Indiana Dance Festival Performance

I took my husband to TRJE’s performance at the Indiana Dance Festival last night. We were warmly welcomed by Agatha in the art exhibit downstairs. Then we made our way up the stairs to where Andy had saved us tickets for the performance. I hadn’t attended a performance in this space so I was wondering how it would all be set up. Most seats were already taken so we sat in the third row. It was a little difficult to see from this position but I’m not sure how all the seats could be made to rise as they go back.
Even though the view wasn’t the best, the energy in the room was infectious and could be felt no matter where one was seated. Fey Fey was his usual exuberant self, getting the audience fired up. He always manages to make everyone feel as if they’re part of one big family. The ensemble filed in to an excited crowd and the sound of drums reverberated around the room. The new balafons really added to the authenticity of the African sound. Emily seems to usually open up the dancing and I always enjoy her enthusiasm and amazing energy. It was also nice to see a young man who had recently joined the group already participating in a public performance. Everyone was included; even the youngest members had their part and joined in. They all looked like they were having so much fun and that was contagious. The Urban Bush Women added to the excitement and yelled out encouragements to the young dancers. We were glad we’d sat near them; it was as if an entirely different show was going on at the back of the room! When Bruce introduced all the different drums and their familial relationships, the Bush Women loudly approved of the largest drum being the mother drum. We all know that’s the truth--the hand that rocks the cradle! Family is such an important theme for TRJE so it was apropos that the drums themselves would be used to express familial qualities.
During the performance I was I thinking a lot about how different these kids are from the average middle/high school kid. Their experience with TRJE will always be a part of them and I’m sure it exerts an extremely positive influence on their lives as well as on the lives of those they come into contact with.
During the intermission, we checked out the items for sale in the adjacent room and were able to chat with Dr. Caine. The second half of the performance was more interactive, with some of the audience members joining the ensemble out on the wooden dance floor. This performance really drew its energy from the crowd. The AISEDA performance was much more subdued but with the exuberance of the Bush Women and Moustapha Bangoura in the audience, the ensemble really shone. Their sheer enjoyment was visible to everyone there.