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The significance and power of Dr. Maya Angelou’s words never cease to amaze any of us, and now with the help of Director Napoleon and Choreographer Tabitha Dumo her words have been physically manifested.
From opening to close the audience watches a plethora of dancers celebrate and hopscotch to Maya’s voice over:
Hold for three, then twist and jerk,
Cross the line, they count you out.
That’s what hopping’s all about.
Both feet flat, the game is done.
They think I lost, I think I won.”
In spite of all of the chaos, trauma, and pain it takes to be human in this world. Dr. Maya Angelou’s words still makes us feel as if we can conquer and endure it all. Furthermore, watching her words be transformed by dancers literally hopscotching and incorporating their own style takes us back to being a child, with chalk, a rock, or a pebble, hopscotching until we can't anymore. Surprise appearances by the likes of Nia Peeples, Zendaya Coleman, and others, works to encourage the audience to believe that dancing to Dr. Angelou's words is not only plausible, but necessary, and we should take heed.
We must dance, dance, dance in spite of . . . everything else.
Watch the music video and tell us what you think
Randie Henderson is a Gates Millennium Scholar and recent college grad. She is driven to write, read, learn, and educate about ways to dismantle oppression in America and globally because she is passionate about people and justice. You can find her on randiejourney.tumblr.com
dancing
Dr. Maya Angelou
harlem
hopscotch
Randie Henderson is a Gates Millennium Scholar and recent college grad. She is driven to write, read, learn, and educate about ways to dismantle oppression in America and globally because she is passionate about people and justice. You can find her on randiejourney.tumblr.com
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