African Students Association (ASA) hosted the annual event, African Cultural Show, in the Student Center Auditorium, March 2. The show was hosted by Darius Simpson and Constance Chege with sounds by DJ Blakito. The objective of the show is to celebrate Africa’s rise and its rich culture.
The show began with an introduction from members of the show walking down the aisles, wrapped in flags from various African countries. Those members danced onstage for a short time before retreating backstage. The hosts, Darius and Constance, then came out to greet the audience and introduce the first act.
The first act was a poetry reading from Candice Caldwell. Caldwell’s piece included topics of black girl magic and embracing your black excellence. Following her was an explosive dance routine performed by 5th Dimension that the audience seemed to love.
“To dance in the show felt amazing. I love dancing and to be there with my team/family on the stage to showcase our talents was a great feeling,” said Olivia Caloia, member of 5th Dimension dance team.
Next up was one of two fashion shows of the night. The fashion show consisted of a collection of African inspired clothing for both men and women. Each model walked out onstage, flashing their apparel, and dazzling the crowd with their runway walks and charisma.
A short fifteen-minute intermission followed. The hosts kept the crowd alive by inviting audience members and dance members for dance battles onstage. One of the hosts, Constance, talked about her Kenyan past and brought a little piece of herself to the show by teaching the audience something from Kenyan culture.
Additional acts at the event were a traditional Igbo dance, drums by Bruce Cobb, an ASA dance, and a second fashion show.
"Although there were a few setbacks here and there, I believe the show turned out great," said Sandra Nkwuzor, ASA Public Relations Chair. "I believe that we were able to demonstrate the amount of dedication and hard work that we put into the show. Like they say, 3rd times the charm."
