The Willie Hinton Collective Presents

Keeping the Circle Strong: A Tribute to Chuck "Baba" Davis

February 27, 2027

Doors open at 6 p.m.| Showtime: 6:30 p.m.

Cary Arts Center

 Tickets available through Etix and the Cary Box Office: December 1, 2026

Dance Is More Than Movement; It Is Community, Culture, History, And Spirit! 

The circle represents unity: no beginning, no end, and no one standing above another. Through rhythm, movement, song, and shared energy, Keeping the Circle Strong celebrates Baba Chuck's extraordinary legacy of bringing people together through African Dance and the traditions of the African Diaspora.

Willie Hinton is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, educator, and mentor whose career spans more than three decades. A native of New York who began dancing at age 16 in Raleigh, Hinton has trained at prestigious institutions including the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the Alvin Ailey School, the American Dance Festival, and the University of the Arts. He has performed nationally and internationally with renowned companies including Philadanco, Rebecca Kelly Dance Company, Jubilations Dance Company, Dance Kaleidoscope, and as a guest artist with the Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble. As an educator and choreographer, Hinton has taught and created work for universities, professional ballet companies, arts organizations, and youth programs across the United States and internationally in Bolivia and Kenya. His choreography has earned recognition, including the Richmond, VA Theater Critics' Choice “Artsy” Award for Best Choreography. He currently shares his expertise as an instructor with City Ballet of Raleigh, Cary Ballet Conservatory, Graceful Expressions Dance Education, and the Carolina Ballet School.