Photo Courtesy of Artist
Traditional Appalachian Dance
Boone, NC
Julie Shepherd-Powell is an associate professor and graduate program director of Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University. Trained as an anthropologist, Julie’s research interests include community-based activism around coal extraction and natural gas pipeline development in Appalachia. Julie is also an accomplished traditional Appalachian musician and dancer. She has won numerous awards for her flatfoot dancing and clawhammer banjo playing, and she calls square dances across North America — from Vancouver, BC to New York City. Julie’s creative and scholarly endeavors collide in her research about, and embodied practice of, the diverse roots of Appalachian mountain music and dance and their contemporary forms.
For Riverlore, Julie will be presenting:
"Ancient New: Exploring the Oldest River in North America” by Tom Hansell, Trevor McKenzie and Julie Shepherd-Powell
Ancient New is a multi-media presentation that tells the story of human interaction of the New River through song, story, and dance. This project is a collaboration between filmmaker Tom Hansell, musician Trevor McKenzie, and dancer Julie Shepherd-Powell. Hansell has spent the past decade documenting life along the New River valley. During this live media performance, he will provide context for the images with spoken word, while McKenzie and Shepherd Powell provide a live soundtrack, weaving traditional songs punctuated with flatfoot dance from riverside communities.