MS Assembly Honors Black History Month with Dance and Music

MS Assembly Honors Black History Month with Dance and Music

In honor of Black History Month, members of the Middle School Winter Dance Club brought their poise and talent to a powerful Assembly that featured excerpts from “Revelations,” the most recognizable work of legendary African American choreographer and activist Alvin Ailey (1931–1989).

The Class 4-6 students performed the Ailey pieces “I’ve Been Buked,” “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” and “Sinner Man” and closed with a compilation from “The Day Has Past and Gone” and “You May Run On.”

“The suite of dances explored the places of deep grief within the African American experience as well as showing the holiest joys from the soul,” said Middle School Dance Teacher Jamia Jordan, who organized the Assembly. She noted that the music accompanying the dances was a tapestry of African American spirituals, sermons and gospel blues.

Following remarks from Head of Middle School Hazel Hunt and Middle School Equity Coordinator Amanda McMillan, the MS Chorus sang the Black National Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” MS Music Teacher Patricia Norchi encouraged participation from the audience, who read along from lyrics projected on the screen.

Other highlights included a tap-dance solo choreographed and performed by a Class 4 student; an introduction to a selection of distinguished Black Americans by four students; a Nikki Giovanni poem read by two more students; and a video that showed Lower School students interviewing members of the professional community, including several from the Middle School, about what they love about being Black.

Congratulations to all the dancers and other participants who contributed to this beautiful Black History Month Assembly.

Dancers:

Class 4
Torrence Carey
Maya Cleary
Chloe Frimpong
Noor Jaffer
Roseily Jones
Alexandria Nandi
Chelsea Rovzar
Olivia Valcourt

Class 5
Elyse Cox
Aishwarya Gurudevan
Samantha Pinzón

Class 6
Jolan-Mari Charles
Laila Getachew
Victoria Luyombya
Sasha Park
Diana Zollar