Kaxoxowo nu wo gbea yeyeawo do – By the example of old ropes we learn to weave new ones. Anlo Ewe Proverb.
“Hogbetsotso – Day of Crossing Over” is a dance and drumming production created by renowned West African choreographer and master drummer, Dr. CK Ladzekpo. According to oral history, the Anlo-Ewe people settled at their present home in Southern Ghana after a mythic escape from the ancient walled city of Notsie. Their flight from servitude in Notsie – and ultimately from European coastal raiders – led to a resettlement by the shallow watered lagoons of Keta as a defense against slave ships, and is commemorated in an annual cultural festival known as Hogbetsotso Za.
Hogbetsotso – Day of Crossing Over will compress a traditional week-long reenactment of the Anlo-Ewe’s mythic flight from tyranny to freedom while celebrating the climactic court of chiefs/elders. Major dance/music episodes will interweave with comic spirit entities and acrobats that wander through the festivals, story tellers that provide commentary on the exodus tale, and dance/prayers for the souls lost during the escape, portrayed in contrast with elements of modern dress, dance and music that signify the creative energy, freedom of expression, and safety from slavery that the Ewe enjoy today.
This production is made possible thanks to the support of the Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions in Folk and Traditional Arts.
General Admission tickets will be $10: Buy Tickets Here
