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This year's Culture X, "Fire- works! A Colorful Explosion" erupted with vibrancy and life in Levin Ballroom on Saturday night as hundreds of students took breaks from studying to watch their peers perform in 19 different multicultural acts.
The Brandeis chapter of Phi Beta Kappa elected 62 new members from the Class of 2014. Seven members from the Class of 2015 were also elected. The Brandeis chapter of Phi Beta Kappa elects about 10 percent of the senior class and about one percent of the junior class each year. Selection is based on three criteria: the quality of academic record, breadth of interest and letters of recommendation from faculty and senior administrators. The following students from the Class of 2014 were elected to Phi Beta Kappa: Laili Amighi, Kochava Ayoun, Benjamin N. Barber, David J. Benger, Ariana L. Boltax, Aliza D. Braverman, Daniel Brog, Jenny Cheng, David Meir Clements, Rebecca M. DeHovitz, Katherine Gordon Doody, Katey Duchin, Charlotte Rose Erb, Kara Lynn Faktor, Gabriella E. Feingold, Avital Batsheva Fagen Friedland, Heather G. Friedman, Philip Meyer Berlin Gallagher, Adam P. Gelman, Katharine P. Glanbock, Jack Z. Hait, Shafaq Hasan, Jeffrey Michael Herman, Leah Meryl Igdalsky, Joseph R. Jacobowitz, Chunhui Ji, Anita Lee Kao, Rafi Kohen, Margo Louise Kolenda, Michael S. Kosowsky, Cindy Kui, Sarah Sue Landau, Rebecca Tamara Loewenstein-Harting, Jacob Michael Lurie, Yael B. Marks, Laura Ben Marger Moore, Dillon T. Morris, Kerry Morse, Anthony Huy Nguyen, Ryan James Nicoll, Zoe Fay Oppenheimer, Samuel L. Porter, Isaac Jonathan Rabbani, Richard Dylan Rosen, Julia Rosner, Danielle I. Sackstein, Mara Alyssa Sassoon, Suzannah Lee Scanlon, Jeremy Michael Schmidt, Martha R. Schwarz, James L. Shen, Abigail Michelle Simon, Christopher M. Stanton, Helen Stolyar, Abraham B. Troen, Kyle J. Van Gorkom, Andrea Verdeja Vicente, Naomi L. Volk, Samantha R. Weinerman, Andrew E. Wingens, Qiyu Zhang, Rebecca Lan Zhang. The following students from the Class of 2015 were elected to Phi Beta Kappa: Isabel S. Ballan, Michael Benjamin Kahn, Jessica Gorman Kramer, Jeffrey M. Lowenstein, Melissa Faith Tannenbaum, Meredith Hope van der Walde, Benjamin Bo Wang.
A cappella. Dancing. Stand-up comedy. Coconuts. An American Idol contestant. These were only some of the numerous acts performed at AYALA, a variety show hosted by Brandeis' South East Asia Club to raise money for communities affected by Typhoon Haiyan, a major tropical cyclone that devastated the Philippines in November. With the theme of barrio fiesta, meaning "neighborhood party" in Tagalog, a language spoken in the Philippines, Levin Ballroom was full of students sitting at round tables, sipping on sparkling grape juice and enjoying a variety of Dum Dum lollipops. Lights and flags of a slew of Southeast Asian countries decorated the walls.
A memorial program was held yesterday evening in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The program lasted approximately two hours and was the product of a collaborative sponsorship by MLK & Friends Club, the Dean of Students and the department for African and Afro-American Studies. This is the ninth annual commemorative program that the University has hosted on the federal holiday. Called "For the Love of a Dream!"-a title that borrows words from King's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech-the program included an array of artistic performances and oratory pieces. Dean of Students Jamele Adams provided an introduction for the evening, reciting a passionate original slam poem and introducing the host of the program Prof. Chad Williams (AAAS). In attendance was a full house of students, faculty, guest performers and members of the greater Brandeis community. Williams provided historical perspective to King's political activism as a leader of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, sharing details about King's personal, academic and professional experiences in between speakers and performers. Williams related these details to King's connection to the greater Boston area. King received his Ph.D. from Boston University in 1957 and visited Brandeis to speak on three separate occasions: once in 1956, 1957 and 1963. "He knew why he was needed during his all-too-short life," Williams told the audience. The lineup of performances began after Williams' introduction, with a three-part tap-dance routine by members of the Boston Tap Company. Following the performance, Brandeis' MLK & Friends Club spoke to the audience, relaying how the scholarship program the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, that inspired the formation of the club began in 1969 to appease student protesters inspired by King's teachings. The first ever cohort of Brandeis Bridges Fellows, a group of 10 black and Jewish undergraduate students, then took to the stage. Members of the group traveled to Israel in December 2013,-accompanied by Adams and the University's Jewish Chaplain, Rabbi Elyse Winick '86,-completing an itinerary that they created in order to learn about interfaith and interracial tolerance. Bridges Fellow Amaris Brown '16 spoke to the audience about the group's experiences and related its mission to King's values. The performances continued with a vocal performance by Makalani Mack '16, who sang "A Change is Gonna Come," a song by musician Sam Cook. Williams then introduced the event's keynote speakers, Hubert and Jane Sapp, who featured a storied legacy of civil rights activism. Jane Sapp conveyed her joy at the commemoration to the audience and performed two songs that were anthems of civil rights rallies in the 1960s. Before her second song, she told the audience, with a hopeful tone, "We need you young people more than ever." Mr. Sapp shared stories of his experience as a special assistant to King in 1967, and, additionally, alluded to King's personal commitment to his activism. King's work, he said, inspired his own lifelong activism. The evening ended with a performance by hip-hop dance group KAOS Kids and an oration of King's "I Have a Dream" speech by Jermaine Hamilton '14. Bronte Velez '16 also delivered an especially moving original slam poem chronicling her encounters with racism throughout her life and discussing how King's philosophy inspires her today. -Ellie Benjamin contributed reporting.
This week, JustArts sat down with Emily Zoller '14, the executive director of hip-hop dance performance group Kaos Kids. JustArts: Would you tell us about your involvement with Kaos Kids-how long have you been involved, and what is your role in the group? Emily Zoller: I joined Kaos my freshman year, and I'm a senior now. So I've been with the group almost four years. I'm now the executive director; I was the executive director last year too, in the fall, and in the spring I was abroad. Before that, I was the events coordinator, so I've always been involved with Kaos from the beginning of my Brandeis time. JA: How would you describe Kaos Kids to someone who is unfamiliar with it? EZ: Kaos is crazy. Kaos is chaos-we know that about ourselves and we love that. First and foremost we are a family, and that's something that we really promote and we really push. We're really good about supporting one another, in the dance room and when we perform, but also in our lives in general. We are a very diverse group. We do hip-hop, but we have some breakers and some people who like to do flips and stuff like that, and we like to incorporate a lot of different styles. Sometimes we'll bring in contemporary, and we pull on people's strengths within the group. JA: I'm excited for Kaos Kids' performance at the University's celebration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on MLK Day next Monday. How has the group prepared? EZ: It's something that the artistic directors are working on-Stephanie Ramos '14 and Mark Borreliz '14-so they are putting together the choreography and song choice. It's not going to be all of us because it's a shorter time period to practice, but we'll put it together, and you'll see! JA: I'm curious about the personal stake that you guys have in this performance, as Kaos Kids has performed at MLK Day last year, is it a yearly thing for you? EZ: I didn't perform in it last year, I was abroad, but it is an important thing to us. It's important that we're doing it again, and we'd like it to become something that's regular for us. We're a very diverse group and support everything that MLK stands for. It's a different space for us to perform, and it's something that's meaningful. JA: Is social justice or activism with regard to diversity a common interest among the group's members? EZ: It's not something that we explicitly talk about-I think, as Brandeis students, we all sort of have social justice tendencies, but it's not necessarily the mission of the group. We do like to give back to the Brandeis community and the community at large, and have worked with some of the on-campus groups that do after-school programs, and teaching kids, and we went to the YMCA last year to do a performance for some of the kids. JA: What has been your biggest challenge as you've worked with Kaos Kids over the years? EZ: That's a good question. I think that the biggest challenge is that we want to do a lot, and we always have ideas and there's always a lot of ambition and a lot of momentum to move forward and do big things. And it's just a lot of energy to try to do the work and try to organize and make sure that we get done what we need to get done and make sure that we are perfecting the pieces we are performing, and not just running through them, not just trying to get to bigger venues or different places or try really crazy ideas. It's just to follow through and make sure that we have a finished product as much as we are trying to grow and do new things. JA: What sort of direction do you see the group going in for the rest of this year? Are you guys planning out long term? EZ: We are just about to have our pre-semester meeting, so we will be talking more about that. We've been talking for years about trying to compete in things around Boston. We have performed at different universities and we really do love that, being part of a Greater Boston-area hip-hop community or dance community in general, so that's something we're thinking about. We're planning our semester show, which we did for the first time last year. We're trying to get more people to choreograph, really get involved with the group. -Rachel Hughes
On Thursday night, friends and family crowded into Levin Ballroom for Adagio Dance Company's "Dancefest 2013: It's Your Turn." Adagio, which is run by students, is Brandeis' largest dance group and open to all who wish to participate. Students with varying levels of skill can join and the company will teach their participants and then perform different dance styles at Dancefest. The show was comprised of Adagio performances, as well as several other on-campus dance groups and a few from other schools.
On Saturday evening, Culture X lit up the night with a fantastic compilation of cultural dance and music performances in Levin Ballroom. The Brandeis student body obviously knew they were in for something special, because it was one of the biggest crowds I have seen in the ballroom. No single culture was in the spotlight during the show-one could say that it was the Brandeis culture that was on display at Culture X. The show's program stated that Culture X's mission was to "celebrate the diversity that exists within the Brandeis community," and this was executed with incredible success. Alex Esakof '16 started off the show with a light performance. The program comically described this performance as "just a dude swinging things in the dark." The spinning spirals of color were mesmerizing and soothing. The spirals moved clockwise one second and then, without pause, would switch direction. It was the perfect introductory piece to get the crowd excited for the rest of the show. One of the more unique performances of the night put a twist on a traditional Filipino dance, performed by the South East Asia Club Tinikling Group. Two students crouched on the floor holding two long, wooden sticks between them. The students tapped rhythms on the ground with the stick while, above them, a couple danced in between and outside of the sticks in coordination with the sticks' movement. The first vocal performance of the night, "Will and James Present: The Namjas" gave the audience a beautiful mix of complex harmonies. The three performers, James Lee '13, Will Cheon '15 and Clarence Lee '15, sat onstage in a very unassuming manner. Clarence played the guitar and sang, while Cheon and Lee added their vocals to the songs as well. Though there were some technical difficulties, the three men handled it with style and were not a bit flustered by the mishap. Brandeis' step team, So Unique, performed a piece that combined rhythm and skilled dance. There was no background music-the dancers made their own music by clapping and stomping in perfectly coordinated motions. At one point, the group separated itself into three smaller groups and each group did their own step dance, impressively maintaining one unified rhythm. The crowd was shouting and hollering their friends' names the whole time. Later, Brandeis Asian American Student Association presented Project BAASA, an upbeat dance performed by 13 Brandeisians. The program mentioned that the group's main goal is to "disprove stereotypes, especially the image of a quiet student" and to show that "Asian Americans can be talented and confident." The group danced to hip-hop and rap music and had an aura of confidence about them the whole time. Even their outfits-bright red shirts and distressed jeans-showed that they were definitely not the image of the "quiet [Asian] student," as the program explains. Members of the Adagio Dance Ensemble performed a dance to Ellie Goulding's emotional ballad "Joy," choreographed by Morgan Conley '13. This beautiful dance was a nice contrast to BAASA's much louder and more energetic display. The dancers leapt and twirled across the stage to Goulding's dreamy music, their movements smooth, fluid and reminiscent of ballet. Toward the end of the show, one of Brandeis' most popular dance groups, KAOS Kids, presented a dance: "Channel KAOS." The performance was spectacular-amusing, creative and technically perfect-it was clear that the group had spent hours perfecting their moves. They danced to TV show themes, including Spongebob Squarepants and America's Next Top Model. I sat with my jaw dropped, spellbound by their talent, energy and technique. The show's hosts D'Andre Young '15 and Naya Stevens '15 said this might have been one of the best Culture X shows to date. Although this was my first year attending Culture X, I can't imagine a better show than this one.
I always thought I went to a bagel-and-lox type of school largely inhabited by a quirky mix of awkward dorks. So far, I have defined dancing in college as a less-sober version of my bar mitzvah year, choking on a cloud of body heat and alcohol sweat. Brandeis' hip-hop dance group, Kaos Kids, hosted its first-ever semester show on Thursday night in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium and flipped my stereotyped idea of Brandeis dancing. In fact, it was a very well-executed flip followed by some break dancing and booty-pops. D'Andre Young '15, the convivial emcee of the event, introduced the four-year-old dance group to a sea of students. Its members have a variety of body types and ethnic backgrounds, and I could tell each performer had a different level of experience in hip-hop dance. However, all were able to seamlessly transition between complex formations, and I was stunned when all the female performers slinked into full splits. In this sense, I think "KAOS Kids" is a misnomer: The members' overall performance was not "Kaotic;" it was a polished, greased, ferocious machine. The first choreographed piece, "Kaos in Southeast Asia," was a powerful start to the show. The sharp moves of the dancers mixed with eclectic splicing of various hip-hop songs energized the audience. The group also performed "Kaotic Fairy Tale" and "Kaos in Suffolk," named after its debut performance at Suffolk University. Kaos Kids have also performed at other colleges in the Boston area, as well as Brown University. As a Kanye West fan, I particularly enjoyed the finale piece, "Kaos in Paris." The dance featured a compilation of a variety of contemporary hip-hop songs including West's "N****s in Paris." The dance set was interwoven with performances by two other musical groups. Guitarist and vocalist Ayan Sanyal '14 and saxophonist Bryan Le '14 played a funky duet including one improvisational jazz jam and an original composition written and performed by Sanyal called "Summer's Day." Sanyal's percussive strumming combined with Le's complex jazz riffs made me want to get up and dance. The live musical performance also featured the Brandeis R&B and soul a cappella group, Voices of Soul. The group sang "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" by Blu Cantrell and "F*ck You," by Cee-Lo Green. I had never heard Voices of Soul perform before and I enjoyed their fresh, groovy repertoire. However, the one microphone used to amplify the entire group of Voices of Soul and Sanyal and Le's act did not lend an easy listening experience. I strained to make out what the emcee was saying and what the musicians were singing due to the poor sound amplification and the echoing acoustics of the SCC Atrium. The public venue of the SCC attracted many passersby, but the quality of the performance would have been greatly enhanced if the event were hosted in an auditorium or theater with a stage with an in-house audio system. Overall, the show would have been much more powerful with some simple lighting effects. Despite these minor technical distractions, the KAOS Kids' performance d?(c)buted talent I did not know existed at Brandeis. The group shined particularly during the solo performances of class of 2013 KAOS Kids members. Zoe Shiovitz '13, David Robles '13, Shaquan Perkins '13 and Samantha Cortez '13 choreographed brief individual pieces to "strut their stuff" before graduating this spring. Shiovitz performed a modern piece to a slow song by Antony & The Johnsons, which was a refreshing alternative to the high-powered style that KAOS is known for. Robles danced like a liquid robot with lots of fluid body rolls and waves punctuated by sharp, fine-tuned gestures. Perkins appeared to be having the most fun; the crowd was responsive to his full splits and wild, uninhibited dancing style. I was particularly impressed by Cortez's edgy choreography and intensity on the floor. The baseball cap she wore that shadowed her eyes and the strength behind her polished movements gave her a fierce appearance, which resonated with her KAOS nickname: The Beast. The enthusiasm the audience showed for these senior performers expressed how much momentum KAOS Kids has gained over its short group tenure of four years. Undoubtedly, one reason why this group is so well rehearsed is its commitment to practicing. KAOS Kids' Artistic Director Mark Borreliz '14 explained, "We practice every Monday and Thursday night, 9:30 to 11:30 in the Gosman Dance Studio." I am now very tempted to drop in on one of their rehearsals and see if I can pick up any dance tips. In fact, everyone could benefit from a little KAOS in their lives. If only they gave workshops, more Brandeis students would be armed with creative alternatives to rubbing up against one another at dance parties. I am slightly disappointed that KAOS Kids' first semester show happened so late into the semester; however, I anticipate what KAOS will bring to Brandeis audiences for the rest of this year and in upcoming years.
Herman Hemingway '53 delivered the keynote address at the eighth annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in honor of MLK Day last night at the Carl J. Shapiro Theater. The event was co-sponsored by MLK Scholars and Friends, the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Communications. Hemingway was the first black man to graduate from Brandeis and was King's Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brother. According to Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams, who served as host of the program, Hemingway, originally from Roxbury, Mass., became an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Youth Council at age 15. Following his time as an undergraduate at Brandeis, he spent four years in the Air Force and attended law school at Suffolk University. He is now a professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Boston and practices law as a public defender. According to Hemingway, he and King met when the former was an undergraduate at Brandeis and the latter a graduate student at Boston University and ordained minister. Reflecting on his time with King, Hemingway said that "his demeanor was always cloaked with great dignity." King was "a man of great faith and recognized his need to grow and learn more," which led to his pledging the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Hemingway said. When Hemingway was growing up, he said, young white boys were able to loudly proclaim that they wanted to be the president of the United States when they grew up, while "I would say in a slightly softer tone, 'president of the United States,'" Hemingway said. This was particularly resonant yesterday, he added, on the day of the second inauguration of President Barack Obama. Hemingway impressed upon audience members the debt they owe to King and his "legacy of love, dedication and sacrifice" as well as "those whose rights are still being violated in this country." When King spoke of equality, Hemingway said, "it did include folks who did not look like himself or identify like himself," and he implored the audience to keep this in mind as they work to "act and protect and perfect the dream." The evening featured a number of performances, including an original poem by Amanda Dryer '13, president of MLK and Friends, which linked the program's theme, "The Duty of a Dream!", with modern-day tragedies, including the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the death of Trayvon Martin, further imploring the audience to act upon that duty. Hip-hop team Kaos Kids and step team So Unique presented a dance performance titled "Uniquely Kaotic" set to an audio track of excerpts from King's "I Have a Dream" speech and Kanye West's song "Power." Of the collaboration, Kaos Kids events coordinator Shaquan Perkins '13 said in an interview that "it just sends that message-we are a diverse campus and we can work together and just ... make great things together." "We ... hope to stir inspiration within the audience of what's possible when determination and community are used to link people," said manager of So Unique Katherine Chin '14 in an email to the Justice. Eliana Light '12, who graduated this past December, delivered an original poetic speech that explored the connection between King and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel-who collaborated with King and participated in several civil rights marches-and the role of Jews in the civil rights movement, tying their narrative in with her own personal experiences of growing up in Memphis, Tenn. Heschel embodies the Jewish concept of tikkun olam, "repairing the world with action," Light said in an interview. Both King and Heschel, she continued, shared the message of "doing God's will on Earth," and the Jewish connection to the movement stems from the concept that "you shall love the stranger because you were strangers in Egypt." Both men are "symbols of what we stand for when we forget our moral compass," she said in her performance. Racial Minority Senator and MLK Scholar Amanda Pereira '15 performed a rendition of King's "Loving Your Enemies" speech. She chose the piece, she said in an interview, because she wanted audience members to be able to relate the speech's message to their own lives and also take note that "love is something that transcends time." Each year, an MLK scholar gives a rendition of a King speech, Adams said in an interview. Pereira is the first women to give the performance. "There's room for everybody at the table," said Adams in an interview. "This memorial is a celebration of us, all together; it's a celebration of our community."
Of all the books I have read for school over the past ten years, I can confidently say that only a select few have truly proven to be a good read. Some of those books have even left an indelible mark on my life as a student and an individual. For an anthropology class this semester, I was assigned The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, an anthropological case study in Merced, Calif. by Anne Fadiman. Although hesitant at first, I was captured by Fadiman's vivid prose within the first few pages. Her language is precise, but more importantly, she effectively creates an emotional connection with the reader through the use of anecdotes and scientific fieldwork evidence. Originally published in 1997 and again in 2012-after Lia passed away-with a new afterword by Fadiman, Spirit painstakingly chronicles the medical journey of a young child, Lia Lee, who is born to Laotian immigrants to the United States, and whose family clashes with the American medical system while trying to receive treatment for her epilepsy. At its core, the book is an emotional example of real life medical anthropology and how the cultural differences of an immigrant family and western doctors complicate their interaction. Lia was born in Merced in 1982 after her family's difficult refugee journey from Laos to the U.S. after being persecuted by other Southeast Asia groups. Her father and mother, Nao Kao Lee and Foua Yang, are from Laos and belong to the Hmong ethnic group, which has historically been discriminated against, constantly fighting for their right to exist. Fadiman does an exquisite job capturing the essence of the Hmong people, which she attained from hours of fieldwork talking to the Lees and other Hmong families in Merced. The Hmong are known for their resilience against adversity, according to Fadiman's research, something that was vital as they fled their home country to refugee camps in Thailand due to violence and persecution. The Lees arrive in Merced, already an area with a substantial Hmong population, with no knowledge of English or American culture. At three months old, Lia suffers her first seizure, thus beginning a four year-long journey through the American medical system. Because of the language and cultural barrier between the Lees and the American doctors, Lia's condition is misdiagnosed, thus perpetuating the seizures until she is finally diagnosed with epilepsy by the doctors at Merced Community Medical Center. From that point on, there is constant conflict between the Hmong and American medical practices in terms of Lia's care. Her parents believe in Shaman ritual practices, in which a healer performs elaborate rituals that attempt to reunite the body with soul; in comparison, the American doctors believe that epilepsy is caused by overactive electric impulses in the brain. In terms of anthropological vocabulary, both groups are ethnocentric-viewing their culture as the correct way of doing something and not accepting that of other cultures. Instead, I believe that Lia's life could have turned out very different if both groups had been able to efficiently communicate and make compromises, like combining Western medical practices and the Hmong's Shamanism. Spirit has won many literary reviews, including The National Book Critics Circle Award, and is also required reading at many medical schools. Not only a good novel, Spirit exists to advocate for cross-cultural interaction and understanding, something all too needed in an increasingly global world Within the context of my anthropology class, I viewed this book as a case study of existing cultural boundaries and how attempts to lessen the divide are difficult to execute. Because of the language difference, medical beliefs and different cultural norms and values, the chances of effectively communicating about a complicated health matter are slim. Western medicine is based in science-doctors are extensively trained to know the human body and treat problems that arise. In the information presented in the book, the Hmong don't understand medical practices that Westerners find commonplace, like drawing blood or taking medication for an illness. Fadiman brilliantly layers her insight on these topics and conflicts while relaying Lia's tragic story. In comparison to other anthropological fieldwork books I have read, Spirit captivated my interest for these very reasons. Fadiman was not just another anthropologist in a far-away land giving descriptions of a foreign culture. Instead, I grew attached to Lia and wanted to know her story. My thoughts wandered between trying to imagine what I would do in a similar situation to how these types of cultural misunderstandings could be avoided in the future. Fadiman suggests ideas like having more interpreters who could help mediate cultural differences.
* Offering a welcome break from the academic tunnel-vision that college students tend to fall prey to during midterm season, Adagio Dance Company proudly presented a phenomenal show last week-ADC Unleashed: Dancefest 2012. The massive performance took place in Levin Ballroom last Wednesday and featured Brandeis dance groups as well as groups from several other colleges in the greater Boston area. The presence of parents and families added a warmth to the densely packed audience of students and faculty, who all sat spellbound for the entire show, voicing personal cheers for the dancers they came to support. A total of 22 groups performed, ranging from belly dancing to ballet, and each with a distinct aesthetic. Groups were set apart by creative spatial use of the stage, clever costumes and coordinated lights and music, with each ensemble quite different from the next. * Adagio is Brandeis' largest student-run dance group, and performs in five different styles of dance: jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical, modern and ballet. This spirit of diversity and variety that Adagio is built upon held a capital presence in the Dancefest show, where each dance was very distinct from the others, but in a way that was more cooperative than competitive. * Although every group seemed to be followed by a fury of applause, the audience went the wildest for our very own hip-hop group, Kaos Kids. This group was so high-energy throughout their entire performance that I began to feel tired for them just by watching! Their whole routine was very carefully designed and practiced: from light and music changes to swapping out of dancers on the stage, they were on top of their game. Throbbing, rousing, beloved rap and hip-hop anthems like Nicki Minaj's "Roman's Revenge" blasted from the stage, and grainy audio clips with a themepark-style announcement were used to transition from one song to the next. During each of the transition clips, the group would become still, and one dancer would lip-sync along to the announcement while working his or her feistiest attitude. Within a few seconds, the group would slide into the next song and the audience would lean in a little closer, marveling at the dancers' endurance and how, over the course of their performance, they actually picked up the pace of their movements and seemed to smile a little bigger with each passing moment. * In a show that featured so much variety, it is impossible to say that one group performed better than another; each performance had so many facets unique to it alone. For example, some groups, like the ballet performances, highlighted individual skill as each dancer would perform the same steps in unison with the rest of the group, striving to move as one collective body. Brandeis' Ballet Club and other groups of similar style showcased themselves with commendable grace, and one could only find fault in minor points when dancers fell out of sync with each other. Conversely, more modern and hip hop-oriented groups adhered to a style of choreography that cultivated interaction and a chemistry between dancers-although each individual had a chance to shine, the strength of these groups was in their ability to complement each others' movements. I tended to prefer watching groups whose members interacted with each other onstage-joining hands, falling, catching and lifting each other and smiling at the dancers near them in silent encouragement. * Every act seemed to be a highlight in Dancefest. A group of Adagio alumni returned to Brandeis, shining in a Greek god and goddess-inspired piece in which dancers were painted a pale white and donned delicate togas, looking and moving very much like enchanted sculptures. Hooked on Tap, Brandeis' own Tap Ensemble, happily performed to a chipper swing song. Each member of the group tapped in perfect time with the rest and sported a darling uniform look: a charming ponytail, a white dress with red polka dots, white bobby socks and black tap shoes. The performance of Brandeis' Israeli folk dance group, B'yachad, translated a cultural love and pride into one of the most joyful dances of the night. It was choreographed to an upbeat song and featured dancers with infectious smiles. Even a hip hop group from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, called 'Ridonkulous,' was an obvious crowd pleaser, with a costume evolution from pajamas to green-and-black track suits to white, plastic Halloween masks. * By the end of the show, it was apparent that the assortment of taste and inspiration between each performance featured in Dancefest was not only endlessly enjoyable, but reflected the variety within the Brandeis community. We may not all dance to the same beat, but if we work together, our efforts on-and-off stage are much better than any solo act.
When I think of a talent show, I think of the movie Mean Girls-a boy singing Christina Aguilera to a chorus of boos. As I sat in the crowded Levin Ballroom on Friday, Oct. 13, I was filled with nervous anticipation for what I assumed to be amateur performances. However, the Fall Fest Variety Show proved me wrong. Instead of boos, the talented performers were met with fervent applause-and not only because much of the audience was comprised of loyal family members. The variety show is a compilation of different performance groups on campus, including a cappella groups, improv groups and dance ensembles. It is a chance for students to show their parents and peers what exactly goes into the Brandeis experience-which is, as it were, massive amounts of a cappella. This year, it was emceed by local celebrity and Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams and the nearly-as-famous student emcee Shaquan Perkins '13. The hammy duo are natural performers and interacted with the audience with an impromptu spelling bee, shout and repeats and plenty of jokes. The most memorable emcee moment by far was when Adams brought a 76-year-old audience member on stage, who did a remarkable 30 push ups, after asking if he had an oxygen tank on standby. Audience members were laughing, smiling and generally enjoying themselves. Adagio's Dance Ensemble began with a dance to Fun's "One Foot." As an avid Dance Moms watcher, I am a huge fan of choreographed dances. Sadly, if this were Dance Moms, Abby Lee would have put these girls at the bottom of the pyramid. The choreography fumbled, and the dancers definitely could have benefitted from more practice with a metronome. The So Unique Step Team performance combined body percussion and dance to engage multiple senses. The performance demonstrated the dancer's personalities as well as their incredible step skills. The Bellydance Ensemble followed with a dance to "Houdini" by Foster the People. Perhaps the dancers could have benefitted from a more intimate venue; the subtleties of their performance did not seem to translate to a large audience. Following was Jewish a cappella group Manginah with "Ito Lanetzach," sung by Jess Pullen '13, "Holech Lesham" by Matt Sidell '14 and "Ah Ah Ahava" by Coby Fleischman '14. Fleischman's standout performance conveyed her love and talent for singing, and the group's clear excitement about the song translated to the audience. Next was a hilarious set of sketch comedy by Boris' Kitchen and improvisational comedy by To Be Announced. The show ended with a passionate rendition of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by the Four Seasons and "My Girl" by the Temptations, sung by Voices of Soul. I was as enthralled as anyone when Kaos Kids began their office-themed dance to songs by Frank Ocean, Robin Thicke, Mikey J & The UK Female Allstars and Korean pop Internet sensation PSY's "Gangnam Style." For me, however, when it comes to any type of performance, it is not only the talent, but also the showmanship that matters. Do the performers look excited and passionate about what they are doing? Are they projecting to the audience? Do they look comfortable on stage? Is the performer emoting using the correct facial expressions and gesticulations? One example of a group that did not engage the audience was To Be Announced. While I acknowledge how empirically difficult improv comedy is, many of the group's members had no regard for the audience and not only did not project but were often facing the wall as they spoke. The awkward, low energy scenes made for an uncomfortable audience. Also lackluster was Voices of Praise, Brandeis' one-and-only gospel choir. "The Way They Praise Him," proved to be simply half-hearted swaying while singing passionlessly. Overall, the Variety Show was well received and went remarkably without a hitch. The performances overall were excellent and really captured the essence of performance art at Brandeis-diverse, interesting and, most of all, entertaining.
If, a few years back, you had told Brandeis alum Andrew Rauner '12 that he would spend the summer after college touring the country as a professional photographer shooting a music festival, he might not have believed you. "Photography was always more of a hobby," Rauner insisted. This past summer, Rauner was a professional photographer for Elektro Magazine, a start-up publication based in New York City, taking promotional photographs on tour with the Identity Festival. Identity is an electronic music festival that toured North America from Aug. 11 to Sept. 10 and featured top-tier electronic artists. "Landing the job was actually a bit of a fluke," Rauner explained. By the end of his senior year he was submitting photos fairly regularly to both the online and print editions of Elektro Magazine. "Basically, one night while I was shooting an event with [Elektro Magazine] in New York City, [Elektro] told me that they were partnering with the Identity Music Festival to offer media sponsorship, and they thought it would be really cool to send someone as a means of getting more exclusive content," Rauner said. "Then they asked me, 'What do you think?'" The decision to pursue a career in photography was a radical departure for Rauner, who double-majored in Economics and Computer Science. Other Economic majors in his classes began to plan for post-graduation finance careers, but Rauner decided to take the gig with Identity because he figured, "I would never really get another opportunity like this. I can put that life on hold and go on tour." Rauner has been snapping shots since he was about seven years old. In high school, he took occasional photography jobs at concert venues so he could see bands for free. In his junior year at Brandeis, Rauner enrolled in an intermediate photography class to fulfill his creative art requirement, reigniting his interest in a long-standing pastime. From that point on, photography was elevated to what Rauner calls his "professional hobby." He spent his last two years at Brandeis shooting school events, including SpringFest and Pachanga, and shooting promotional photos for the Kaos Kids. Eventually he started landing jobs at local nightclubs and concert halls in Boston such as House of Blues and Paradise Rock Club. Although Rauner does other kinds of photography on the side, he says that shooting music performances provides him with a stimulating and exciting work experience. "It's challenging because every show is completely different. I don't get to control my subject or the lighting, so I have to sort of learn as I go. It's a little more interesting for me than working with a model in a studio where there's opportunity to screw up." Rauner concedes that being an undergraduate at Brandeis was sheltering in some ways when it comes to the reality of working outside of the Brandeis bubble. "You don't necessarily get the sort of worldly experience that you might get elsewhere. I was on tour for a month with a lot of 40-year-old tattooed middle-America ex-rock star types. I had never really talked with people like that before then." As much as Brandeis may not have fully prepared him for his transition into the workforce, his experiences as a Brandeisian were also helpful. "I think something people at Brandeis don't necessarily realize while they're at Brandeis is that it's such an eclectic group of people. Being able to converse with someone who is completely different from me is something I definitely learned at Brandeis." Rauner's tour with Identity was a great match for him since he is interested in electronic music. "Don't get we wrong, I grew up on classic rock, and I play guitar," he clarified. "But with the electronic music scene it is not just about a guitar and rockstar. It's really a major production." Rauner's photography career keeps getting bigger and better as his talents become more recognized within the music industry. At his first job after the Identity tour, he was given special access to the backstage booth, shooting the Electric Zoo Festival for Rolling Stone magazine on Randall's Island, N.Y. "I was standing behind the DJ booth and when I picked my head up to take pictures, I was greeted with a crowd of 50,000 people. I have never had stage fright before in my life, but all I could do was stare at the crowd for a couple seconds and immediately duck back down. I had to take a few minutes to collect myself and realized that I was there to work." Rauner wasn't involved in many clubs and organizations at Brandeis, but he found that he was able to involve himself in many different areas of student life through his photography. A sustained career in photography is an attractive idea for Rauner, but he remains a realist. "It's a very fast-paced and exciting life, but it isn't completely self-sustaining, especially in today's environment." Rauner is currently looking into positions in the music industry to complement his job as a freelance photographer, a search prompted by his interest in electronic music and his experience on tour. Reflecting on how he currently uses the lessons he learned as a student in his professional "adult" life, Rauner's practicality returned. "When you're at Brandeis, you get used to it and start to think that this is what the real world is like. Sometimes it isn't, but sometimes, it is."
A byline in Forum misspelled the writer's name. The author's name is spelled Daniel Koas, not Daniel Kaos. (Sept. 11, pg. 8) The title of a photo on the front page misleadingly read "Home Opener." The photo was not, in fact, of the men's soccer home opener, but rather of their second game of the season. (Sept. 11, pg. 1) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.
When asked what the annual event and this year's theme, "the world is our stage," meant to her, coordinator Sriya Srikrishnan '12 remarked in the introductory video, "Culture X is a big, cultural smoothie." Her statement would prove to be a very accurate description of what the event held in the Levin Ballroom on Saturday night had in store for its sold-out audience.
From burlesque cabaret and flashy show tunes to crass comedy and hip-hop dancers, Brandeis Cares encompassed a wide variety of popular Broadway music while engaging the audience on a personal level through the intimate seating arrangement. This gala charity concert, organized by Tympanium Euphorium, was put on to raise money for Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS, the nation's top industry-based HIV/AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization. The event was co-sponsored by the Brandeis Pluralism Alliance, the Undergraduate Departmental Representative program and the Undergraduate Theater Collective. Director Ellyn Getz '13 said that aside from being an amazing performance with a huge turnout, the event raised about $950 through a raffle, ticket sales and a silent auction. Many professors and students attended, including University President Frederick Lawrence. The emcees of the event were Senior Vice President of Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel and student Deirdre Connelly '13. Getz first performed in the Brandeis Cares show two years ago. Raising money for AIDS research became especially important to her because, her character Mimi, in last year's production of Rent, was HIV-positive. As a method actress, Getz tries to put herself in the situation her character is embodying to really experience and research it. For the role of Mimi, she gave up eating candy for two months to feel, on a smaller scale, the effects of deprivation and withdrawal. She also spoke to many people at Brandeis who have lost loved ones to the disease: "This showed me how [HIV/AIDS] really is such a far reaching illness and how important the cause was." "It was amazing to represent Brandeis in the Broadway world [through this musical and working with Broadway Cares]." One of the bigger numbers in the show was the In the Heights medley directed by Iyvon Edebiri '13. In the Heights depicts three days in the lives of lower-class families living in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. The medley featured the hip-hop dance group Kaos Kids along with other featured dancers. Abby Armstrong '13, who directed the music for the act, said, "It was an incredible experience working with so many different types of people-from those who proudly call themselves 'musical theater people' to those who have never sung in front of a live audience. It was amazing watching the eclectic cast bond over the course of our brief rehearsal process." In the Heights brought amazing energy and had the audience dancing in their seats. In the Heights was choreographed by Stephanie Ramos '14 and David Robles '13, who are members of Kaos Kids. Armstrong, who performed in the number, explains that this performance was different from what is usually done at Brandeis. "In The Heights is the kind of musical most people would say we would never be able to do at Brandeis because they say it is too dance heavy or it is too ethnicity-specific, but as a team, Iyvon, David, Stephanie, the incredibly talented cast and I proved those statements wrong," Armstrong said. They have been asked to perform the In The Heights medley for the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts later this semester. From the heart-warming rendition of "Good Morning, Baltimore" from Hairspray by first-time performer Alison Uliss '12, to an improvised musical by Zane Relethford '13, Elly Kalfus '13 and Caroline Grassi '12, the show really showed the breadth of talent at Brandeis. The improvised musical featured a man who grew up in a cave, and his wife must explain to him how things work in the Western world. The improvised musical was quirky, but catchy, and included several songs. Aside from performance groups, this event also included politically and socially minded clubs. FACE AIDS, a global youth movement allied with Partners in Health that is dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa and promoting global health, sold pins at the event to raise money to build a health center in Rwanda. This is the first year a FACE AIDS chapter has existed at Brandeis. According to Rohan Narayanan '15, who is on the executive board of the chapter, the club has plans to be involved in many more events in the future. "So far, we've sold lots of pins and we're co-planning some great fundraising events in April," Narayanan said. "We've also made partnerships with various clubs and organizations on campus like Triskelion and Colleges Against Cancer and with sorority [Kappa Beta Gamma]." Getz hopes to try to make Brandeis Cares a bigger part of the Brandeis Community and stay involved in future years. She says Brandeis's support for the cause, Broadway Cares, will also continue through other theater events. "I plan to set up a donation table at each of the shows that take place at Brandeis including Fuddy Meers and other performances that the undergrad theater collective are setting up in the next few weeks" Getz said.
Ellyn Getz '13, vice president of musical theater club Tympanium Euphorium, is the organizer for Brandeis Cares, a charitable event that is being co-sponsored this year by the Brandeis Pluralism Alliance. The evening will consist of musical numbers, improvisational acts, a raffle and a silent auction. Held in Sherman Function Hall on Thursday, March 15 at 7 p.m., three-quarter seating will allow for an intimate experience. Read on to find out more about the cause and the exciting acts to come. JustArts: How did Brandeis Cares get started? Ellyn Getz: I know it's a very new program. ... It's only been around for four or five years at Brandeis. Broadway Cares, however, has been around for a long time and they have an educational outreach initiative to try to get college campuses, middle schools [and] high schools involved with holding these benefit concerts or gala functions at the schools and Brandeis has taken it under its wing and feels that in true form with the idea of social justice and with the idea of how important it is to have a community-building event, this is definitely one of those uniting events. JA: Why are you so passionate about this event? EG: I'm obsessed with Broadway and I would love to go into the Broadway world, whether it's having the honor of performing, whether it's working for a theater company within Broadway. I've always been obsessed by Broadway. So when I found out about this Broadway revue, it was very similar to cabarets that I helped put together in high school, and so my freshman year ... I did "Cell Block Tango," and seeing my friend Julie Stein '11 who put it together two years ago do it, I was thinking, "Oh my gosh, this is something I really want to do, too." ... [Later] we did Rent here and I played Mimi. And I'm a method actress, which means that when I pick up a role I really research different things that they go through. ... And Mimi dealt with AIDS. So don't worry, I did not pick up any virus, but I did a lot of research and spoke with people who have personally been affected by it and I learned that there are people in our community whose parents passed away from AIDS and who have had to deal with it and so ... the more research I did, the more passionate I became about the cause. JA: Can you talk a bit more about Broadway Cares? EG: The organization itself really helps to spread awareness, obviously .... and to raise money to find medications, but what's interesting about it too is that a lot of money that's raised also goes to specific people that are dealing with AIDS to help with the hospital bills, ... and a lot of actors on Broadway are affected by the virus so it's definitely very ... involved with the Broadway world. JA: How does Brandeis Cares raise money? EG: It is through ticket sales. Our admission is $3 in advance and $5 at the door. But we also have a silent auction and a raffle so all that money goes directly to Broadway Cares. We have a lot of really fun silent auction items, Broadway items; ... Culinary Arts club, Relay for Life ... they're all providing baskets to support the cause. We have Alumni Relations that's putting together a basket of some fun Brandeis paraphernalia. We also have for the raffle ... four Fresh City [restaurant] gift certificates ... and we have a bunch of other fun gift certificates, signed posters. ... You can buy raffle tickets when we're tabling in Usdan 11 to 2 Monday through Thursday, but you can also buy them [the night of the show]. I do plan to continue raising money and speaking to clubs who are putting on shows in the Undergraduate Theater Collective. JA: What are some of the acts that people can look forward to? EG: As a whole, all of the acts are really cool especially because we didn't want to do just singing acts. We have a bunch of different improvisational actors performing, we have Top Score performing. ... We have a cappella groups performing. I wanted to switch it up and include people that might not be as experienced in theater here at Brandeis and give people an opportunity to perform, so I think one of those numbers ... is In the Heights and that's a medley ... I know Usman [Hameedi '12] from [the Brandeis Open Mic Series] slam poetry has one of the roles and Kaos Kids are performing as the back-up dancers. Just seeing it as a collaboration and seeing it come together has been so exciting. And [to see] people who are in totally different circles bond over this act in particular has been really inspirational. I know that I personally have made so many new friends just by working on this number because I'm also involved. "Time Warp" [from Rocky Horror Picture Show] is going to be performed. We have the many of the Rent cast coming back to perform "Seasons of Love" and Top Score is playing some awesome medleys.
On Saturday night, Brandeis' Chinese Cultural Connection celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year by showcasing ethnic performances that ran the gamut from the traditional to the modern. This year's show featured both Brandeis' own talented students as well as groups from around the Boston area. A lion dance team and kung fu artists from the Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy in Malden, Mass., a band from Berklee College of Music and an a capella group called Syncopasian from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all joined in the festivities.
Sometimes art mimics life, and sometimes art mimics art. In the case of the Leonard Bernstein Scholars and Fellows concert this Sunday, the latter was true, in that the classical music concert resembled a musical drama.
Adagio Dance Company's Dancefest 2011 was not merely a performance but a coming together of a community.