The spirit of our featured productions is rooted in the celebration of African American culture and its dedication to the enrichment of people through dance and entertainment.
Founder/Artistic Director, Terrie Ajile Axam conceived the idea of her dance companies with having a purpose of technique (MOJAH), creativity and expressing a message and feeling of happiness in the members and in audiences viewing the performances.
Girl Why You Dance Like That?
Fusion From Africa to Hip-Hop, An Electrifying Cultural Experience
Told through dancers, musicians, and vocalists, this production is a living history lesson, exploring the African Diaspora of dance and music beginning with the drum and moving through time, from North American Slavery to the Caribbean, from Gospel to the Blues, from the Twist to the Disco, and concluding with hip-hop. Showcasing the evolution of music and dance, with thrilling live drums and and gripping vignettes, Fusion is a stirring journey through the cultural highlights of the African American experience.
Fusion was originally conceived by Speech, lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning group Arrested Development, and written by Ajile. From 1994 to 1997, Fusion toured U.S. College Campuses as an affiliate of Vagabond Productions.
Ajile has crafted Fusion so that the annual production remains fresh, staying true to the classics and the latest trends,in dance, music, and song. Both an educational and entertaining experience, this interactive production is guided by principal artists Terrie “Ajile” Axam, and Master Drummer Greyling Oginga Love.
The Annual Spring Concert
The spring concert is a component of our legacy and an honored tradition. The annual event presents all the dancers from Total Dance Studio including children, teens, adults and professionals. The spring concert is an opportunity for the dancers to perform and present their training , talent and special gifts. Most recent shows include ” The Third Gift” and “I Am Somebody.” “The Third Gift” was written by the late Jan Carew, professor at Princeton University. The Third Gift is a major performance based on three gifts of work, beauty and creativity . “I Am Somebody” is based on the poem written by Rev. William Holmes Borders Sr. It is a presentation featuring outstanding African Americans presented in dance and music.
Mojah Concert:
The Modern African Experience
The Mojah Dance Showcase is presented twice a year as a New York Event in April, and an Atlanta Event in July. These performances are a part of the annual Mojah Dance Festival Conference. The performances aim to showcase the pioneering work of creators Terriel Ajile Axam and Mojah Masters, Kikora Franklin, Dawn Axam, Oginga Love and participants in the conference. For more details click on the “Mojah” tab.
Women Hold Up Half the Sky:
A Tribute to the African American Woman
Women Hold Up Half the Sky, conceived and created by Terrie “Ajile” Axam, cannot be categorized as a play or a dance concert, but as a powerful combination of both. It is a “dancical”, a theatrical, and a historic experience celebrating the story of black women,through dance and drama, set to music, poetry, visual arts, and live drums. The music of “Women” is a collection of contemporary jazz, African rhythms, Negro spirituals, and contemporary soul. The piece is laced with the works of noted writers, such as Nikki Giovanni, Gwendolynn Brooks, June Jordan, Ntozake Shange, and Langston Hughes.
The show premiered in Macon, Georgia in 1980 and toured throughout Middle Georgia. In 1987 “Women” premiered at the Martin Luther King Center for the Non-Violent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia. The late Mayor Maynard Jackson proclaimed March 20th, Women Hold Up Half the Sky Day.
Each year distinguished African American Women are honored for their dedication, selfless love, and faith to make a better difference in their community and the world.