Omonike Akinyemi, a Dance Alliance member, and director of Image Quilt Dance Theater, has been awarded a grant from the New York State Choreographic Initiative. She is a choreographer who works using flamenco, African-Caribbean, and Modern dance to create stories that aim to transcend boundaries. “I want to experiment with how far I can go with flamenco. I am interested in developing stage dramas that use flamenco as a movement language like Shakespeare uses English. I also want to make more connections with the Yoruba African culture I come from.” Omonike will be mentored by Yvonne Gutierrez, an award winning flamenco dancer, choreographer, and teacher of “Herencia” Dance company based in New York City. Omonike looks forward to presenting the work she develops with audiences throughout the Capital Region.
