Black dance troupe, photographer delight students

The South African dance group Shikisha and local photographer Daveda Marie Brown helped commemorate Black History Month this past weekend in a series of programs sponsored by the Annenberg Center. Both Shikisha and Brown wanted to teach the community about aspects of African culture. "Shikisha" is a Zulu word meaning "belt it out, sing and dance as if you never sang and danced before," according to the four visiting dancers. On Saturday, they performed to a sell-out crowd of all ages at the Zellerbach Theater. As Shikisha performed their traditional Zulu dances, they implored the crowd to dance with them. After overcoming their initial apprehensiveness, the audience began dancing wildly, creating a festive atmosphere. Shikisha's founding member Julia Mathunjwa was pleased by the turnout and by the spontaneous dancing. "Our show is cultural and educational," Mathunjwa said. "We try to give [the audience] a little bit of South Africa." Shikisha also had dinner with University students at the W.E.B. DuBois College House last Thursday. The students were interested to learn about life halfway across the world, according to College senior Rose Espiritu, who helped plan the dinner. "They were very friendly and very open about their lives in South Africa," she said. "It was nice just to share an hour with them." While Shikisha danced on Saturday, Brown's photographs were on display in the main lobby of the Annenberg Center. Entitled "People and Places in Africa," the exhibit consisted of 10 photographs depicting the different faces and structures of the continent. "I love people, I love Africa, and that's the inspiration for my photographs," Brown said. "I'm very interested in the studies of people and history." Brown was very anxious to talk about several of her most striking photos, including "Senegalese Guard" and "Window of the Past." "I saw him standing there -- it was a daily occurrence," said Brown, referring to the photo of the guard. "I thought, 'I like this man, he's very regal.'" However, Brown's favorite photograph was "The Sleeping Boy," a portrait of a young boy sleeping in the sand. "I think [the photograph] represents the peace of Africa," Brown said. Brown also hosted a workshop yesterday in which she showed slides of her trip to West Africa. Despite the low turnout, Brown was not discouraged. "I was glad that people even came out," Brown said. "Sometimes, you don't get anyone to come to this type of thing." Brown said those who did attend were very interested in her photos and experiences. "They had excellent questions about the people, the lifestyles, and the families [of West Africa]," she said. "I think it's always valuable to share knowledge when you travel." Brown's exhibit was sponsored by the Annenberg Center, the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the African American Resource Center and the Center for Community Partnerships.