Of course.
I got it right.
Now you are from Dallas, my friend, but you
danced with Alvin Ailey for a while, is that right?
Yes, I did.
Very well, very well.
Now tell us about the group here from Guinea, Musa.
Tell us about this folk.
We're from West Africa, Guinea, me and my
brother and my sister.
We're here with our heritage to discover my
people from my continent, way from me, long
time ago, years ago.
And then I discover my people.
I have the message to give to my people.
A message of music, I guess. Yes.
Now tell us, if you will, the connection or the
nexus between African dance and African
American dance.
Well, actually the way that I'm presenting with
my company, Nia, the Dance Theater is
we're going from the African American point of
view after coming over on the ship.
And the changes that we've gone through to get
to where we are today and continue to
keep coming and being strong, strong men keep coming.
Now you have performances at the...
At the Naomi Theater, Naomi Bruton Theater at
the Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters is
sponsoring both my company and Musa's.
And we're there for one engagement, which is
June the 3rd, 2000 of course.
Okay, and you all will be performing together
at the Black Academy, Musa? Yes.
I will be performing with Nia and all people
from Nia and my company, Mofinjan Jabate,
Ballet Zafriqe Mofinjan Jabate from West
Africa, Guinea.
Now Orita, tell me quickly, who's everybody?
Everybody is Jelly Guinea Tenefing, Jelly
Lansana Jabate, Jelly Musa Jabate.
They're brothers and sisters from National
Ballet of Guinea, CW from Dallas, drama from Dallas.
Orita Jabate from Algeria, France, New York.
All right, very good.
We will listen to you and then we will watch
your performance.
Musa, thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
(music playing)
That was simply outstanding. Now, Dereke, tell
me a little bit about how this concept came
together in Curtis King's mind.
Well, Curtis King, the founder and director of
Black Academy of Arts and Letters, had this
idea about how the beat that comes from the
motherland, from Africa to America, stays the same.
And we wanted to show the connection between
the two, even though we're in different
continents, that that beat is still the same.
We still live on that same beat.
I think it's going to be a unique performance,
feeling the beat of that drum and the African
call, and then the African American experience
mingled with that. Yes.
Tell me about your dancer.
My dancer is Vernon Gooden, and he's a member
of, he goes to school at the Arts Magnet High
School performing visual arts at Booker T.
Washington, which happens to be the school that
I graduated from.
So, there again, that beat is still going with
the two different generations of dancers, and
he's a fabulous dancer, and I think it's going
to be something that everybody should come see
at the show.
Alright, and the show is Friday?
Friday, June, no, Saturday, June the 3rd at
8:00 p.m. at the Naomi Bruton Theatre.
Saturday, June 3rd, and you can call the?
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, and
there's probably information at the end of this
segment that shows the number that you can call.
Alright, very good, Dereke. Let's leave the
stage so Vernon can perform, and we'll see you
next time on Insights.
Sun up to sun down, takin' that cotton. Sun up
to sun down, whipped by the master. Sun up to
sun down, trains and shackles. No more option,
block for me.
No more option, block for me.
Fight on, just a little while longer. Fight on,
a little while longer. Pray on, a little while longer.
Everything will be alright. We will sing on,
just a little while longer.
Sing on, just a little while longer. Sing on,
just a little while longer. Everything will be alright.