On Friday night, the Faculty of Arts hosted its 12th annual World Music and Dance Concert as part of the Global Arts Festival from April 1 to 6. The concert traveled with audiences around the world, aiming to introduce people to new cultures through traditional music and movement.
The concert is directed by School of Dance Director and Dance Professor Zelma Badu Young and Music Education Professor Pashal Yao Young, who have been involved since last fall in nearly every aspect of planning the concert, from fundraising and student mentoring to performance preparation.
“It’s not easy. We’re professors, so we have to do everything,” Young said. “The joy of organizing it all is because of the students.”
Prior to the creation of the World Music and Dance Concert, the School of Arts hosted an African Music and Dance Concert. About a decade later, Young looked to diversify the concert to increase student awareness of different cultures.
“We realized with the courses we were teaching — I teach Introduction to World Music and she teaches world dance cultures — that our students didn’t know anything about the world,” Young said. “So we decided to expose the world.”
About four years ago, Matthew Shaftel, dean of the School of Fine Arts, worked with Young to create the Global Arts Festival, an event that not only focuses on music and dance but also incorporates fashion shows, film screenings and other artworks from different countries throughout the week.
The concert was one event in the Global Arts Festival, whose directors focused on showcasing traditional arts from nine countries. Students from the Ohio University African Ensemble, Ohio University Percussion Studio, Kashtan Ukrainian Dance School and the Singing Men of Ohio performed alongside faculty and local guest artists.
Young and Badu Young change their cast each year to perform a variety of music and dance pieces from different countries, broadening audiences’ awareness of cultural art forms.
“In the past, we’ve had groups come directly from China and Africa,” Badu Young said, “so it’s not just local performances. Last year, we had groups performing in Cuba as well as the United States. We try to have diversity.”
The dance school will be rehearsing the Caribbean dance portion of the World Music and Dance Concert to be held on April 4, 2024 at the Templeton Blackburn Memorial Auditorium in Athens.
The concert began with West Africa, specifically Senegal and Guinea, with the Ohio University African Ensemble performing the upbeat drum circle “Mande Medley,” with Young addressing the audience, encouraging them all to stand up and dance while they played.
Next, the audience was transported to Japan as the Ohio University Percussion Studio performed “Taiko” and “Anger Thunder,” taiko music inspired by a 12th-century journey to Mount Kumano, followed by the Singing Men of Ohio performing the Afro-Cuban-inspired “Son de Camaguey.”
The audience then traveled to Ukraine, where the Kashtan School of Ukrainian Dance and the HK Cleveland School of Bandura performed two pieces each.
After the break, the Ohio University Percussion Ensemble performed the song “Sente Ne Kola” on a large Enviro-Xylophone. The conductor of the Percussion Ensemble was Roger Brown, who explained that Ugandan music is something students study regularly.
“Our curriculum is very broad, and percussion includes classical music, jazz and world music,” Brown said. “This isn’t just a special one-week thing. It’s part of the entire semester’s curriculum and is part of the regular rotation that students learn in percussion.”
The dance school will be rehearsing the Caribbean dance portion of the World Music and Dance Concert to be held on April 4, 2024 at the Templeton Blackburn Memorial Auditorium in Athens.
HK Cleveland Bandura School and Kashtan Ukrainian Dance School then returned to perform the upbeat Ukrainian folk dance “Hopac,” which closed the concert.
To close the evening, the Ohio University Alumni African Ensemble performed “Gota,” a song from the Kabre people of Benin, West Africa, followed by “Carnival,” featuring a number of songs centered around Trinidad and Tobago dance, accompanied by music from the Ohio University Steel Band.
The World Music and Dance Concert immersed the Athenian community in a rich artistic culture. From vibrant costumes to unique sounds, student organizations and local artists collaborated to create a diverse program.
“We want students to know that the arts are a way to connect people to their culture,” Young said. “Through festivals and concerts, it’s a community and students will have a broader perspective on life in general.”
cd057322@ohio.edu
