Dancer Kikora Franklin, Photo by Shoccara Marcus, ShocPhoto
A Legacy to Keep — an Image to Uphold By Aquila Kikora Franklin
I
~ Quote: Benjamin Elijah Mays ~
am proud to be part of an artistic, cultural legacy rooted in service to the community. My identity was shaped, in large part, by witnessing how my family engaged with each other, the people in our community, and the world. Growing up in Atlanta, I was taught that it was my job and responsibility to continue to a legacy of excellence, to honor those who came before me, and to work to make the world better than I found it. My mother, Terrie Ajile Axam, is one of six children born to George and Dorimell Axam in Atlanta. She was a member of the first class of students that allowed women at Princeton University. During her time at Princeton, my mother started an African based dance company called the Ajile dancers. The group served as a cultural and community outlet for students of color and was the beginning of my mother’s explorations with African dance and modern movement that would lead to her creation of an original dance technique, Mojah. I have witnessed and experienced my mother work diligently as an independent
artist. As an educator, she impacted generations of students, some of whom she fed, clothed, housed and supported like her own children. Most profound, perhaps, is my mother’s impact on me. This familial and personal history is the foundation of my professional work and explorations. After earning a dual degree (JD/MPA) from Georgia State University, I moved with my family to State College, PA and began my career as a Professor of Theatre and Dance. For the past 18 years, I’ve learned, taught, and performed nationally and abroad, working to bring dance and cultural arts to Penn State University and the broader community. Now, as a dancer/educator in my own right, I partner and collaborate with my mother in expanding and presenting the Mojah dance form in Atlanta and venues nationally and abroad. I stand proudly on the foundation before me and embrace the excitement and challenge of continuing the legacy of dance, arts, and service to the community, passed from my mother to me.
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