Annemarie’s Dance Centre is sponsoring a free Haitian folkloric dance class for the Ashland community on Sunday, Oct. 17, 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Stone Park. The lead teacher is Jean Appolon (pictured), assisted by Mcebisi Xotyeni of Jean Appolon Expressions. Appolon is a successful choreographer and teacher based in Boston and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He received his earliest training and performance opportunities in Port-au-Prince with the Viviane Gauthier Dance Company and the Folkloric Ballet of Haiti. Appolon continued his dance education in the U.S. with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Joffrey American Ballet School. He teaches regularly at the Boston Ballet, The Dance Complex (Cambridge, Mass.), and the University of Massachusetts Boston, among other locations.

This all-levels class begins with a complete warm-up that blends modern technique with Afro-Haitian styles of dance. Accompanied by live drummers, the dancers will learn movements and rhythms of Haiti. The movements are intricate and technical—yet loose and expressive at the same time. For more information, call the Dance Centre at 508-881-5109.