Share in the meanings and uses of songs and dances in a fun, inspiring journey through West African culture.

Gaston County Museum presents “Dancing Stories”, a traditional African dance and musical performance by Life As Art Productions on Friday, February 7th at 7pm at Historic Loray Mill. In this hour long performance, Life As Art Productions will perform dancing stories that affirm community building concepts such as “working together”, “integrity”, and “perseverance”. Founder and dancer April C. Turner and several musicians from Life As Art Productions will demonstrate how traditional dances are used to tell stories and document history, and share the meanings and uses of songs and dances in a fun, inspiring journey through West African culture. Join us for this family-friendly evening of music, song, and dance! Entrance to the performance is free to the public, but reservations are required.

This performance of “Dancing Stories” is provided by a generous grant from the North Carolina Arts Council’s “Grassroots Arts Program” and the Gaston County Museum.

April C. Turner, Life As Art Founder, is an accomplished actress, writer, dancer, and theatre producer. She has had principal roles in more than 20 movies and television shows, as well as dozens of commercials and corporate videos. Turner’s residencies, workshops and theatrical innovations have made her a favorite among presenters, universities and arts organizations nationwide. In addition to being a prolific playwright, April Turner is a passionate dancer. For more than two decades, her African dance performances and workshops have enlightened, entertained and promoted cultural awareness in thousands of schools, theatres, learning programs, churches and civic organizations from North Carolina to Los Angeles. Turner gained international renown as a guest performer at the Demba Festival in The Gambia, West Africa and later as a dance workshop facilitator at the Teatro Vila Vehla in Brasil. Ms. Turner is an experienced facilitator specializing in using art as a tool for positive social change.