mikemantis

[mikemantis]

Recording my tama teacher - Massamba Diop - and his family of amazing players in Saint Louis, Senegal. This was research for the Griot Project with Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater.

[mikemantis]

Reflections on my cultural research trip in Senegal, 2024. I was studying the Griot role and responsibilities, tama (talking drum), and sabar dance and rhythms. The studies built on what I started five years prior in Dakar.

[mikemantis]

Highlights from the SHAMEN Dance Fashion Show in April 2024! Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater took over the Portland Art Museum's gorgeous sunken ballroom for an unforgettable night of fashion, dance, food and drinks, and live drumming!

[mikemantis]

Recap of the amazing Rites of Passage show by Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater. I co-choreographed a 20 minute duet with artistic director Oluyinka Akinjiola titled, "welcom to your 30s". I also composed and produced the music for the duet as well as for this trailer. All music will be released under the name 'Rejoice Diaspora Dance Theater'.

Rites of Passage premiered in February 2024 at Reed College's beautiful Greenwood Theater.

[mikemantis]

Reflections on a dance ethnographic research trip in Salvador, Brazil.

[mikemantis]

Reflections on a dance studies trip in Havana, Cuba.

[mikemantis]

Trailer for the short film ‘Loss’. I choreographed this in collaboration with Amaya Alvarado. I also composed and produced the music. It is exploring the joy and grief of love those close to us, of losing those close to use. The voices in the recording our the grandmothers of Amaya and myself, within a year of their passings.

[mikemantis]

Cariñito - performed by Grupo Masato at Hallowed Halls in Portland, OR. Myself on keys.

[mikemantis]

Playing keys for the big Peruvian band Grupo Masato. Love this group so much!

[mikemantis]

‘Who We Carry’ trailer. A dance film by Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater. I composed and produced all the music as well as contributed choreography and danced in this film. Premiered in October 2021. Directed, shot, and edited by Elijah Hasan.

[mikemantis]

In Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater, we are always talking about how we can use our platform and artistic medium for social justice work. In the midst of the current Black Lives Matter protests, we created this.

Choreography by Michael Galen (me), in collaboration with Oluyinka Akinjiola

Dancers (L to R): Michael Galen, Bethany Harvey, Oluyinka Akinjiola, Jamie Minkus, Decimus Yarbrough

[mikemantis]

Love body percussion! You don’t need anything but yourself. It’s a great tool to build community, empower youth, and challenge our rhythm and coordination. I l love to teach, choreograph, and perform with body percussion. For me, it’s the perfect marriage of dance and drumming.

[mikemantis]

At PHAME, we believe that art is for everyone.  Community is for everyone.  Excellence is for everyone.

Imagining your dreams—and pursuing them—is for everyone.

PHAME is a school of the arts and performance.  Our classes range from musical theatre to song writing, from digital photography to poetry.  Our performance program puts students in front of audiences in Portland and beyond.

We're also a community—a place where people with and without disabilities come to connect, make friends, learn, and grow.

www.phamepdx.org

[mikemantis]

‘BEEN READY’ - Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater’s newest show, premiered in February, 2020 at Portland Institute for Contemporary Art. My newest work ‘Shaped’ opens the show. From our artistic director Oluyinka Akinjiola: BEEN READY comes from a saying in the Black community meaning, “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” Ready as in ready for the discrimination, ready for the prejudice, ready for the racism. Well… we are ready, we’ve been ready and now its time to galvanize. Been Ready brings together our five personal experiences navigating conflicts that are inherently imbued with layers of race, gender and bias.  With an inward focus we find what makes us ready.

[mikemantis]

‘Step it Up, Break it Down’ - Choreographed by Michael Galen, 2019. Kaleidoscope is a no audition dance company in North Seattle dedicated to enriching kids lives through dance and performance. Michael Galen - Portland, OR based choreographer - set this piece on them in one intensive weekend.

[mikemantis]

POPgoji is a beautiful representation of community. It is a project I started in 2013 to help Americans participate more fully in the local Pagodes (Brazilian Samba na Mesa jam parties). Since then it has blossomed into a large dance band fusing pop-soul-funk aesthetics with Brazilian rhythms.

www.POPgoji.com

[mikemantis]

Grupo Masato is a fantastic Portland based Peruvian dance band! We play the dance rhythms and styles from Peru (and near by), like Chicha, Festejo, and Cumbia. 

Film: Man the Cam Media