Nia Gooden - Attending performances 2-3 points

 

    On November 14, I had the absolute honor of witnessing the phenomenal Juxto show by the Dance Theater department. As someone who has previously done dance, acting, and public speaking, this show encouraged me to get in tune with all of those passions and skills once again. The performers included many different cohorts of dancers assigned to 3 different choreographers. The main theme of the show centered around Blackness and its development through history. Its unique title "Juxto" comes from the prefix "juxta" which means with. The show was a great example of many elements being with each other. I felt enthralled by the dancers and fascinated by how smoothly so many unique forms of art could be integrated into one. The performance starts off with dancers in front of mirrors, bringing about a confusion and excitement for the campus. I found it interesting how the spoken elements had perfect timing despite the cake challenging french. I challenged myself not to touch my phone and to not take pictues but rather to enjoy the art and from well-fleshed out opinion. 

    One of my favorite parts of the show was the recreation of Beyoncé as one of the dancers. The dancer imitated her look from Alien Superstar. Seeing, Alien Superstar in a different rendition made me think of the ADW and how our culture often gets circulated within its-self. This show reminded me about the various eras and time periods that Black American culture has had. I felt that the myriad of art forms that were utilized as mediums to convey the message challenged the audience member to not only enjoy the performances but to learn from them, walking away with a stronger sense of culture.