Students and faculty membersreturned to their homes exhausted and worn out after dancing to the rhythms ofMozambique this past Tuesday at Nassau Hall and the SAC Auditorium. In workshops taught by the Urban Bush Women(UBW) and accompanied by live music, they learned cultural dances of Mozambiquethat express happiness, attraction, and sensuality.
‘?I enjoyed it a lot. I wassore then, and I felt it for more than two days,’ graduate student AnikaJobson said. ‘?But it was definitely worth it.’
UBW, a professional dance groupworking in collaboration with the National Song and Dance Company ofMozambique, will perform at the Staller Center on Feb. 15 in Shadow’sChild. Co-choreographed by both companies,the show was created with contributions from both traditional and modern dance.The workshops are a part of a cultural outreach program they hold to impart theelements of African culture and life to the community.
‘?In our residency at StonyBrook, we are teaching students and teaching the community,’ said SitaFrederick, a dancer with UBW. ‘?Being a performer means being a part ofthe whole vision, the idea that we have about being a part of the community andengaging the people we visit.’
Julie Greene, Coordinator ofMarketing and Public Relations for the Staller Center, helped book the UrbanBush Women to provide a cultural experience for students and faculty.
‘?We wanted to create aprogram open to both dancers and non-dancers,’ she said. ‘?Thesessions are open to everyone and we want students to enjoy theirexperience.’
Three artists from Mozambiqueconducted the workshop, and contributed to the dance group with the traditionaldances and native instruments. The Dance Company of Mozambique has sponsoredtheir stay in the United States since last May, allowing the women to work on Shadow’sChild with UBW.
‘?We know these dances areauthentic and real because they are from their homeland,’ Frederick said.
UBW has been on tour performing Shadow’sChild since last July, when it debuted atLincoln Center. Over the past six months, the group has visited cities aroundthe country, including Iowa City and Baton Rouge. With each new performance,the dances have been perfected and remade, said Frederick, who has a principlerole in the show.
For some students who attended thesessions, the experience stirred up memories of their cultural origins.
‘?I was glad they had so manythings going on for Black History month,’ Jobson said. ‘?I’vedone similar dances in my homeland, Jamaica. For me, it was nice to be remindedof my past there.’
When asked about her experiencewith the dancers of Shadows’s Child,Frederick explained that their style was unique and specific to the people theyvisit.
‘?I really enjoy [theperformers’] style of dance and their teaching methods,’ she said.’?Their approach to social issues through art is powerful. They can reallyaffect the way people think and see the world.’
