Music

WhoAmI

 

Dance

 

International dancer, choreographer, singer, & songwriter, Tendayi Kuumba is a graduate of North Atlanta High School of Performing Arts and Spelman College.
Former touring company member of Urban Bush Women, Tendayi recently made her Broadway debut in “David Byrne’s America Utopia on Broadway” and is a featured dancer/vocalist in the DBAU on Broadway film directed by Spike Lee set to release fall 2020 on HBO.
Past works have been featured at Movement Researches’ Spring Festival, Czech Republic of New Yorks’ “ Prague Effects” Residency, Danspace “Collective Terrains ” platform, Harlem Stage E-Moves 2019,  Hi-ARTS: Critical Breaks Residency, & BRICLab. She’s also worked with choreographers Marjani Forte’-Saunders, ASÉ Dance Theater Collective,Nathan Trice/ Rituals Performance Project “StrangeLove”, Jim Findlay’s “Electric Lucifer” workshop & Philadelphia Operas’ “We Shall Not be Moved” directed by Bill T. Jones.Recent projects include U.F.O  “The Mixtape” presented as part of the fall 2020 Danspace season, U.F.O.  (Unidentified Fly Objects): Stardust Melanin under the Gibney Spotlight residency Spring 2020, “The People” generated as part of Stephen Petronio’s Residency, & “Blackbird” commissioned in partnership with Urban Bush Women as part of the 100 Years/ 100 Women Film by Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory. In other spaces she is generating and co-creating artistic collaborations and spaces such as “The Golden Ratio Project ” & UFlyMothership, alongside partner Greg Purnell. She  gives thanks and blessings for life, love, breath, and the pursuit of happiness through creativity.

Music

A south to the city girl, Tendayi is the full bodied performing songstress of the new era. Her vocal training ranges from age 7 in musical theater, her first role in a Jazz Opera at age 10, to performing on Broadway. Vocalist/ songwriter releases include EP “Just A Matter of Time”  with the Eastman Quartet, Moonshine: “Incog-Negro” co-created with artistic partner Greg Purnell, & “David Byrne’s American Utopia World Tour Live recording at Kings Theater” & Broadway Cast Album.
She’s written and performed for various New York dance companies including Urban Bush Women, Ase Dance Theater Collective, Nathan Trice/ Rituals, and MUV. Tendayi was formally a regular jazz vocalist at the Williamsburg Music Center with the Gerry Eastman Quartet in Brooklyn as well as occasionally at the Love Jones Cafe in Long Island. Smooth melodies like Erykah Badu under a raspy sound like Sarah Vaughn with a head bopping beat like Tribe called quest, and lyrical journeys like Ella Fitzgerald, Tendayi’s motto is “when all else fails….scat!” Somedays Billie Holiday somedays DMX, she’s a Vintage girl in a ratchet world.

What I Do

Broadway #LiveAt5 Interview
I Don’t Camouflage Web-series Episode by: Aiko Tanaka
David Byrne’s American Utopia Introduction
E:Moves presents: FLUXX ( Collaboration w/ Courtney Cook & Greg Purnell )

More Press:

https://muckrack.com/tendayi-kuumba

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/david-byrne-backup-dancers-american-utopia_n_5f8dfc30c5b62dbe71c574f8?ncid=NEWSSTAND0005

Contact

General Inquiries & Booking

uflymothershp@gmail.com

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