FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ECHOES OF HERITAGE
PRESENTED BY CSN’S FINE ARTS THEATRE AA & DANCE PROGRAMS
AN ORGINAL PRODUCTION
BY KISHEMA PENDU MALIK & JASON NIOUS,
PREMIERING APRIL 9, 2026, IN THE BACKSTAGE THEATRE
The College of Southern Nevada Fine Arts Theatre and Dance programs proudly present Echoes of Heritage, a devised theatre-dance work created and directed by Kishema Pendu Malik and Jason Nious. The story follows Ayana, a young African American college student who has roots in Latin and West African culture. Deeply connected to all three worlds yet fully claimed by none, she is overwhelmed by her competing identities. As she falls into a dreamlike state, she is guided by Griot — a keeper of ancestral memory, and three cultural Elders representing Latin, African American, and West African traditions. Traveling through embodied worlds of celebration, resistance, and ancestral ritual, the Elders voice the communal pride of Latin heritage, the resilience of African American cultural expression, and the grounding spiritual rhythm of West African ancestry. What begins as confusion transforms into a revelation and her journey becomes one of remembering.
Through dance, spoken word, drumming, and collective movement, this story explores identity as layered rather than fragmented. At its heart, Echoes of Heritage is about reclamation; how ancestry lives in the moment, how culture survives in the body, and how one young woman learns that she is not torn between worlds — she is the echo that carries them forward.
Echoes of Heritage opens at CSN’s Backstage Theatre on Thursday, April 9th, at 7 P.M., with additional performances scheduled on April 10th, 11th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th at 7 P.M. and a matinee performance on April 12th at 2 P.M. General Admission is $10 and $5 for non-CSN student, seniors military. CSN students are free with a Paw Pass. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please visit us online at: www.csn.edu/pac.
CSN’s Performing Arts Center provides quality artistic, cultural, educational, and entertainment opportunities for the college and the community. It is located at 3200 East Cheyenne Avenue in North Las Vegas, 89030.
PRODUCTION CREW & STAFF:
Kishema Pendu Malik – DIRECTOR / WRITER / CHOREOGRAPHER
Jason Nious – DIRECTOR / WRITER / CHOREOGRAPHER
Dustin Shaffer – PRODUCER
Erick (Soul) Ramirez – STUDENT PRODUCTION MANAGER
Hannah Skanes – STAGE MANAGEMENT ADVISOR
Oliviyah Cyrus – STAGE MANAGER
Mia Jackson – ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Aamashep (Shep) Nekhi Khemshemneter – MUSIC COMPOSER
Lizel De Guzman – HIP HOP CONSULTANT
Aaron Sullivan – HIP HOP CHOREOGRAPHER
Ashely Martinez – LATIN CHOREOGRAPHER
Brighton Schmitt – SCENIC DESIGNER
Stacy Angulo – SOUND DESIGNER
Angelo Pickett – SOUND BOARD OPERATOR
Ange Cruza – COSTUME/MAKEUP DESIGNER
Addison Christopher – LIGHTING DESIGNER
Ry Nitta – PROPS LEAD
Leon Senior – PRESS, PUBLICITY, & MARKETING LEAD
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CAST:
Lealani Burns – DANCE ENSEMBLE
Moenai Cotton – GREEK CHORUS
Priscilla Flores – DANCE ENSEMBLE
Ayana Garcia – ALL ETHNICITY MIXED AFRICAN AMERICAN
Kieu Grisby – DANCE ENSEMBLE
Veronica Gutierrez – DANCE ENSEMBLE
Aamashep (Shep) Nekhi Khemshemneter – BLACK AMERICAN ELDER
Jasmine Lane – DANCE ENSEMBLE
Ashely Martinez – DANCE ENSEMBLE
Trinity Anderson Owens – GREEK CHORUS
Omarian Ranchez – DANCE ENSEMBLE
Paniz Samani – LATIN ELDER
Jayvon Smith – GREEK CHORUS
Aaron Sullivan – AFRICAN ELDER (SON of GABBY)
Lunna Villamil – DANCE ENSEMBLE
Gabriel (Gabby) Whitehead – AFRICAN ELDER
Naoma Wickert – GREEK CHORUS
Kelly Lee Williams – GRIOT
Echoes of Heritage’s cast and production team are available for interviews.
Follow us on:
Instagram – csnnlvtheatre
&
Facebook – CSN Theatre AA Program
For more information, photos, or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Press, Publicity, & Marketing Lead, Leon Senior, at: linddsenior@gmail.com
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