Night of Dance: Celebration of African American Dance, was held Feb. 21 in Watkins Auditorium as part of the 24th annual Civil Rights Conference at UT Martin. The event stood for a celebration of the history, influence and artistry of African American dance culture.
Kameron Echols, director of Multicultural Affairs, Henrietta Giles, chair of the Civil Rights Committee, and Sarah McCormick, lecturer of Dance and Dance Education, organized and ran the event with success.
There was a total of six performances along with two videos presented that, as McCormick states, “relate to how African dance greatly influenced and affected American culture.” She continues: “The reason why tap, jazz and contemporary are always showcased in this event is due to the fact that these styles have African movement roots, such as polyrhythms, isolations, rhythmic punctuations and whole-body sensibilities.”
The event began with a tap piece, performed by Kayla Mick, set to “Wipeout” by the Sufaris, a bright and bubbly dance overflowing with rhythm and personality. Following “Wipeout” was an original poem recited by poet Caché titled “Let’s Talk About It.” Caché’s profound and sincere poem celebrated the joys of being part of the African American community before commenting on the community’s need for awareness of supporting mental health.
Then came another dance piece, set to “New York, New York’’, performed by Maleia Bigham, who brought a captivating fluidity and grace to every movement. A TED Talk on the history of African American Dances was then played, explaining the origins of numerous dances in American culture that have roots in African American dance.
Caché entered the stage again, along with Mage Wilke, to recite another original poem, “Hey Siri, Directions to My Love Language,” accompanied by an interpretive dance by Wilke. Following came another short video over the new and increasingly popular dance style: hiplet (a combination of hip-hop and ballet). Dancers in the video spoke on the seclusion they would often feel in classical ballet settings because of the color of their skin. Hip hop en pointe became a way for them to express their individuality while trying something completely new.
Finally, the last performance was an incredibly powerful chapter stroll by Jaden Jones and Steven Ballard, from the Kappa Omicron Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. The piece, says McCormick, “highlights culture, organizational pride, and individual style,” which proved to be a fantastic finale to a fantastic Night of Dance. “It is important to reflect on the African influence because, in so many places, it is often overlooked and not appreciated. This is a time when we can honor this influence and educate about the dances and art we see regularly,” stated Echols on the value of an event like Night of Dance. Likewise, Echols found the positive reception of such an event that celebrated culture, individuality and history to be very unifying. He states, “When students support other students, the true values of the Skyhawk community always shine brightly. Hearing the applause and seeing the smiles and comments of support confirmed my belief that the event was a success.”
