It is not every day one gets to travel around the world in an hour and experience the cultures of China, the Middle East and Africa without leaving Southeastern Ohio. But Zelma Badu-Younge and her troupe of dancers did just that last night at the Tour de Monde dance benefit.
Badu-Younge, assistant professor of dance, organized the Tour de Monde benefit last week in an attempt to gain money and support for five of her dancers to attend the Congress on Research in Dance International Annual Conference. This top international dance conference will take place in Montreal, Canada, at the University of Quebec, and the theme will be human rights and dancing.
With a $10 dollar donation, audience members in Putnam Hall saw belly dancing from the Middle East, Irish dancing that would make Michael Flatley jealous and an unforgettable modern puppet show mixed with modern dance.
Maura Gahan, an Honors Tutorial College senior dance major, performed Jane
an Indonesian-inspired puppet/dance show. Gahan, who will be attending the Montreal conference, said she thinks it is important to see how human rights and dance relate to each other.
Badu-Younge said she is happy to see students perform different styles and thinks the Tour de Monde was a good way to pay the way to Montreal. Also helping Younge and her dancers reach Montreal are the College of Fine Arts and School of Dance, which will match the total revenue earned from the recital, she said.
The recital, a dance celebrating different dance styles around the world, gave a taste of everything. Traveling from India to Ireland and from the Caribbean to North America, the intimate setting allowed the audience to become involved - and they did.
In the finale, Badu-Younge performed with her dancers to an African drum. The audience was first told to dance and clap to the music before they were asked to join in on the infectious number. Audience-member-turned-novice-dancer Aupala Huq, a freshman, said she enjoyed the show.
It wasn't what I expected Huq said. My favorite part was the last African dance part.
Angela Patmon, a sophomore, also will be going to Montreal with Badu-Younge's troupe. Patmon was also responsible for choreographing the North American modern dance number to the mellow sounds of Dave Matthews Band.
The main focus of the piece was to show how people are always butting heads trying to get what they want
Patmon said. Sometimes you have to give up some things to get to another place you haven't even thought of yet.
Patmon said she is interested in the International Annual Conference's presentation of the interplay between human rights and dance because the two always have affected each other.
At the November conference, Younge's choreography will be performed by five dance students of her choosing. Her piece is based on the life of Marie-Joseph Angelique, a Portuguese-born slave woman hanged for being falsely accused of arson in Montreal in the 18th century.
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Students from the School of Dance and the School of Music perform an African drumming and dance piece from Ghana entitled Kpanlongo yesterday night during a fundraising concert in Putnam Hall. Proceeds from the concert will be used to help send a select
