Stepping to a pulsing drumbeat, a row of vibrant red skirts meshed seamlessly with a row of red and black pants, A single line formed for only an instant until the rows emerged anew, imbued with flair, on opposite sides of the stage. The strides-strong, intricate, and fast-and the swirl of energy and color created a contagious rush.
The dancers were members of PeruNegro, an Afro-Peruvian dance troupe that performed at Brandeis on Feb. 23.
During a later number, the group's lead singer pulled a fifth-grade boy from the audience onto the stage.
"Errarar!" she sang. "Errar!" he responded with a shy grin, repeating the line the entire audience had been taught a moment earlier. Next, a male singer brought a fifth-grade girl onto stage and the same exchange of syllables occurred. Soon the children swiveled their hips to mimic the dancers' moves as onlookers laughed appreciatively.
This performance was brought to Brandeis in coordination with an organization called MusicUnitesUS (MUUS), whose mission is to bring music groups from all over the world to elementary school students in Waltham. So far, five fifth-grade classrooms from the Northeast and James Fitzgerald Elementary Schools are participating, but the ultimate goal is to involve all the elementary schools in Waltham.
Prof. Judith Eissenberg (MUS), an artist in residence at Brandeis since 1980 and violinist in the Lydian String Quartet, founded MUUS last semester. Eissenberg started the organization partly as an "outlet to make me feel politically active," especially after Sept. 11, 2001 Eissenberg said she wanted to help children understand the increasingly complex world and expose them to people they do not see everyday.
Eissenberg approached Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Elaine Wong in summer 2003. From that point, Eissenberg said, the program has received positive reception at Brandeis, especially from the Alan B. Slifka Program in Intercommunal Coexistence, a graduate program. Combining her cited loves of music and children and her desire to make a difference, Eissenberg started MUUS in order to teach kids about other cultures through a new voice. The majority of the funding comes from Brandeis, and the artists take considerable pay cuts. The Waltham public schools only pay for busing to Brandeis.
"I really wanted to bring different world views to young kids," Eissenberg said. She holds a certification in elementary education and devoted all of last year to student-teaching at a Waltham elementary school, putting "everything on hold except things relating to my Brandeis faculty position," Eissenberg said.
Before students attend the performance, they research the culture of the group they are seeing, "and then hear it through music," Eisenberg said. The goal is that the children gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of unfamiliar cultures by watching globally acclaimed performers.
Already, Waltham elementary students have heard the Lydian String Quartet perform music aimed to celebrate independence and freedom, including pieces from the colonial United States, Argentina and Russia.
In conjunction with studying Nelson Mandela and apartheid in South Africa, Waltham students watched a performance by three musicians from Africa whose work, Eissenberg said, encourages peace in Africa. Most recently they saw PeruNegro, whose mixed racial composition embodies the ideal of cross-cultural cooperation.
In addition to exposing children to new and energizing performances, the University can reap the benefits of MusicUnitesUS by providing a performance for students and faculty and by forging stronger ties with the Waltham community.
A fifth-grade teacher who saw a MUUS performance with her students said she was grateful for "the opportunity to see and visit Brandeis."
"There is a tremendous cultural experience a prestigious institution like Brandeis can bring to our city," she continued. Feedback from the community and the University has been so positive that Eissenberg described the MUUS program thus far as "a perfect thing."
PeruNegro was created in 1969 in El Carmen, Peru by choreographer Ronaldo Campos de Colina during an "international black pride movement," according to the group's Web site. It has its own distinct style that stands out from Afro-Cuban or other Afro-Caribbean groups. The African slaves brought in by the Spanish colonizers were not allowed to play drums and instead they used other objects, like fruit crates, to create music. That eventually evolved into an instrument called the cajn, a type of drum that is made out of wood and produces a sensual, singular sound.
The group reflects the conflicted history of Peruvians of African descent, who were segregated and discriminated against throughout much of Peru's history, according to the Web site. Unlike their counterparts in Cuba or other Spanish colonies, the slaves in Peru were highly dispersed and did not have the chance to keep their African tribal customs. Because of this scatter, the unique Afro-Peruvian sound was born.
The troupe began with 12 members but has grown to include 30 members from high school age to much older. The elaborate show contains colorful costumes and intricate choreography. The show at Brandeis included 22 troupe members.
The group frequently receives rave reviews. The New York Times called the group's performance "two hours of celebration . . . A work for seven men playing the cajn could easily be called music that danced." The Boston Globe expressed similar sentiments after seeing the group's performance at Berklee College, remarking on a "sense of diversity" in the dances and calling the troupe "fabulous ambassadors" for bringing Peruvian culture to America. The Globe reviewer wrote, "This was no sterile archival presentation but a fascinating look at a living tradition in the throes of social and cultural transformation."
It is that aspect of groups like PeruNegro that make them perfect candidates for MUUS, Eissenberg said. She noted that she seeks to give kids a chance to see the arts in a way they cannot do in school, where the arts are generally just an "add-on." She also discussed the possibility of involving more Brandeis students in the program. "Bringing people from somewhere different and learning something new would serve Brandeis too." The overflowing Slosberg auditorium for PeruNegro's performance was a good first step toward this ambition.
Eissenberg said that she hopes MusicUnitesUS will keep expanding and allow more Waltham children to see talented and ethnically diverse groups.
Eventually, Eissenberg wants the program to have a larger partnership than only with Brandeis. "Brandeis has made this project possible," she said, "but it was never my intent to have Brandeis be the sole support for this project."-Alexandra Perloe contributed to this article.