Soundz of Africa Student Showcase - May 2010

Soundz of Africa

Student Showcase

Saturday 8 May 2010
38th and Troost, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Kansas City, MO

See: http://www.TraditionalMusicSociety.Org

This showcase had a nice attendance and filled the warm and well-lit performance space at the west end of St. Mark's at 38th and Troost. Just look at the light in the room from the sun coming into those high windows in this area which used to be the sanctuary.

As I watched and took pictures I reflected on missing the ballet on opening night (I had a massive computer crash when power went out in the middle of long, long renders which I needed to fix). I realized that as good as the ballet is (they are) and as much as I like them (I do) they don't hold a candle (and nothing off on that) to these dancers. The aliveness and shear enthusiasm and warm environment are hard to beat. There is always something so vital about what I think of as "root" or "close to the earth" dances.

Folkloric traditions show us in our gut where all dance comes from. It is such a rich soil that I can't imagine anyone attending and not just digging down into the music of those live drums and to the earlier Samba group and to the wide-open dance moves that have to leave you exhausted just watching.