Baba Chuck Davis – R.I.P. for a Priest and Visionary

Baba Chuck Davis – R.I.P. for a Priest and Visionary May 29, 2017

Dance Legend Chuck Davis passes cover of Our Time Press photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
Dance Legend Chuck Davis passes cover of Our Time Press photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.

The legendary Baba Chuck Davis left to join the ancestors on May 14th 2017.

He was a visionary and a pioneer in the world of dance. Born in 1935 in Raleigh, North Carolina he grew up apart seperate from dance traditions and ended up serving in the Navy. After leaving the service he became introduced to Afro-Cuban music and religion and the rest, as they say is history. He went on to study with Afro-Diasporan dance pioneers like Katherine Dunham and Geoffrey Holder. For a time he even performed as a dancer for Babatunde Olatunji.  Baba Chuck Davis’ slogan was “Peace, Love, and Respect … for everybody.” In an article in North Carolina’s Indy Week Byron Woods writes how “Traditionally, Davis began each performance with a literal call to the audience: Ago, the word in the Twi dialect of West Africa for “listen.” The audience would reply in kind with Ame: “I am paying attention.”

He was the founder of the African American Dance Ensemble and their website honors him with these words “Dr. Chuck Davis, known in the dance world with great love as “Baba Chuck”, Founder and Artistic Director of the African American Dance Ensemble, based in Durham, North Carolina, and the Chuck Davis Dancer Company of New York, was an extraordinary dancer, choreographer, community-builder, and artistic visionary who has demonstrated a lifelong passion and commitment to excellence in dance, teaching and sharing of African heritage, and the nurturing of the best of the human spirit in all of us. He was the Founder and Artistic Director of Dance Africa, which is presented today in Brooklyn, NY; Washington, DC; Chicago, Illinois; and Dallas, Texas; Denver Co.; Columbus, Oh; Pittsburgh, PA. ”

Baba Chuck Davis Memorial

Since his passing memorials and tributes have taken place all across the globe, the official funeral and visitation information is given below.

Visitation will take place :
Friday, June 2, 1pm – 7pm
Fisher Memorial UHC – 420 E Piedmont Ave, Durham, NC 27707

Funeral :

Saturday, June 3, 11:00 a.m.
Union Baptist Church – 904 N Roxboro St, Durham, NC 27701

As always if you have benefited from what you read here please remember to share, share, share. Baba Chuck Davis …We are listening.


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