Night for Africa: ‘Sankofa’
One of the hosts greeted the crowd with energy, drumming up the crowd between acts. Coming out first in this cerulean gown, the host changed at intermission carrying the second half of the show in a pink floor length dress.
The dancers of Rebelle performed a fusion of Caribbean and modern dance styles, lighting up the stage. The group transitioned smoothly between complex formations throughout the piece, entertaining the crowd with a variety of patterns along with their choreography.
The Afro Diamonds from Africano Waltham faced off on stage, each pulling out more elaborate moves in turn before coming together and dancing as a whole. They were joined by young members of the Waltham community, passing on their energetic choreography and traditions to a younger generation.
Imani Islam, a member of the Poetic Justice slam poetry team performed an original piece that was met with much applause.
The Rwanda dancers performed a traditional dance. The women in the dance swayed elegantly from side to side, integrating their garments into the dance, using the fabric to accentuate their movements. The men in contrast, performed in a more energetic style alternating between jumping into the air and dancing in a squatting position.
The Cocoa Dancers from Tufts were one of two invited groups for the night along with BC PATU, the inclusion of these groups created a sense of unity, not only among the different African and Afro-Latin cultures but also across the Boston college communities.
Toxic Majorette Dance Line were incredibly synchronized; they kicked and jumped with precision. The group varied their energy throughout their piece switching between up-beat spirited choreography and more fluid calmer sections, making frequent use of ripples.
The Platinum Step Team was one of the last Brandeis acts of the night, doing a routine inspired by Toy Story that pitted new toys against a group of old favorites. The competition style piece featured complex rhythms with both groups of toys coming together to finish the piece dancing as a whole.
—Editor’s note: Nia Lyn ’19 performed in Night for Africa. She did not take part in editing this article.
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