In “Diasporic Frequencies,” Jeannette Ehlers orchestrates a poignant ritual within a barn, intertwining long braids with the structure to convey a profound exploration of the connection to the African diaspora and the enduring impact of colonialism on our contemporary perspective. Ehlers delves into the complexities of history, kinship, and activism, creating a layered narrative that resonates with the collective memory of the African diaspora. The barn serves as a stark reminder of the dehumanizing plantation system, while the interwoven hair symbolizes the simultaneous coexistence of numerous narratives and entagled histories. This thematic resonance is further enhanced by carefully crafted choreography and a resonant soundtrack featuring Audre Lorde reciting her empowering poem, “The Edge of each Other’s Battles.” Ehlers performs a choreography devised by her newfound half-sister, S.W., a professor of dance and choreography. Ehlers and S.W, who share the same Trinidadian father have only recently made contact online and live on opposite sides of the Atlantic. The concept of sisterhood is intricately woven into the historical context of the Middle Passage, where the traumatic separation of families through the sale of parents, children, and siblings into slavery is a haunting legacy. The choreography itself pays homage to the influential Afro-Caribbean figure Pearl Primus (1919 – 1994), a dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and activist. Specifically, it reinterprets elements of Primus’s works such as “Strange Fruit” (1943) and “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” (1943), which convey profound messages about lynchings, racism, and discrimination.