Dance Diaspora: Raven Taylor '00, a member of the troupe Dance Diaspora, keeps an eye on her fellow dancers. The troupe focuses on African dances that have been brought into the American diaspora.

Concert Unites Cultures on Stage
Lively Evening Included Dance, Art, and Music
by Anne C. Paine
photos by Al Fuchs

(click on photos for larger image)

Organizing the spring semester's "Colors of Rhythm" multicultural dance concert took virtually all her free time, said Simona Supekar '00, but her monumental effort resulted in an evening of splendid entertainment from a wide variety of cultures.The event, held in Finney Chapel in early March, celebrated diversity ‹ as well as unity and harmony ‹ and included 15 dance performances. Some 50 pieces of student artwork were projected onto a screen throughout the show, and live music was also included in several pieces. The dances themselves spanned a number of styles and continents, and high-energy seemed to be the watchword of the evening.

With the proceeds from the $3 admission fee ($2 with a can of food), concert organizers were able benefit two local organizations. The Oberlin Early Childhood Center, a day-care center that serves a number of lower-income children, received a $1,450 donation to be used toward the construction of several art studios for the children's use. The canned goods were donated to the Oberlin Community Services Center, which runs a local emergency food pantry.

Supekar worked with Johanna Almiron '01 to organize the event. Run entirely by students, the event received funding from the Office of Residential Life and Services and Third World House. Funding also came from the Campus Coalition Fund, part of the College's "Common Ground: Education for Democracy" program funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

More Photos:

Hip Hop You the Love of My Life: Christopher Bosworth '03 break dances while the rest of the hip-hop troupe circles around him.		The Sound of the Drums: Abigail Nartey '02 dances in a piece performed by members of the African Students Association and ABUSUA.

Malakas at Maganda: Tradition holds that the Philippines were formed out of a slender bamboo stalk, and the two beings who were born, Malakas and Maganda, or strength and beauty, were joined in a union blessed by the sea. Performed by members of the Filipino American Students Association, this piece presented the legend in dance form.		Bhangra Fusion: Set in a dance club atmosphere, this piece fused bhangra and reggae in a representation of the South Asian diaspora and its resulting dance forms.

Arrepentida (You'll Regret It!): Choreographed by Alex Garcia '00 and members of the Advanced Salsa Experimental College course, this salsa told the story of a long-standing relationship between a man and woman and the psychological aftermath when she leaves him. Garcia performs here with Yumi Sawai '00.		Classical North Indian Kathak: Sonali Seth '02 choreographed and performed this classical dance from North India. In Kathak, the main focus is the dancer's feet moving to the rhythm of the tablas.