritual works by nationally and internationally known
choreographers.

MORE INFORMATION

All programs and artists subject to change.  Friday and Saturday evening
performances begin at 7:30pm unless otherwise noted.

All performances are presented by Dallas Black Dance Theatre.  2009-2010
season sponsors are The Dallas Morning News, WFAA Channel 8, American
Airlines, The Downtown Business News, Elite News, The Dallas Weekly,
Southside on Lamar, Black Business Directory, DallasBlack.com, Range and
105.7 KRNB.   American Airlines is the official airline of Dallas Black
Dance Theatre.  All performances are supported by the City of Dallas/Office
of Cultural Affairs.

A man who telephoned the Prime Minister but did not say anything has been sent to jail for a day. Mr John Mwanzia Mutambaa drew the wrath of the magistrate when it emerged that he called the PM and failed “to utter a word.”

“Why couldn’t you speak to the Prime Minister?” the magistrate asked. Kibera senior resident magistrate Ms Margaret Kasera told the accused his action could be misconstrued that he had a sinister motive.

“You acted improperly when you telephoned the prime minister without cogent reason. Because of your actions you are hereby ordered to work for a day within the court compound,” she ordered.

Mr Mutambaa stared in bewilderment when the magistrate handed down the community service order. Mr Mutambaa was charged with causing inconvenience to Mr Odinga’s personal assistant, Mr Mohamed Idriss, by pestering him on the phone, seeking to speak to Mr Odinga.

He was first arraigned in court on July 11, 2009. When he appeared yesterday for the trial of the case he changed his plea and admitted committing the offence.

The prosecutor, Inspector Gabriel Nyongesa, told the court that the accused was lured to Treasury and then arrested and charged. The offence was committed between between July 1 and 9. Inspector Nyongesa treated him as a first offender.

In mitigation, the accused prayed for leniency, saying he was the sole bread winner of his family. The accused has been in remand for the last three months after failing to secure a Sh5,000 bond with a surety of the same amount.

SOURCE: DAILY NATION

Kenya’s government says it will co-operate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to try key suspects in post-election violence.

The list of suspects has not been published but it is believed to include ministers and prominent businessmen.

On Wednesday, the ICC said it would try suspects after the government missed a deadline to set up a local tribunal.

More than 1,300 people died in the worst clashes in decades following the December 2007 presidential election.

Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo said the ICC could hold its trials in Kenya and suspects would be arrested.

Mr Kilonzo’s remarks come ahead of a planned visit to the capital by Kofi Annan – who brokered a power-sharing deal which ended the crisis.

‘World example’

The BBC’s Peter Greste in Nairobi says few government officials in Kenya are publicly opposed to the package of reforms that were central to the agreement.

Repeated attempts by mediators to coax the government into setting up a local tribunal have came to nothing.

So in July Mr Annan handed to the ICC a list of those suspected of orchestrating the violence.

Earlier this week the ICC’s chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said the ringleaders of the violence would face justice and Kenya would be “a world example on managing violence”.

In response, Mr Kilonzo said the cabinet had taken the decision to fulfil its legal obligations under the Rome Treaty.

“The ICC can sit in Kenya and we do not have to surrender anyone we just need to arrest them, put them in cells and take them before the court when that time comes,” Mr Kilonzo told journalists.

But the BBC’s Josphat Makori in Nairobi says it is not clear whether Kenya would agree to send any suspects to The Hague, if the ICC were to insist that the tribunal should be held there.

On Sunday, Mr Annan is expected to meet coalition partners President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to drive the process forward.

Our correspondent says the European Union and the United States have also been piling the pressure on Kenya to end impunity.

Last week, the US government threatened to impose travel bans on 15 senior Kenyan officials if they failed to support the country’s “reform agenda”.