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THE OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE MADISON TIMES WEEKLY NEWSPAPER |
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CENTERSPREAD STORY |
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Unity: Dances reflecting who we are by Jonathan Gramling It was a gathering of the people at the beginning of the summer months. It must have been ordained to be good, for the sun shone and the rains stayed away. From the four corners of the earth, people of all races and creeds and colors came together. The African rhythms of Kweku Ananse & The Sweet Vibrations beckoned the people to come. The Circle was made whole. The people danced in unity. On June 6, the third annual Race Unity Rally was held on the State Street steps of the State Capitol. Annually sponsored by the Madison Bahα'ν faith community, the Race Unity Rally is an expression of the similarities that all races on Mother Earth possess, and is yet an expression of the appreciation of the differences that make each of our traditions and histories beautiful and unique. Interspersed with messages from political leaders such as Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, MMSD Board Member Johnny Winston Jr. and Madison's congressional delegation were a multitude of dances that complemented each other and expressed the message of racial unity. For over two hours, youth and adult dance groups took turns inspiring the almost 200 people in attendance with their elegant and graceful movements. And after the groups had performed separately, Emcee Mona Adams Winston called the groups and the audience together to performthe Native American Circle Dance. Led by Nick Hockings, the group swirled around in a circle, dancing to The Round Dance, performed by the Black Lodge Singers. The community had truly come together. The Circle was left unbroken. It was indeed a good day to celebrate the coming of summer and each other. The following individuals and/or groups performed as a part of the Race Unity Rally 2004: The Tai Qi Dancers led by Geri Gorman Peace Dance performed the Tai Qi Peace Dance. Nick and Celeste Hockings and Maral Shegonee performed a Native American Dance. Wu Xiao Li played the pipa while Dalian Urbonya performed the Chinese Golden Snake Dance. Tiawanacu Dance Group performed "Tondero," a Peruvian dance and "Moreneda," a Bolivian dance. Nivedita Prabhakaran, Teja Vemuganti, and Jong May Urbonya performed the Indian "Simtrumbumi." Sadira performed the Egyptian "Raks Assya" Edi Kwasi Gbordzi and Kweku, Kobby, and Maame Brewoo performed "Bima," a Ghana harvest dance. Melissa Lesh, Vishnuvarthini Manoharan, and Mela Shah performed the Indian "Mallari." Maria Elena White performed the Mexican "Johnny's Manbo." The Mt. Zion Liturgical Dancers performed a modern interpretive dance. The Unity Youth Group from Middleton High School performed the skit "Unity." Meenakshi Ganesan performed the Indian dance "Ganapathiye" Nikita and Bindya Shah performed an Indian dance. Margaret O'Meara, Frances Shepherd, and Helen Ricker performed an Irish jig.
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