Baba Rashad Pridgen's ~ Artistic Life Celebration

~~ Baba Rashad Pridgen ~~

~ Absent from the Body ~

~ Present in the Spirit ~

~ Forever In our Hearts ~

We invite you to contribute to Rashad Pridgen's Artistic Celebration of Life, held Saturday November 23rd, 2024, in Portland OR, at the Polaris Dance Theater

"Rashad was preparing his entire life to be an ancestor".

Rashad Pridgen

Independent Performance Artist

Rashad was a multidisciplinary performance artist, choreographer, creative director and visionary. He is the conceptual creator of the Global Street Dance Project & Masquerade, a multimedia presentation of street dance and Afrofuturist masquerade suits, presented in alternative environments. Rashad’s work’s span dance, theater, public practice, tech, video, film, fashion and creative project making.

Rashad wasn’t just a dancer or performing artist; he was a storyteller who used movement to convey the beauty and struggle of the human experience. Each graceful step, every powerful motion, was rooted in a deep connection to his heritage and a desire to remind the world of the strength and beauty of African culture. His art was prayer. His life dance was prayer.

As difficult as it is to speak of him in the past tense, let us move through this moment together; connected, by sharing our memories and stories of Rashad. He lived a tremendous life and it is an honor to celebrate him and the legacy he has gifted us all. For all of us in his community, which stretches far beyond Portland and Oakland ~ please lean on each other and reach out ~ share the laughter and the tears. Let him be the conduit he has always been ~ one that connects us to each other ~ our art ~ and our ancestors.

Thank you for being here and for helping us carry forward the light he brought to the world and the lessons he shared with us. We are fiercely and forever grateful for the time we've had with him.

These donations will help cover the expenses of his Celebration of Life in Portland OR, and provide support to his beloved mother during this difficult time.

~ If you would like to purchase a Memorial T-Shirt, please visit https://linktr.ee/celebratingrashad

~ We invite you to upload pictures and videos of Rashad to be used in his memorial services in this google drive below. Feel free to include a 30 - 58 second video reflection celebrating Rashad. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ez9JEoQasdVI7FwQw2h9zO1yFu1fiOYy?usp=drive_link

For more of his artistry : https://www.rashadxsoulnubian.com

To join his Facebook Memorial Page : https://www.facebook.com/groups/rashadpridgenmemorial

To view the Black Masquerade Short Film : https://youtu.be/2e1UFvcijNo?feature=shared