Our cultural exchange commenced with a 25 hour trip from Skopje to Dallas. Four filmmakers and one musician from the MakeDox crew meet with the professional dancers from the Dallas Black Dance Theatre for the first time in person.

MakeDox explored and learned about the history of the community and the professional dance. We had the unique opportunity to attend theie rehearsals and two of their performances. We learned about African-American culture through visits to museums, a tour to Friemdan’s town. We attended our first Sunday church service and enjoyed the Symphony Orchestra and the Opera.

It took only two weeks for Dallas Black Dance Theatre to become our American family. We are counting the hours until we can host them in Skopje.

Widening the Lens is a celebration of the unique heritages of African Americans in the U.S. and Romani people in Macedonia. The two organizations will collaborate in this project to guide dancers, musicians, and filmmakers in the exploration of these cultures, culminating in a final medium-length film that preserves and juxtaposes both.

*Communities Connecting Heritageˢᵐ is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by World Learning.

All photos from our journey here