Richmond has a lot to be proud of after the wonderful
“For Africa” benefit performances this weekend at the
Grace Street Theater.
With eight different performing groups, including the
African American Repertory Theatre, Danica Priest and
Friends and the John B. Cary Steppers, the evening was
as artistically colorful as the traditional Ghanaian garb
donned by the Ezibu Muntu African Dance Company.
Titled “For Africa: A Benefit Performance and Celebration
for the Children of Ghana,” the benefit ran from
Thursday to Saturday, selling out the last two nights
and raising more than $10,000. Proceeds will go entirely
to Sovereign Global Mission and its efforts to improve
the high infant mortality rate and poor education that
plagues Ghanaian children.
According to the program notes, “one out of every
four children dies in their first year of life from easily
preventable illnesses such as malaria, malnutrition,
diarrhea and AIDS.”
The evening opened with a riveting performance by
Ezibu Muntu and its accompanying quartet of blazingly
fast drummers. The dancers didn’t stop moving from
the second they walked on stage, to when solos were
being performed by dancer to dancer, and drummer
to drummer.
Njeri Jackson and Jackie Parker followed with a
spoken word duet addressing issues of time, space,
dancing and generations.
Danica Priest and Friends then joined senior theater
major Parker on stage for a lovely rendition of The
Beatles’ “Two of Us.” Priest and Friends played two
more, one original and one Stevie Ray Vaughan song
titled “Life by the Drop.”
Dance department chair James Frazier presented
an awesome piece of four duets, good core work,
subtly striking costumes, slick tunes and unpredictable,
refreshing movements.
Preceding intermission was a dramatic PowerPoint
presentation that humanized the cause by showing
children’s faces and documented efforts of construction
going on in Ghana that was directly related to the
money being raised.
The second half of the concert was equally intense
with another expressive dance piece that featured more
emotion than technicality. Choreographed by former
dance department chair and producer of the benefit,
Chris Burnside, the piece featured less dancing but
was highly charged with expression. The contortions
of dancer Lawanda Raines were quite moving.
Theatre VCU presented excerpts from “Smokey Joe’s
Café,” which got the most laughs from the crowd. An
all-male barbershop quartet lit up the stage with its
beautiful harmonies and romantic antics.
Drama followed drama when the African American
Repertory Theatre hit the stage with an excerpt from
“Steel Magnolias.” Showing sophistication and experience,
the five-woman cast displayed fine acting while
extracting more laughter from the crowd.
When the lights came back on, 53 children filled the
stage with their charm and delightful soft-shoe dance
moves. The troupe, known as the Richmond Ballet’s
Minds in Motion Team XXL, did a fine Cab Calloway
number called “Jumpin’ Jive.”
The next song featured select members of the group,
called the John B. Cary Steppers. The mighty mites
showed what they were made of by stomping the stage
fiercely with their traditional African step moves and
getting great crowd response at the end.
To close out the show, stomping onstage to the
sounds of the little steppers were the Ezibu Muntu
dancers.
Following the show was a procession down Harrison
Street to the Scott House, where the guests enjoyed
food, drink and a silent auction featuring wonderful
sculptures donated from all over Africa.