It’s been nearly 50 years since FerneCaulker founded the Milwaukee-based African dance company called Ko-Thi. The company marks its fifth generation and its return to the stage after 9 years of rebuilding with its performance of Vibrations: Rhythmic Motion.
The event features both traditional and contemporary African performance art, and is staged by DeMar Walker and Ko-Thi founder and artistic director Ferne Caulker.
During its break from the stage, the company focused on expanding its educational outreach. Walker is one of the many students who benefited from Ko-Thi's commitment to working with children. He first saw Ko-Thi perform while in elementary summer school.
"I just remember hearing the drums and seeing the company dance, and thinking to myself, this is amazing!" he says. "I don't remember anything I learned that year [age 10], but I do remember Ko-Thi being there."
Walker is one of many Ko-Thi dancers that has returned to the ensemble as adults. Caulker says this full-circle impact is "part of the beauty of Ko-Thi."
The ensemble work in Vibrations: Rhythmic Motion is rooted in tradition, but is also a reflection of Ko-Thi's new identity.
"These dances that we're doing are centuries old and they've been done a million times over," says Walker. "But I think that what we're doing, and what you'll see is something totally unique and very special to who we are as the fifth generation of Ko-Thi."
The final performance of the show is Thursday at the Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall in Milwaukee’s Marcus Center.
