During assembly on Thursday, January 19th, the Fieldston Dance Company performed part of Ronald K. Brown’s iconic piece Why We Follow. Growing up in Brooklyn, Ronald found inspiration in West African, Cuban, and American culture, and has taken his talents both to Alvin Ailey, a renowned modern dance company in midtown, and to the Tony-Award winning cast of Porgy and Bess, which went off Broadway in late 2012. In 1985, Ronald founded Evidence, a dance company that focuses on the importance of community in African American culture and blending African rhythms and choreography with contemporary dance and spoken word.
In his opening speech, dance teacher Rob O’Neill explained that Robert, “a bright light in the world of dance,” not only “shared his masterful choreography, [but also] shared his gentle spirit, and his strong commitment that dance speaks to the individual and the community.”
Consisting of intense movement, continuous clapping, and upbeat music, this dance was something completely different from what is usually seen in the auditorium. As mentioned in the video preceding the performance, DCO has been accustomed to modern dance pieces, making this a great opportunity for them to be challenged and embrace something new. After the assembly, one male form IV student commented that “despite not being a huge fan of dance, the performance was a cool mixture of cultures that worked well together.”
In addition to Brown’s dance, three student studies were also performed. The members of the company were pushed to create dances in only six class periods, using Brown’s work as a starting point in deciphering how the style fits into their lives and creative processes.
“Dance, and our community within Dance Company is about compromise,” said Olivia Gonzalez-Scott (VI) on the challenges of collaborative choreography. “It is about creating a space where different voices can be heard and different people can shine.”
One particular dance, performed by Zoe Antell (V), Taiya Sharif (VI), and Sonja Rab (VI), had a very direct relation to today’s world, especially as we experience the first days of Trump’s presidency. The piece was inspired by the way their rehearsal director, Annique Roberts, transferred the uneasy feelings of post-election night into motivational dance. “We saw how successful it was to combine the political aspect of the election with the emotional aspect,” Zoe Antell (V) said. “So we decided to express those two things through movement.”
Overall, the Dance Company’s performance was outstanding. It allowed the dancers not only to express themselves, but also to educate both students and faculty on cultures that are not usually displayed at Fieldston.
