Biography

Rujeko Dumbutshena is a Zimbabwean-born dancer, pedagogue, and performer who specializes in neo-traditional and contemporary African dance. She holds an MFA in dance from the University of New Mexico. She has been on faculty at the University of Washington where she worked as Assistant Professor of Dance and on the BA revision committee. She has taught as dance faculty at the Central New Mexico Community College, the University of New Mexico, and Sarah Lawrence College. Rujeko has participated in artist residencies at Williams College, and the University of Rochester. At Duke University she is part of the “Afro Feminist Performance Routes” cohort of Black femme dance artists from around the world. She was an original ensemble member in Bill T. Jones’ Off-Broadway, Broadway musical, and Lagos, Nigeria Tour production of FELA! For sixteen years, Rujeko designed and directed  intensive African music and dance camps: Camp Mabina, Camp Tumbuka and Bantu Camp. Camps featured teaching and performing artists from seven African countries  and the African Diaspora. She has since guest taught at international dance and drum conferences across the United States: Camp Fareta, Camp Merveilles and Wassa Wassa. From 1999 to 2007 she conducted cultural tours to Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa and will relaunch cultural tours to Zimbabwe in 2022. Rujeko conducts her scholarly research on the interplay of nature, gender and power in Black Female ritual practices and ritualized performances.