By Eurydice S. Stanley
From July 5-15, “cardio met culture†when internationally acclaimed performer Nielah Black Spears, Founder and Artistic Director of Performers, Blessings & Jazz (PB&J), instructed an African Drum and Dance Summer Camp held at “Our Voices Are Many†Multicultural Center in Pensacola. The classes, also instructed by Odun and London Ogunlano of Atlanta, Georgia, was opened quietly with stretching and often ended with the collapse of sweat-drenched participants who were happy to end practice, but already anticipating the next day’s instruction!
Sound like an experience you would have loved? Well, the great news is that the next round will soon be available. Registration is now open for classes starting Aug. 16 to be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30-4:30 and 5:30 to 7:00 pm at Woodland Heights Community Center, 111 Berkley Drive in Pensacola. The fee will be $35 per month, and space is limited. Interested in joining in? Call (850) 696-7067 or visit their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/PerformersBlessingsandJazz.
The July camp mimicked a summer dance intensive and an opportunity to showcase community participants, who presented 6 intricately choreographed dances during two performances and countless drum solos. Within less than two weeks, the community dancers left with certificates of completion and the confidence garnered from stunning audiences with a beautiful performance learned in a very short period of time. According to Spears, “We will keep our training fresh by introducing new techniques each season, facilitated by a multitude of dancers from all over the world,†she said. The dance instructors are often multi-talented, and many will also share their beautiful artwork with the Gulf Coast.
Spears and Ogunlano quickly established a sense of community amongst the cross-cultural group of 41 new and experienced dancers ranging in age from 4 to 62. One unique aspect of this summer camp was that there were 10 parents dancing with their children. DexTricia Vaught travelled from Austin, Texas with her two sons to assist and participate in the program, noting, “I wanted my sons to experience the heartbeat of the African Drum.â€
Said Spears, “The songs and dances that we use are part of a culture that has been lost. The songs are actually prayers and the movements help to bring total wellness and holistic conditioning to mind, body and Spirit.†As a member of the inaugural class, I can truly attest to the fact that the community dancers definitely felt energy from moving freely with aware and appreciative hearts!
Ogunlano also taught African drum, and specifically taught dance to the boys. Many of them wanted nothing to do with his instruction. “I did not want to learn dance as a child,†said Ogunlano, “…but now, I am so glad that I did!†His dual ability to dance and drum expanded his professional opportunities. He now has his own drum and dance studio in Atlanta, models, performs and acts. After some initial angst, the boys found that they enjoyed the dance movements as well as the drum, especially since their movements the young men showcasing their strength and prowess as Warriors while dancing in homage to “Ogun,†whom the Yoruba refer to as the “Father of all Men.†The women performed the majority of the dances in an eclectic array of colors celebrating everything from love to a bountiful fish harvest.
As PB & J moves forward, they hope to raise the funding necessary to expand their future biweekly classes to a full afterschool African dance and drum program. “We hope to provide after school classes that captivate youth through culture, reduce violence and provide powerful engagements that the family and the entire community can enjoy,†said PB & J Executive Director Russell Spears. They have applied for a 501(c)3 and hope to soon make their dream come true. Said Spears, “It’s all about demonstrating discipline, giving hope for the future and showing pride in our past.†As said routinely throughout the African Summer Dance Camp, “Ashe,†or “Amen.â€