Performances of "Black in the Theatre" will be held Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb.25, at the Turner Theater.
The community is invited to watch the hard work of the Department of Performing Arts come together for this year’s Black History Month Dance Concert on Friday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. in McCrary Theatre.
Due to obstacles from the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first time in two years that students will perform in person. “It differs in the sense that we are preparing to perform in the theater this year, whereas our last two concerts were virtual,” Keisha Wall, assistant professor of dance at Elon and artistic director for the production, explains. “Students are rehearsing two days a week for two to three hours.”
Wall was able to have students work directly with Black choreographers in the African diaspora dance field, which was originally an endeavor, but she was able to make it happen. “I hope the audience feels engaged, celebrates black art, and most of all, I hope they have a good time,” Wall says.
This performance, titled “Black in the Theatre,” is just one of the many events happening during Elon’s Black History Month Celebration, including a Carnaval Celebration, an Afro-Latinx Cooking Class, a Black Solidarity Conference, and more.
The theme for 2023’s events is: “The Black Renaissance: Revive, Reclaim, Rejoice.” The goal for this theme is to acknowledge the contributions made by the black community to art, dance and culture, in addition to authentically expressing a sense of Black joy.
The subthemes for this performance include Love, Joy and Resistance. Attending is a great way for students to gain a sense of community, in addition to a sense of what’s happening in the black dance world right now.
These performances, along with the Black Solidarity Conference on Friday Feb. 24, hosted by the Black Student Union at the Mosley Student Center, will be the last events of the month. Don’t miss out on these fun, celebratory, uniting events.