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OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center, a pioneer in innovative and dynamic performing arts programs, captivated audiences earlier this month with its latest production of Our Story! Celebrating the African American Experience.

OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center, a pioneer in innovative and dynamic performing arts programs, captivated audiences earlier this month with its latest production of Our Story! Celebrating the African American Experience.

Directed by OrigiNation Founding Artistic Director and celebrated choreographer Shaumba-Yandje Dibinga ’06, Our Story is a compilation of poetry, dance, music, and scenes from historical and current events significant to African and African American history. Performances featured students from local high schools and middle schools, as well as OrigiNation’s professional youth dance companies.

Dibinga, a UMass Boston alumna who earned her bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies, said Our Story is more than just a performance. It’s a production that explores the many themes of the African American story — and it doesn’t shy away from the historical events that contribute to that narrative.

“It’s a journey of us before we were enslaved, all the way through life and society today. We homed in on the massacres that happened when Africans were enslaved through the Middle Passage, through option blocks, through the Civil Rights Movement, and lynchings,” said Dibinga, who wrote Our Story over 20 years ago and has been directing it every year since. “It’s also a celebration of the African and African American experience.”

OrigiNation prides itself on implementing initiatives to raise students’ awareness about pertinent social issues. One of the ways they do this is by annually performing a matinee of Our Story for local schools. Dibinga said the goal is to facilitate a larger discussion about the pivotal events in African and African American history that children may not necessarily be learning in the classroom.

“I want them to understand that Black history is American history. It’s our responsibility to make sure all students understand Black history and understand the contributions that Black people made and that Africans made to this world that we’re living in today,” she said.

Established in 1991 and officially recognized as a nonprofit in 1994, OrigiNation’s roots are deeply tied to Dibinga’s journey as the daughter of Congolese refugees.

“When my parents came to the States, they were very invested in education for us but also wanted us to figure out what made us smile, what brought us joy,” said Dibinga, whose family moved from Cambridge to Mattapan before eventually settling in Roxbury. There, she and her siblings encountered issues with bullying, but they continued to embrace their own cultural identity.

Dibinga remained deeply connected to her African heritage and sought avenues to express it. Enrolling in dance classes at the Susan Wright Reagan School of Dance in Cambridge and later in Roxbury, she discovered a profound love for dance that shaped her high school years.

“I felt like it was starting to become part of my DNA. And so, as I moved through high school and started to move into ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, I really wanted to do more in the community with dance,” she said.

Dibinga said she was raised on the African proverb: ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ She found her village in her parents and siblings, who encouraged her to open a dance and theater school. Beyond that, they helped with administrative duties, taught classes, and sewed costumes for upcoming performances.

With the steadfast support of her family behind her, Dibinga’s dream began to take shape. Years later, OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center flourished from five students in a church basement to 200 students in-house and thousands of students nationally and internationally. They are currently based in Jamaica Plain in an independent studio space.

“It’s just my baby. I have two children, but OrigiNation is my first child, and it’s been a beautiful thing to be able to watch it just really blossom into something that young people and adults call home,” she said, thanking her parents, the late Rev. Dr. Dibinga wa Said, and Dr. Ngolela wa Kabongo.

OrigiNation alumni are currently working at the nonprofit and have danced in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Ailey II, Evidence Dance Company, Camille Brown, and many other notable companies and choreographers. Their talents as choreographers and dancers are heavily sought after, and they’ve collaborated with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Kelly Rowland, and Jennifer Lopez, as well as appearing on Netflix series Dance 100.

“They are lawyers, parents, business owners, and some of the most amazing people to walk in their purpose,” said Dibinga.

She added that she hopes OrigiNation is a place where young people and adults alike find a sense of belonging and empowerment. At its core, OrigiNation is more than an extracurricular space. Dibinga emphasizes that their work extends beyond dance, encompassing mentorship, academic support, and a place for students to embrace their identity in the same way Dibinga embraced hers.

“I opened OrigiNation because I wanted to have a place that not only focused on dance, but focused on the whole child and allowed them to understand the importance of African culture and traditions,” said Dibinga. “I wanted them to really learn how to empower themselves so that they can become the best versions of themselves possible. I wanted to use dance and theater to help build these young people to become these incredible adults.”

If you are interested in learning more about classes, performances, or volunteer opportunities with OrigiNation, please email info@originationinc.org.