Descendanze: In Full Effect! is a multicultural dance extravaganza including African and Native American dancers. The show's content is diverse, expressive, interactive, entertaining, fun, family-friendly, and culturally educational for all ages. The dance pieces express cultural awareness and identity, inviting audiences of all backgrounds to connect with and learn from these traditions. The choreography is both traditional and contemporary, designed to foster cross-cultural connections.
The new piece, entitled "The Butterfly Effect," is a beautiful collaboration among the main choreographers: Vaughnda Hilton, Leonna Elliott, and Renelle Smith-Hopkins. This piece is an expression of power, culture, unity, strength, and the will to endure.
Vaughnda Hilton is an Indigenous dancer, choreographer, producer, educator, and cultural leader whose work has helped shape Philadelphia’s Indigenous artistic communities for more than five decades. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Native Nations Dance Theater, Philadelphia’s only Indigenous professional touring dance company, and a 2024 Philadelphia Cultural Treasures Artist Fellow.
Through Native Nations Dance Theater and decades of national and international performances, Vaughnda has expanded the visibility of Indigenous arts while mentoring generations of artists. Her work bridges traditional Indigenous knowledge with contemporary movement, using dance as a powerful form of storytelling, cultural expression, and connection. Through collaborations that weave together Indigenous and African traditions, she explores shared histories, resilience, identity, and community.
Beyond the stage, Vaughnda is a founder and producer of Philadelphia’s Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations and has created transformative spaces through workshops, public programs, and collaborations with institutions including The Philadelphia Orchestra. Throughout her career, she has helped ensure that Indigenous cultures and communities are recognized as essential to Philadelphia’s cultural landscape and beyond.
Sponsored by We Are the Seeds as part of Philadelphia250, with support from the City of Philadelphia.
September 12, 2026, 7:00pm
736 South Broad Street
General Admission: $25
PWYC Options
September 13, 2026, 5:00pm
736 South Broad Street
General Admission: $25
