Dasan Ahanu 
Dasan Ahanu, Photo by Stan Chambers Jr
“Saints & Ain’ts” is a performance project centered on the poetry of Dasan Ahanu. Inspired by Black Southern practices, “Saints & Ain’ts” is a welcoming call for creative fellowship. Part Sunday service reinterpretation, part juke joint reimagining, and part underground dance club escapism, this work invites the audience into a communal celebration of life, faith, resiliency and Black joy.
This work was written by Ahanu as a reminder that, with the right lens, holy words, doctrines and scripture can apply to everyone. Complete with a hip hop choir, live beats and spiritual samples, this happening will give attendees an opportunity to envision this possibility, to hold space in new ways, and to turn art into a joyful noise.
A self-described introvert with a very public profession, Dasan Ahanu is a cultural organizer, performing artist, and scholar. His work focuses on critical writing, creative writing, hip-hop, and popular culture. He is a visiting professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, an alumnus of Harvard University’s Nasir Jones Fellowship, and the 2023 Piedmont Laureate. He is also the co-founder and managing director of Black Poetry Theatre, a Durham-based theatre company that creates and produces original stage productions. Dasan notes that creative artistry is embedded in the fabric of North Carolina and shows an incredible commitment to his home state. He has served various artistic leadership roles and consistently reinvests his talents. His writing has been published extensively, and he is the author of four poetry collections.
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Showing at: 201 Camp Suite 107
Show Times:
Friday, 4/21 8:30 – 9:30pm
Saturday, 4/22 2:30 – 3:30pm + Post Show Q & A
Sunday, 4/23 7 – 8pm