Gaudanse to Perform at LIBATIONS & CITATIONS: A JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION

gaudanse will perform as part of Libations & Citations: A Juneteenth Celebration on June 19 and 20, 2026, at the Rosenwald School, the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, and City Park.

Libations & Citations is a two-day interdisciplinary Juneteenth celebration uplifting Black artistic expression, ancestral memory, and historical preservation through community dialogue across Louisiana.

This project centers on the legacy of the GU272 and their descendants and uplifting Black artists today. Through performance, conversation, and immersive installation, gaudanse in collaboration with the RRAAM, activates space for reflection, historical preservation, and collective imagination.

This two-day performance compilation is presented by gaudanse in collaboration with the River Road African American Museum, with support from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. Live art performances are curated by Imani Gaudin.

Libations & Citations engages intergenerational participants across rural and urban Black communities in the South through free, accessible cultural programming centered on oral history, artistic expression, and collective memory. Participants include elders, youth, local artists, and broader community audiences, with all activities open and non-exclusionary.

The project is activated through a two-day series that bridges history, art, and present-day realities. The event will be kicked off with a book signing and Q&A with Chief Justice (Ret.) Bernette Joshua Johnson, who is from the Donaldsonville community, highlighting her impact as the first African-American woman to serve on the Louisiana Supreme Court as both associate justice and chief justice. This offering invites community members to engage directly with lived history while reflecting on its relevance today. 

Day one highlights artists from the rural city of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, activating and uplifting artistic voices from a historically underrepresented community. Tickets are free. RSVP here.

CELEBRATION SCHEDULE

10:00am-12:00pm

Book signing and moderated conversation with Chief Justice (Ret.) Bernette Joshua Johnson and KaTrina Griffin (co-author)

• Book: Behind the Gavel
• Interviewer: The Honorable Karen Wells Roby
• Lunch (Lunch Vendor Available on Site)

12:00-2:00pm - Tours of the RRAAM Campus of Living History

2:00-2:30pm - Libations Ceremony

2:30-3:00pm - Artist Showcase

• Dance (Imani Gaudin)
• Film Trailer Presentation (Darryl Hambrick)
• Live Music Set (Lazzaro Nettles)

3:00-4:30pm Roundtable Discussion

• Moderated conversation and live oral history recording with community elders and local voices from Ascension Parish

Day two centers on New Orleans-based artists, presenting a new work featuring local dancers, reflecting the city's current artistic landscape. All participating artists are compensated, providing paid opportunities that support sustainable creative practice.

nanibu: the throne room is a free installation-based performance that is an adaptation of Imani Gaudin's interdisciplinary dance production, nanibu. It is a sacred, celebratory, and ritualistic performance with the installation inspired by global 13th-century royal environments reimagined through a contemporary Black diasporic lens.

All programming will be free and held in ADA-accessible spaces whenever possible, with accommodations available for people with disabilities.

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