Ohio University students have the chance to dance for a cause tonight at Casa Cantina, as a portion of International Dance Night's proceeds will go to help South African children.
It's a big club party where a lot of different people get together and dance to a mix of music from different cultures. G? (It's) the closest thing OU has to a European discoth+
said Danny Johnson, commonly known as DJ Self Help.
Because of the diverse crowd the dance attracts, Lisa Summerscales, the president of the Athens-South Africa Project, decided to pair up with Johnson for a fundraiser.
ASAP will receive a third of the proceeds from International DanceNight. All money that ASAP raises on the Athens' campus is then donated to a school in the Storms River Valley, one of the poorest areas in South Africa, where $6 can pay for a year's tuition of elementary school, Summerscales said.
The club was founded by Michael Burton, a professor of political science at OU who personally takes the club's proceeds to South Africa over the summer.
We figured that International Dance Night is a great way to reach out to the community so they'd understand ASAP and what we're about and Casa is a great venue for international causes Summerscales said.
International Dance Night did not start as a fundraiser, but has become an outlet for activist groups to promote their causes. However, the main idea of playing music from around the world has remained.
I play music I don't get to play any other time
Johnson said. His projected playlist for International Dance Night includes dance hall music, salsa, Afrobeat, Indian music and American pop.
International Dance Night existed before Johnson started spinning for the event, and when the booking agent for Casa suggested he try deejaying for the event, Johnson couldn't refuse.
There was a pretty loyal following
and I was in the right place at the right time
he said.
Though Johnson resides in Cleveland and deejays there and Columbus, he returns to Athens, calling International Dance Night and Dance or Die his best gigs.
I really just have a blast. Why stop a good thing? he said.
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Kailey Harless
