ArtsFest Day 6: Heritage

I have never seen a more vibrant display of pride for one’s culture than at the Heritage festival put on by the Orlando School of Cultural Dance on the sixth day of ArtsFest.
The Plaza Theatre was abuzz with excitement last night at 7:15 as vendors outside the auditorium doors cheerfully showed their artwork for all of the incoming guests. I perceived, as I entered the doors, a sort of energy radiating through the air. Although I couldn’t explain why, I knew that this event was going to be vastly different than the previous eight I had attended so far.
The first thing I noticed when I took my seat in the theatre was the unique set of drums set up on the stage. As I am not much of a ‘connoisseur’ of foreign drums, I could only rightly call the drums “bongos”, which I’m sure is incorrect. Nevertheless, there were several of them sitting in a row, and each of them had a silhouette of Africa painted on its front.
The stage was perfectly silent and awash with blue light from the lamps above. The only movement was the sparkling freckles of dust that churned gracefully in and out of the spotlights. There was something about the way the tendrils of azure mist swirled about the stage that gave the scene a feeling of mystery, and I felt a shiver of excitement pass through me as the first hallow knock of the drum echoed around the room.
I was already drawn in, and the show had barely even started!
Suddenly the stage was filled with dancers dressed in traditional African costume of the most vibrant teals and pinks and yellows and reds, and all of them were throwing themselves into the beat of the music, singing at the top of their lungs and smiling from ear to ear.
I can honestly say that I have never watched anyone dance with more vigor and outright joy than the students of OSCD. And that’s to say nothing of the crowd! All around me, women who were part of the Orlando School of Cultural Dance’s adult programs were quick to raise their voices and join in with the beautiful African hymns, and all throughout the performances there were excited yips and trills from the audience members as they cheered on the girls onstage
The Orlando School of Cultural Dance didn’t put on a show last night; what happened at the Plaza Theatre on the 6th day of ArtsFest could only rightly be called a party which all the audience members were a part of.
It was an honor to be involved in such an experience!
At one point in the night Julie Coleman, who founded OSCD in 1989, invited audience members up on stage to learn the moves of an African dance.
“There’s no Simon Cowell out there to judge you,” she assured her pupils as she took her place center stage.
The reason, she explained, for learning a cultural dance is to express yourself and celebrate life. There is just no room for judgment in an environment like this that is so inherently joyful.
I was right when I guessed that this event wouldn’t be like the rest of the ones I‘d attended- in fact it was unlike anything I had ever seen period!
While I was sitting in the audience looking up at the youths onstage who so jubilantly celebrated their life and culture, it was obvious to me how proud they were. Though the costumes were beautiful and colorful, and the dances were energetic and the music was fun, the real beauty of the experience came from obvious joy the students were experiencing as they displayed the arts of their history.
I wish that more people in the world could show just an ounce of the pride towards their own cultures as the students did for their mother Africa last night. In the end, it’s our own responsibility to make sure that the traditions and arts of our past are kept alive, and the best way to do that is to share them with the rest of the world, like the Orlando School of Cultural Dance so aptly demonstrated this ArtsFest.

It’s the 6th day of ArtsFest and things are just becoming more and more interesting! This was one of the most fun events I have been to yet, and there are still four more days’ worth of events to attend. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Have a happy ArtsFest!