Portrait of N'Jelle Gage-Thorne, the Unit One/Allen Hall guest-in-residence from Feb. 5th - 9th.

Photo Courtesy of Laura Haber

Photo Courtesy of Laura Haber

Portrait of N'Jelle Gage-Thorne, the Unit One/Allen Hall guest-in-residence from Feb. 5th - 9th.

Aaron Navarro, Assistant Daytime Editor February 7, 2017

NJelle Gage-Thorne will be dancing her way through Allen Hall thisweek.

Gage-Thorne is Unit Ones next guest-in-residence and will host several events each night centered around music, dancing and mediation from Feb. 5 through Feb. 9.

Students are excited, Laura Haber, program and academic director of Unit One, said. Her program sounds seems really fun and engaging and theres a variety.

Gage-Thorne is the co-founder, president and choreographer of FuturPointe Dance, a company based in Rochester, New York that blends many genres of dance together. She has worked in the United States, Africa, Central America and the Caribbean.

Unit One, situated in Allen Hall, has a guest-in-residence program where people are invited to stay for five days to a week. Haber said that the idea is to have them stay, interact and hang out with students for a few days, instead of just giving a lecture or a performance and leaving.

We have them live here so that students can get a chance to talk to them or interact with them and get a full experience of the person, she said.

Gage-Thorne teaches master classes in Caribbean contemporary dance techniques at other college residency programs, festivals and studios.Events range from Welcome to Jamrock the Musical, to creating a karaoke-style reggae broadway musical in 90 minutes with a wrap party and awards ceremony on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday night, students can enjoy a multi-media performance, An AfroFuture Mystic Tale a one-woman theatrical piece inspired by Rastafarian culture. On Thursday, there will be a pre-Valentines Day party featuring an assortment of social dances from cultures in the Caribbean.

Events are free and take place at Allen Hall, 1005 W. Gregory Dr. More information can be found here.

alnavar2@dailyillini.com

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Caribbean dancer N'Jelle Gage-Thorne visits Allen Hall - Daily Illini