2008 Woodie Awards
June dance program reaches back to roots
By Stephanie McPherson, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: Arts & Living
Spoken word. Hip-hop. Jazz. Gospel. Blues. Spirituals. The history of American music and dance is intricately bound to the evolution of African music. There is not a beat or refrain that can be heard on a modern radio station that has not, in some way, been influenced by a genre of the African tradition.
The story of African-influenced music is long and deep. It dates back to before Kanye graduated, before Louis Armstrong blew South Side Chicago away, before slaves kept their spirits alive in song, to the rhythms of ancient African percussion.
In the University of Massachusetts' Fine Arts Center this June 24 through 27, a group of students from across the country took the journey through musical history in the annual workshop/performance series "Sankofa."
Coming from the Akan people of Ghana, "sankofa" is a word of layered meaning. The 1993 film of the same name defines the word as, "we must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward; so we understand why and how we came to be who we are today."
The students of the 2008 "Sankofa" did just that. They explored African roots in American dance with four days of workshops, led by renowned choreographer George Faison.
The stage of the Rand Theater was decorated with traditional African-woven blankets in rich blues, reds and oranges. The word "Sankofa" was stretched across the back screen. The show opened with a timeline-style train of dancers, starting with traditional African dance moving all the way through hip-hop.
A band was tucked off to the side of the stage, providing a soundtrack for much of the evening.
Faison introduced each act by explaining a new facet of the word on which the show was based. Between acts, a poet stepped into a spot light to set the mood, spewing rhythmic poetry about everything from African spirituals to the ambiance of Harlem.
The students performed social dances like the Charleston, the Lindy Hop as well as a hip-hop number. Professional artists performed between the students' acts, the most notable being Maurice Chestnut, a superb tap dancer who earned not only tumultuous applause but a rousing standing ovation.
The story of African-influenced music is long and deep. It dates back to before Kanye graduated, before Louis Armstrong blew South Side Chicago away, before slaves kept their spirits alive in song, to the rhythms of ancient African percussion.
In the University of Massachusetts' Fine Arts Center this June 24 through 27, a group of students from across the country took the journey through musical history in the annual workshop/performance series "Sankofa."
Coming from the Akan people of Ghana, "sankofa" is a word of layered meaning. The 1993 film of the same name defines the word as, "we must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward; so we understand why and how we came to be who we are today."
The students of the 2008 "Sankofa" did just that. They explored African roots in American dance with four days of workshops, led by renowned choreographer George Faison.
The stage of the Rand Theater was decorated with traditional African-woven blankets in rich blues, reds and oranges. The word "Sankofa" was stretched across the back screen. The show opened with a timeline-style train of dancers, starting with traditional African dance moving all the way through hip-hop.
A band was tucked off to the side of the stage, providing a soundtrack for much of the evening.
Faison introduced each act by explaining a new facet of the word on which the show was based. Between acts, a poet stepped into a spot light to set the mood, spewing rhythmic poetry about everything from African spirituals to the ambiance of Harlem.
The students performed social dances like the Charleston, the Lindy Hop as well as a hip-hop number. Professional artists performed between the students' acts, the most notable being Maurice Chestnut, a superb tap dancer who earned not only tumultuous applause but a rousing standing ovation.
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