I attended this event on Friday March 3 and Saturday March 4 and it was FABULOUS!! The show was very moving, entertaining and all for a great cause. I go the opportunity to meet and speak with the Queen of Uganda. She was ecstatic to hear that UBC can be viewed LIVE here and all over the world through JumpTV!
The New York City dance community united to raise funding and awareness for Uganda's first dance school. Royalty, ambassadors, celebrities (among them writer/director of Prime, Ben Younger, actress Vanessa Marcil, and rock band drummer Paddy Boom of Scissor Sisters) and other VIPs attended the inaugural Uganda Arts Outreach Benefit that showcased the talent of over 55 dancers from nine of New York's most prestigious dance institutions. Directed by Sara Farley, founder of the New York-based Uganda Arts Outreach, Inc., this inaugural fundraising performance featured a kaleidoscope of dance talent ranging from a riveting opening quartet choreographed by actor Taye Diggs to a solo by Ailey School prodigy Lynnoris Evans, choreographed by Bessie-winner Ronald Brown to a ritualistic group piece performed by seven male Juilliard students.
Juilliard's "Broken Rituals: Confessions from a Bound Spirit" choreographed by Shamel Pitts called to mind African motifs and the struggle of survival, a piece made even more dynamic thanks to the live percussion performed by five Juilliard drummers.
"In short, it was an incredible evening with a spectacular assortment of talent, brought together for an extraordinary cause," writer/director Ben Younger said.
Organized by Uganda Arts Outreach, Inc. to raise money and awareness for Uganda's first dance school, the evenings were presided over by the visionary and founder behind the Ugandan school-- Sylvia Nagginda, the Nnabagereka, Queen of the Buganda Kingdom--the largest of the four Ugandan Kingdoms. The Nnabagereka has been a committed champion of culture, dance and the arts, and the key role they can play in developing confidence and building cultural bridges for young adults within the country and across national borders. Her school is based in Uganda's capital, Kampala. Just over a year old, the school already boasts some remarkable achievements. In its first year it served over 400 Kampala residents.
Through the Benefit Concerts, Uganda Arts Outreach, Inc. sought to facilitate the School’s expansion of the scope of its outreach efforts. Specifically, funds targeted: an extension program in which instructors will offer free dance classes to children in the public schools, a program of dance education for Ugandans living with HIV/AIDS through The AIDS Support Organization (TASO), and a class series at the Kampala School for the Physically Disabled. Described by Uganda Arts Outreach, Inc.'s founding director as "a brilliant first effort to convene the New York dance community, the Ugandan diaspora and lovers of the arts" the evening demonstrated the latent interest among New Yorkers to participate in the strengthening of the arts and arts training institutions in countries outside of their own. "I think the story of the Queen's efforts to extend the reach of dance in Uganda and share the power of this art form to as many Ugandans as possible is really beautiful. When you appreciate dance as a necessary tool to foster future leaders and capable citizens able to address the challenges of health, agriculture, state-building, you feel compelled to support her efforts," Farley said, explaining why she and her many volunteers built Uganda Arts Outreach, Inc. to host the benefit and many events like it in the future.
In the opinion of the visiting Queen, dance's ability to generate self-esteem, creative thinking, and discipline are what make it a critical element of her efforts to support culture and human development in her country. Addressing the near sold-out crowd at mid-town's Gerald W. Lynch Theater on Saturday, March 4, Her Royal Highness addressed the audience saying, "Dance offers a way for people to experience other cultures. By studying movement styles outside one's own culture, understanding of other people and cultures increases. As a cultural leader, I aim to promote positive cultural exchanges, without minimizing our strong cultural heritage, but adding to it."
"This is just the beginning of the contribution we want to make," dancer Kirsten Seacor of Bemoved Dance Company admitted following her performance Saturday night. "If by dancing here, we create a brighter future for those in Uganda, then we will keep on dancing."
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