Join us for an exclusive evening with Native Pride Productions, part of our Visiting Artist Series. Experience a captivating full-length performance, followed by an intimate conversation revealing the artist's background and collaborative ventures. This event is a testament to art's pivotal role in preserving and celebrating Native American heritage. Your attendance actively supports the mission of sustaining indigenous narratives through artistic expression, fostering understanding, empathy, and connection through the power of art.

An internationally recognized hip-hop dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Amirah Sackett explores and embodies her Muslim American identity through combining hip-hop movement and Islamic themes. She is widely known for her creation of the choreography and performance group known as, “We’re Muslim, Don’t Panic”, which reached viral video fame after being featured on POPSUGAR Celebrity, The Huffington Post, AJ+, and Upworthy. Sackett was honored to be a TEDx speaker, guest lecturer at Harvard University, and a cultural diplomat with the U.S. State Department in Bangladesh and Malaysia.

The traditional music trio Grosse Isle was born out of the “absolutely magical” collaboration between three exceptional musicians from Quebec and Ireland (The Irish Music Magazine). Together, Sophie Lavoie du Lac-St-Jean (fiddle, piano, vocal), Andre´ Marchand the legendary (guitar, vocal), and Fiachra O’Regan, Irish champion (uilleann pipes, whistle, banjo) shine with their rich and enveloping music. The band name refers to the story of the mass arrival of the Irish in the 19th century, on Grosse I^le in the St. Lawrence River, as they fled the Great Famine. It is a striking encounter between two peoples and two cultures. Fusing Irish and Que´be´cois repertoire with original compositions, Grosse Isle presents pieces from the album The Bonesetter as well as many surprises on stage! The harmonious blend of the two cultures, the authenticity and the immense talent of the artists give a sublime result!

Wanees Zarour is an award winning Palestinian-American composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist steeped in maqam and jazz music. Born into a family of musicians, Zarour started his Western classical training on the violin at the age of 7 at the Edward Said Conservatory of Music where he showed extraordinary talent and fast advancement in his musical education. A few years after, Zarour started his training in Maqam, Middle Eastern Repertoire, the Arab violin tradition and picked up the buzuq, a long-necked chordophone most common in the Levant region. Zarour is a virtuoso on the buzuq, in addition to playing the oud, violin and percussion.

Fascinating stories of Zen, Samurai, and Tea and how they are connected are shared along with the history and demonstration of the Tea Ceremony. In this experiential presentation, each audience member will have a cup of green tea to taste which is special in Japan.