University of Virginia Library

Hall Ensemble

Afro-American
Cultural Tradition

By Maggie Davis

Thursday night's performance of
the Aurthur Hall Afro-American
Dance Ensemble was one of those
rare instances in which an artist
transcends his own medium of expression
so fully as to make his
audience a vital part of that art
form. The simple and forceful use
of the body evoked more than a
cool intellectual contemplation of
form. Rather, its result was an
emotional identification with the
underlying cultural tradition.

The Dance has historically been
performed as a means of communication
of dancer to audience. The
difference here was the simplicity
and freedom of expression so often
repressed in the formal ballet. The
rhythmic movements of the
shoulders, the flowing, sensual succession
of the torso could be seen in
various individual interpretations
throughout the program. In a number
depicting a tribal dance performed
in honor of special occasions,
[entitled Celebration,] the
dancers through their movements
and gestures sustained and conveyed
the very simple yet meaningful
communal feeling of the celebration
so lacking in the life style
of contemporary western man. This
feeling of celebration of celebration
pervades the entire program, from
the Harvest and Fertility Rites to
the worship of the creator. The
lifestyle is celebration, the means of
expression is the body. This is quite
a contrast to modern man, with his
extensive and intricate verbal communication
patterns. Here the
language is that of the body, the
message simple, direct, and uninhibited.

An overall criticism of the performance
must be directed more
towards the ability of the dancers
to convey the spirit of the culture
rather than towards the stylistic
movements of the dance itself. The
simplicity of style drew attention
away from the mechanics of the
dance and focused it upon the
emotional expression of a lifestyle.
The success of the performance was
in its ability to communicate this
lifestyle so vividly and energetically.
It was a thrilling cultural
experience of what black means
thru the use of the body in dance.