On Friday, Dec. 13th, 2024, the Berkeley High School Community Theater was a vibrant pocket of warmth as students, families, teachers, and alumni alike all gathered to watch the African Diaspora Dance and Drum Winter Showcase. The African Diaspora Dance shows always draw in a large, lively crowd, but the turnout this time around was particularly grand, and it did not go unnoticed by the talented performers.
“The audience was bigger than I thought, and backstage everyone was hyping each other up and it helped me feel confident,” BHS freshman Khephiri Watson-Martin said, “The audience was more interactive than I thought, and they joined in on our chants and songs.”
Each year, the performance is built around a central theme. This year’s show was titled “Joxe Xam Xam,” which is a phrase in Wolof, a language spoken in Senegal and Gambia. “Joxe Xam Xam” means to share or pass down knowledge, and the theme was seen both in the dances and the whole show. Building on knowledge was at the heart of every step leading up to the production. The whole process is an exchange between the students and the teachers, such as the shows’ executive director and head teacher, Dr. Dawn Williams, known by her students as Doc Dub.
“We ask our students to brainstorm themes, and because they had been learning pieces that reflected the idea of passing on wisdom, they gravitated toward this theme,” Williams said, “We spend a lot of time building relationships in the class. We figure out what kinds of personalities and strengths we have in our classes and then we select pieces and design choreography around them. We try to highlight student strengths.”
The two hour show certainly highlighted the many talents within the AFAM Dance classes, where each performer could shine in their different sections, whether it was the dedicated drum section, the solos, or the more modern pieces. The show consisted of an opening prayer dance, coming of age pieces, storytelling, and celebration dances. Some of the knowledge being shared through the performance was deep and critical, with one of the opening pieces calling out America for the reparations the country owes to many communities. The performance really spoke to the amount of practice that went into it. It was clear the dancers had the choreography down, and they were able to have fun with it. With the large venue, dedicated educators, and countless skilled performers, the showcase was beyond the scope of what one would expect from a high school production.
“It’s a good learning experience for an African American perspective on dancing, and it helped inspire me to do more on stage, and built my confidence,” BHS senior Manny Lane-Scott said, “I loved the little details put into the show. Every dance I was in was fun, and even though it took a lot of time for our class to learn all the dances, it turned out great.”
All of this work leads to a very uplifting community on and off of the stage. Williams’ students described the community as confidence-inspiring, where everyone has each other’s backs. Dancers gravitating towards this theme of gaining and giving knowledge demonstrates the real respect and positive relationships between the students and educators. The poster for the show, made by Maria Sanchez, carries this respect, with the silhouettes of former AFAM Dance teachers being central to the piece.