PHOENIX — Kenneth Shirley created Indigenous Enterprise back in 2015 in Phoenix. Since then, the group of Native American dancers have performed all over the country and overseas.
“Every dance that we do is telling a story and goes on before 1492 when Christopher Columbus came. These dances are ancient,” Kenneth Shirley explained.
Indigenous Enterprise is made up of members of several tribes from Arizona to Canada and has been showcasing their talents and culture on the world stage, including the world-famous Sydney Opera House in Australia.
“When we were dancing, some people came up to us afterward and thought we were extinct, and a lot of people didn’t even know we were here. So, to go over there and open their minds. To bring that over there and showcase Native American culture is a beautiful thing,” Shirley said.
Now after competing on Jennifer Lopez’s “World of Dance” show on NBC in 2020, Indigenous Enterprise is making even more art history.
They recently got an invite to perform at the Joyce Theater in New York City.
A team of eight representing North American tribes including Navajo – Gila River and Salt River Pima tribes will dance in the Big Apple in a week of performances, November 9 to 14. Part of National Native American Heritage Month.
“For us to bring it over there we want to showcase that and let people know we're alive and thriving and our culture is never going away – we rep Indigenous culture and we rep Arizona,” Shirley exclaimed.
Inspiring Arizona
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